High-protein, high-fibre and heart-healthy soybeans, with its many nutritious benefits are remarkably versatile, adapting well to other ingredients and flavours-- so it's up to you to make the culinary best of its many formats and to jolt its potential with deliciousness! With so many people venturing into vegetarian diets and going meat-free occasionally, soy products are a smart and nutritious way to go!
One of the most delicious ingenious format is bean curd sheets to make my hands-down dim sum favourite, Pan-Fried Stuffed Bean Curd Rolls. Sheets of dried bean curd (yuba) are made from the skin that forms on the surface when soy milk is heated. The skin has no flavour or aroma until they are cooked, and rapidly absorb the flavours of seasonings and other ingredients. They are pliable and great for wrapping, but needs to be cooked before eating. I fill mine with crunchy vegetables such as bamboo shoots, black mushroom fungus, cabbage, bean sprouts and carrots. When pan-fried the tofu skin takes on a crispy aromatic flavour that is savoury with every bite. I've been making this recipe since familiarizing myself with tofu sheets- for family get-togethers, as a side with a Chinese meal, doling up small batches for friends, and teaching it in my TDSB parent engagement culinary program. I share it as a much healthier version to deep-fried spring rolls because the skin is nutritious and it shallow pan-fries in a lot less oil.
Having a few large bean curd sheets leftover from my brand new role at TDSB Learn4Life teaching my first Chinese cooking class, I wanted to expand my bean curd roll repertoire (I have made a handful of times a tasty ground pork and shrimp mousse filling). Coming across a Cantonese-speaking youtube recipe demo video using mixed mushrooms, I immediately fell in love. There are BIG mushroom lovers in this household :). I like that you can serve these rolls cold or hot, just like they do in the restaurants. Both yields a different taste experience. Shape the cooked filling into large flat logs, steam, let cool completely, then pan-fry if you wish to serve warm. Different than I have been doing wrapping small individual rolls and without steaming. So let the experimentation begin...
My first weekly Chinese Culinary Program with seniors at a community centre in Chinatown.
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| It is so lovely to see many learners wanting to participate. |
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| Rolling and Wrapping beautifully! Well done everyone! |
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| Pan-fried numminess! |
Today's recipe, I used three kinds of Asian cuisine-style mushrooms- black oyster- they were on sale :), king oyster for heartiness and shiitake for concentrated deep umami flavour. Feel free to swap and add enoki and/or shimeji mushrooms.
Nice long shreds make it easier for wrapping.
Mixed Mushrooms Beancurd Rolls
Makes 3 8" x 3" flat logs
1 package dried bean curd sheets (found in freezer section of Asian supermarket)
6 cups of mixed mushrooms (choose from oyster, king oyster, shiitake (fresh or dried), enoki and shimeji, sliced into long strips or long stalks separated (enoki)
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
a few dashes of salt and ground white pepper
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
a few dashes of salt and ground white pepper
2 Tbsp. cooking oil
1-1/2 tsp. sesame oil, divided
Seasoning mixture for bean curd sheets:
2 cups room temp. water
1-1/2 tsp. sesame oil, divided
Seasoning mixture for bean curd sheets:
2 cups room temp. water
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. dark soy sauce
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
a few drips of sesame oil
Heat a wok/skillet on medium high and add the oil. Add the mushrooms and stir for one minute. Add sugar, soy sauce, salt and pepper and 1/2 tsp. sesame oil. Cook until fragrant. Remove onto plate to cool.
Make a seasoning mixture for the tofu sheets. In a medium bowl, add the water, two soy sauces, sugar, salt and sesame oil. Mix well to dissolve sugar and salt.
My nine-year old helping out... He LOVES all kinds of mushrooms!
Cut open package of large bean curd sheets. They should be pliable. Carefully peel back three round sheets so they detach from each other. Place the other sheets back into the bag, seal well and refrigerate. Use within a week otherwise it will lose its pliability. Do not refreeze for optimum performance.
Using a scissor trim the rim off the round sheets. These hard bit can make the finished roll tough and chewy. Save the rim strips for other use such as soup, congee or Chinese sweet dessert soup in a sealed bag and refrigerate. Cut the sheets in half, so you get two half moons.
Using a scissor trim the rim off the round sheets. These hard bit can make the finished roll tough and chewy. Save the rim strips for other use such as soup, congee or Chinese sweet dessert soup in a sealed bag and refrigerate. Cut the sheets in half, so you get two half moons.
Crumple and submerge two half sheets (two for each log) one at a time into the seasoning liquid. Remove and lightly squeeze out excess. Lay lengthwise with round side facing away onto clean flat surface such as a cutting board. Repeat again with second half and lay directly on top with the round side facing you. Take one third of the cooled mushroom mixture and place it centre lengthwise 1/3 from the bottom in a log fashion.
Take the inner sheet sides and fold over each other. Take the outer sheet sides and fold them over the top sheet. Fold up from the bottom and roll up and around to encase and compact the roll (not too tight). Repeat with remaining sheets to make three logs. To prevent rolls from ballooning, take a toothpick and poke a few holes into each log on the top.
Lightly grease cooking plate with 1 tsp. sesame oil to prevent tofu skin from sticking. Lay them side by side at least 1/2-inch apart so they do not stick together while steaming. Place onto a rack-lined skillet or pot with 2 inches water, cover and let steam on medium for about eight minutes.
Carefully remove plate from skillet, and transfer each onto a pair of chopsticks layed on top of an angled baking sheet to let air circulate top and bottom for faster cooling. Cool completely, if you want to pan-fry about two hours. I put mine near the air conditioning vent.
When cooled, cut rolls into bite-size pieces. A nice fresh chewy skin and earthy mushroom taste.
For Pan-frying, pour a thin coat of oil in a skillet/pan and cook logs on medium-high heat for about one minute each side or until golden brown crispy. Remove onto paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil. Cut slicing down to bite-size pieces. Serve with Thai sweet chili sauce or Worcestershire sauce.
Serve cold or pan-fried as an appetizer or party offering at any gathering.
Pan-frying, the tofu skin takes on a crispy aromatic flavour.
Two flavour experiences from One!
Full Recipe:
Mixed Mushrooms Beancurd Rolls
Makes 3 8" x 3" flat logs
1 package dried bean curd sheets (found in freezer section of Asian supermarket)
6 cups of mixed mushrooms (choose from oyster, king oyster, shiitake (fresh or dried), enoki and shimeji, sliced into long strips or long stalks separated (enoki)
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
a few dashes of salt and ground white pepper
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
a few dashes of salt and ground white pepper
2 Tbsp. cooking oil
1-1/2 tsp. sesame oil, divided
Seasoning mixture for bean curd sheets:
2 cups room temp. water
1-1/2 tsp. sesame oil, divided
Seasoning mixture for bean curd sheets:
2 cups room temp. water
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. dark soy sauce
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
a few drips of sesame oil
Heat a wok/skillet on medium high and add the oil. Add the mushrooms and stir for one minute. Add sugar, soy sauce, salt and pepper and 1/2 tsp. sesame oil. Cook until fragrant. Remove onto plate to cool.
Make a seasoning mixture for the tofu sheets. In a medium bowl, add the water, two soy sauces, sugar, salt and sesame oil. Mix well to dissolve sugar and salt.
Cut open package of large bean curd sheets. They should be pliable. Carefully peel back three round sheets so they detach from each other. Place the other sheets back into the bag, seal well and refrigerate. Use within a week otherwise it will lose its pliability. Do not refreeze for optimum performance.
Using a scissor trim the rim off the round sheets. These hard bit can make the finished roll tough and chewy. Save the rim strips for other use such as soup, congee or Chinese sweet dessert soup in a sealed bag and refrigerate. Cut the sheets in half, so you get two half moons. Crumple and submerge two half sheets (two for each log) one at a time into the seasoning liquid. Remove and lightly squeeze out excess. Lay lengthwise with round side facing away onto clean flat surface such as a cutting board. Repeat again with second half and lay on top with the round side facing you. Take one third of the cooled mushroom mixture and place it centre lengthwise 1/3 from the bottom in a log fashion. Take the inner sheet sides and fold over each other. Take the outer sheet sides and fold them over the top sheet. Fold up from the bottom and roll up and around to encase and compact the roll (not too tight). Repeat with remaining sheets to make three logs. To prevent rolls from ballooning, take a toothpick and poke a few holes into each log on the top.
Using a scissor trim the rim off the round sheets. These hard bit can make the finished roll tough and chewy. Save the rim strips for other use such as soup, congee or Chinese sweet dessert soup in a sealed bag and refrigerate. Cut the sheets in half, so you get two half moons. Crumple and submerge two half sheets (two for each log) one at a time into the seasoning liquid. Remove and lightly squeeze out excess. Lay lengthwise with round side facing away onto clean flat surface such as a cutting board. Repeat again with second half and lay on top with the round side facing you. Take one third of the cooled mushroom mixture and place it centre lengthwise 1/3 from the bottom in a log fashion. Take the inner sheet sides and fold over each other. Take the outer sheet sides and fold them over the top sheet. Fold up from the bottom and roll up and around to encase and compact the roll (not too tight). Repeat with remaining sheets to make three logs. To prevent rolls from ballooning, take a toothpick and poke a few holes into each log on the top.
Lightly grease cooking plate with 1 tsp. sesame oil to prevent tofu skin from sticking. Lay them side by side at least 1/2-inch apart so they do not stick together while steaming. Place onto a rack-lined skillet or pot with 2 inches water, cover and let steam on medium for about eight minutes.
Carefully remove plate from skillet, and transfer each onto a pair of chopsticks on top of an angled baking sheet to let air circulate top and bottom for faster cooling. Cool completely, if you want to pan-fry about two hours. I put mine near the air conditioning vent.
Slice cold into bite-size pieces. For Pan-frying, pour a thin coat of oil in a skillet/pan and cook logs on medium-high heat for about one minute each side or until golden brown crispy. Remove onto paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil. Cut slicing down to bite-size pieces. Serve with Thai sweet chili sauce or Worcestershire sauce.
Slice cold into bite-size pieces. For Pan-frying, pour a thin coat of oil in a skillet/pan and cook logs on medium-high heat for about one minute each side or until golden brown crispy. Remove onto paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil. Cut slicing down to bite-size pieces. Serve with Thai sweet chili sauce or Worcestershire sauce.
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