Stir-Fried Green Beans with Savory Tofu and Peanuts

My mom has gone back home but there are still so many yummy recipes she cooked up that we haven't blogged about.  So here is another dish that she cooked up one day that we really enjoyed and is pretty easy to make.  She was such a lively inspiration for this blog.  We told her that we were looking for more quick and easy Asian recipes and she started to rattle off a bunch that we could do.  Here is one of them.

Stir-Fried Green Beans with Savory Tofu and Peanuts

This recipe has wonderful textures and flavors.  The tofu is firm and savory.  The beans are sweet and green with a slight crunch.  The fried peanuts add a really nice crunch and yummy nutty flavor.  And the dried shrimp ties all the flavors together with its sweetness.

The first thing you would need to do is the prep your peanuts.  Buy some raw peanuts from the Asian grocery store (they sell two types, the ones with skin and without, get the ones with skin on).  Then in a dry wok, add a little oil and cook the peanuts on medium-low heat turning frequently to prevent burning.  When the peanuts are fragrant smelling and cooked, remove and let cool.  Taste a few to make sure they are nicely crunchy (and try not to end up eating them all before making this dish!). 

As for the savory tofu, you can find these in your Asian grocery stores.  They are much firmer than your blocks of firm tofu and are brownish in color from the marinate they have been given.  If you want to try to make your own, there are recipes out there on how to make your own savory tofu.  Our favorite brand, Furama, can be found at 99 Ranch Market.

Furama Brand Savory Baked Tofu

Stir Fried Green Beans with Savory Tofu and Peanuts

Ingredients:
2 tbsp dried shrimp (hae bee), rinsed then soaked in about 1/2 cup water
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 lb green beans, chopped into 1 inch long pieces
2 blocks savory tofu (Furama brand tofu has four blocks all in one piece, use just two of the four, ie. half the package), cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/3 cup raw peanuts fried with a little oil over med-low heat until brown and fragrant
2 tbsp oil
1 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp chicken bouillon
salt and white pepper to taste

Method:
1.  Fry the peanuts in a little oil over low heat until the peanuts are browned and fragrant. 
2.  Soak the dried shrimp in 1/2 cup water, reserve the soaking liquid.
3.  Heat the oil in a pan, fry the dried shrimp and garlic together until fragrant and the garlic is lightly browned (not burnt).

Frying Dried Shrimp (Hae Bee) and Garlic

4.  Add the tofu and and stir-fry for 30 seconds.
5.  Add the oyster sauce.

Frying Savory Tofu with Oyster Sauce

6.  Throw in the green beans.

Stir-Frying Green Beans with Savory Tofu

7.  Add the chicken bouillon and the 1/2 cup reserved dried shrimp soaking liquid.
8.  Cook green beans for about 4 minutes until the beans are just cooked through (they should still have a slight crunch to them).
9.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.
10. Plate up and garnish with peanuts.

Stir-Fried Green Beans with Savory Tofu and Peanuts

Enjoy!

Cheers, Annie

Hungry for more quick Asian recipes? Click below:

Indonesian-Inspired Sauteed Shrimp

Steamed Egg Tofu with Ground Pork and Shrimp

Five Quick Asian Dishes: Two Tofus, Two Ways

Steamed Shiitake Mushrooms with Bok Choy and Fatt Choy