Some of the greatest dishes call for really simple ingredients, such as this Hokkien delicacy “Stir-fried Bean Curd with Leeks.” While I love fancy Chinese food that entails scarce and expensive ingredients such as abalone, scallops, sea cucumber, and live seafood, sometimes I like my food very plain, simple, yet nostalgic.
This Hokkien dish is my mother’s specialty and certainly one of my favorite home-cooked food. Of Hokkien descent, my mother has a way of making everyday Hokkien dishes very tasteful. A few years ago, she came to the United States for a visit and taught me how to prepare this dish. While I’d learned most of her skills, I could never reproduce her unique flavors as she does it so well.
One valuable tip about making this dish is to make sure that your leeks are uber fresh. The oniony essence will perk up the taste of fried bean curd and with the help of Taucheo (fermented yellow bean sauce) and shrimp, you will have a savory dish to go with your steamed white rice.
In Penang, there are a few great restaurants that serve this classic Hokkien dish along with some homey-tasting dishes. If you are in Penang and would like to try out restaurants other than Penang hawker food, do check out the following restaurants.
Goh Huat Seng Restaurant
59A Lebuh Kimberly
10100 Penang
Tel: 04-2615811, 04-2615646
My favorite Chinese restaurant in Penang. The food is excellent and the price is very cheap.
Rasa Malaysia recommends stir-fried oysters with taucheo (fermented yellow bean sauce), crab rolls, stir-fried spinach with dried fish, braised duck, and their flagship steamboat.
Goh Swee Kee Restaurant
5 Jalan Seri Bahari
10500 Penang
Tel: 04-263-6932
Rasa Malaysia recommends Teowchew steamed fish and home-made prawn balls.
Ang Hoay Lor
5H Jalan Rangoon
10400 Penang
Tel: 04-2285378
Rasa Malaysia recommends stir-fried bean curd with leeks (Tau Kua Suan Nah) and noodles fried with oysters.
Nan Yang Chinese Cuisine
164 Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling (Cross Road is Armenia Street)
10200 Penang
Tel: 04-2616618
I absolutely love the ambience and decor of this restaurant. The food is not as good as the above restaurants, but Nan Yang restaurant oozes old Penang charm and nostalgia. Click here to see the pictures of this restaurant.
Recipe for Stir-fried Bean Curd with Leek:
Ingredients:
3 stalks of leek (cut into 2-inch strips)
5 pieces of bean curd (cut into small pieces)
4 cloves of garlic (chopped)
6-8 shrimps
1 teaspoon of taucheo (fermented yellow bean sauce)
1 teaspoon of soy sauce
Sugar to taste
White pepper powder to taste
Fry the bean curd pieces to light brown and set aside. In a wok, add oil and stir fry the chopped garlic until golden brown, add in shrimps and the bulbs of the leek. Stir constantly for 1 minute and add in the fried bean curd pieces. Add in all seasoning and the rest of the leek (leafy part) and stir fry for 2 minutes.
Serve hot.
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{ 25 comments… read them below or add one }
My mother makes this dish too and you are right about going well with steamed white rice, and sambal belacan. Instead of shrimps, sometimes my mother uses squid, and it tastes equally good.
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It’s ok, take your sweet time to do the linking. No rush.
I’m using ballot-box.net
Anyways, I haven’t seen such dish before, will give it a try tonight. Cheers.
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Chris,
Thanks, will check it out. Thinking to use poll to do a post soon. :)
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That’s a good idea, I’m looking forward to it. Take care.
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I absolutely adore beancurd! I don’t cook it often as my Fiance isn’t a big fan. I’ll remember this recipe next time i find some beancurd in the supermarket.
Thanks for the recipe. It looks so delish and satisfying. One i’m sure to love.
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Mae,
Let me know how yours turn out. Yes, I am also a big fan of bean curd, in fact, I am a big fan of all Tofu-related products – soy bean milk, tofu skin, anything made from soy. ;)
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Lotsa places to go to in Penang when I next go there! Thanks for the addresses…
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Hey WMW,
Yes, you should go and please share with me your eating excursions. :)
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Ang Hoay Lor ’s prawn is bigger than yours! hahaha
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Aiyo Ho Jiak,
You don’t “perli” me like that one lah, LOL. I know, they are big and succulent and their Fried Bean Curd with Leek is very ho jiak (tasty), that’s why I recommended it. :)
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Sorry, reposting this again, opened too many windows and had earlier posted the comment in the wrong post.
***
Oh, if you are ever in PJ,try this fave restaurant of mine…(if you haven’t already, that is)
http://ugwug.blogspot.com/2006/10/restoran-ang-kee-cheow-yang.html
Or better still, get in touch with me, we’ll go together!
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Leekylicious !! very authentic, the tofu pockets looked juicy, good job, BY :)
S
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I haven’t tried this dish before but looks absolutely delicious. I love leeks but usually cook them with fish. Thanks for sharing. “Pei sei … hokkien lang boh choo koay!”
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Audrey –
Do try it out…the taucheo really kicks up the flavor.
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Tofu recipes are awesome. I need to this one out. One of these days I need to post my Vegetarian Mapo Tofu recipe.
- Chubbypanda
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I tried it today but I used a different type of tofu, slim like the size of the thumb and some “ma ha” (a type of sweet prawns), with leeks, tasted really good. No photos this time I’m afraid but when I cook it again, you’ll see it on my blog! Thanks again.
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Chubbypanda – yes, please cook and post the recipe. Mapo Tofu is great.
Audrey – Thanks for trying out the recipe. I wanted to see your pictures…by the way, talking about bean curd, the bean curd here in the States is huge. You get like the whole block and you cut them up yourself, not like in Malaysia where you can get small pieces in the market. By the way, what is “ma ha?” Would love to see the picture too!
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my mom make this using the chives flower (not sure of the correct term)
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Looks like this is a “my mom cooks this too!” kind of recipe cos hehe guess what… my mom also cooked this before and it’s delicious!
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I would like to ask how to cook sweet pea vegetable.
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Nice Blog!!!
SaLam keNaL
maSakaNNya eNak-eNak
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Hi, when you say “Fry the bean curd pieces to light brown” do you mean deep fry? or stir-fry in the pan?
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Made this stir-fried bean curd with leeks a few times already and theyr my family’s favourite.
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Hey, i’m your regular visitors. Thanks so much for keep posting such delicious recipes :) Btw, I am gonna cook this tonight. But instead of leeks, I am using chives. It adds unique flavour to it. It’s my mom recipe :P
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Rasa Malaysia replied:
Dians – chives are great for this dish. Good idea.
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i live in western australia, n i m dying for fresh bean curds. i can buy it in the supermarket here. Anybody who know how to make bean curds????????
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