Recipe: Tofu Cooked in a Banana Leaf with Chiles and Fresh Herbs
May 22nd, 2018
Many ingredients are cooked in banana leaves in western Yunnan, but none of them take on the leaves’ unique flavor as well as tofu does. In this recipe from Guo Zhen, a cook with a small family-run Dai restaurant in the hills above the city of Lincang, mild, tender silken tofu is flavored with garlic, chiles, fresh herbs, and a spoonful of piney, numbing Sichuan peppercorn oil, then cooked in a banana leaf, which infuses everything with a mild, vegetal flavor and fragrance. Guo mixes some finely chopped pork into the tofu for extra flavor, but the dish is just as good without it.
Tofu in Banana Leaf
包烧臭豆腐
14 oz. silken tofu
2 oz. ground or finely chopped pork (¼ cup) (optional)
1/3 cup finely chopped saw-tooth herb
¼ cup finely chopped Vietnamese coriander leaves
4 scallions, both white and green parts, smacked with the side of a cleaver and finely sliced
2 to 3 fresh Thai chiles, finely chopped
3 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. Sichuan Peppercorn Oil (page 00)
½ tsp. salt
12-inch square piece of banana leaf
Equipment:
Gas or charcoal grill (optional)
Combine the tofu, pork (if using), herbs, chiles, and garlic in a mixing bowl. Use chopsticks to break up the tofu and pork and to mix everything together. Season the mixture with the Sichuan Peppercorn Oil and salt and mix well, then spread the mixture on the banana leaf, forming it into a 7-inch square. Fold the top and bottom edges of the banana leaf over to completely enclose the mixture like an envelope, and secure the leaf with toothpicks, then fold the sides over and secure them with toothpicks, so that you have a square package around the filling.
Wrap the packet in foil and grill it on a gas or charcoal grill over direct heat turning occasionally, until the packet is very soft, 20 to 30 minutes (the time will vary depending on how close the grate is to the flame). Alternatively, omit the foil and heat a lightly oiled cast-iron skillet over high heat until it is very hot, then reduce the heat to low and sear the packet, covered, until the outside of the banana leaf is browned on both sides and the filling is cooked through, about 10 minutes on each side. (The tofu will lose moisture as it cooks; pour off the liquid from the pan to allow the banana leaf to brown.) Unwrap the packet to serve.
Photo: Josh Wand
