Semur Tahu

Although we eat tofu several times a week in our house, I almost forgot to make a dish to post for this month's Weekend Wokking.  And I was the one who had selected tofu!  So today I decided to make some semur tahu, a quick and tasty dish from Central Java.

 For a quick main course, you'd be hard pressed to find something easier than this.  A lot of Indonesian recipes include eggs, probably because they are a cheap source of protein.  You can add potatoes to it if you'd like, or remove the hard boiled eggs if you are vegan.  Served with rice and some stir fried greens, semur tahu is a satisfying meal.

Semur Tahu

4 blocks of tofu in water sold in plastic bags in Asian markets, each block about four inches square and one and a half inches thick or one of those plastic packs of tofu, about 18 ounces
1 small bundle of  soun (bean thread or cellophane noodles), soaked to soften in cold water, drained
4 shallots, sliced
3 cloves of garlic, sliced
3 TBS oil
2 roma tomatoes, seeded, diced, or 2 TBS ketchup
4 to 6 TBS (or to taste) kecap manis (sweet soy sauce)
1 1/2 cups water
4 hard boiled eggs (8 to 10 hard boiled quail eggs would be nice if you have them)

Heat a frying pan and add the oil.  Fry shallots and garlic until just beginning to brown. Remove to a clay pot or sauce pan.  Cut the tofu into 1 1/2-inch cubes.  Brown in the frying pan and then add to the shallots and garlic.  Stir in the tomatoes, kecap manis, and water.  Bring to a boil and cook for 5ive minutes.  Add noodles and eggs.  Simmer for another 5 minutes or so.  Sprinkle with fried shallots and serve with rice.

I'm submitting this recipe to Weekend Wokking, a world-wide food blogging event created by Wandering Chopsticks to celebrate the multiple ways we can cook one ingredient. The host this month is  Tasty Curry Leaf. If you would like to participate or to see the secret ingredient, check who's hosting next month.

Read more: http://wanderingchopsticks.blogspot.com/2008/05/weekend-wokking-and-rules