I ordered chicken and tofu in a thick gravy at a rice store. I was surprised that such a good-quality dish was served in this tiny store, which typically offers economically priced food for the masses. This dish inspired me to create my version by incorporating some of my ideas. 

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Why is this chicken and tofu dish so delicious?

This dish is incredibly delicious for a few reasons. 

1. Firstly, it’s made of firm egg tofu, which has an egg flavor and is firm enough to withstand being mixed with the thick gravy. 
2. Secondly, the gravy itself is amazing. It tastes like Chinese hot and sour soup but is less peppery and thicker. 
3. Lastly, the sauce is thick and adheres to each piece of tofu, making every bite a perfect blend of tofu, chicken, and gravy.

Steps to make Chinese-style minced chicken and tofu

Here are the step-by-step instructions with accompanying photos to help you make the chicken and tofu. A video tutorial is also available below the recipe card.

1. Preparation

1. Soak the dried shitake mushrooms in water until soft; remove the stem and cut into small dice. You can also use hot water, which takes a shorter time to rehydrate them.
2. Similarly, soak the cloud fungus in water until they are fully hydrated and expand in size. Cut the cloud fungus into smaller pieces if they are too large.
3. Season the minced chicken meat with light soy sauce and vegetable oil. Mix and set aside.
4. Cut two tubes of egg tofu into thick pieces, about a quarter an inch thick.
5. Cut half of a medium-sized carrot into thin strips.
6. Measure two tablespoons of frozen peas for this purpose. If you like their taste, use more.
7. Soak the glass noodles (mungbean noodles/冬粉 in water to rehydrate them. Use hot water to speed up the rehydration process, just like the mushrooms. The glass noodles take about ten to fifteen minutes to be fully softened. After the noodles have turned soft, cut them short using scissors.

2. Pan-fry the tofu

1. First, heat some oil in a pan over medium heat. 
2. Then, fry the tofu pieces until both sides turn golden brown. Since egg tofu is quite firm, it doesn’t require coating with flour before frying. The surface of the tofu will eventually firm up without needing to be coated with flour. 
3. Once the tofu turns golden brown on both sides, remove it from the pan.

3. Prepare the gravy

1. In a separate pan, heat some oil and stir-fry the carrot strips until soft. 
2. Then, add the marinated ground chicken and continue stir-frying until it is cooked. 
3. Once the chicken is cooked, add the chicken stock, mushrooms, glass noodles, and cloud fungus. 
4. Season the ingredients with dark soy sauce, sesame oil, Shaoxing wine, ground pepper, sugar, light soy sauce, salt, and black vinegar. 
5. Add the frozen peas and combine all the ingredients. 
6. Thicken the gravy by adding a cornstarch slurry, prepared by mixing one tablespoon of cornstarch with two tablespoons of cold water.

4. To serve

Arrange the fried tofu on a serving plate and pour the thick sauce on the tofu to serve.

Cooking tips

Here is a list of important notes to read before attempting this recipe. It is a significant part of the recipe and is not included in the step-by-step instructions above. Please read before attempting this recipe.

1. The time needed to soak the dried shiitake mushrooms until they become soft varies between one and three hours, depending on their size and thickness. If hot water is used, the soaking time can be significantly reduced. Besides, some heavy objects (such as a heavy glass bowl) should be placed on top of the mushrooms to ensure they are fully submerged, as they tend to float on top of the water.
2. Cloud fungus requires a much shorter rehydration time, usually between 15 and 20 minutes. If unavailable, substitute it with wood ear fungus.
3. You can also use other types of tofu besides egg tofu. I suggest using medium to hard tofu to prevent it from breaking while mixing with the meat gravy. Silken tofu or any other soft tofu is not the best option since it tends to break into small pieces when cooked.
4. Consider diluting the gravy slightly and thickening it with a beaten egg instead of using a cornstarch slurry.
5. I use ground chicken because it is universal. Ground beef or other minced meat can also be used.
6. The sauce ingredients are flexible. You can add red chili flakes or oyster sauce to improve the flavor.
7. I did not add any garnish to the dish. For a better presentation, sprinkle some sesame seeds and chopped spring onions (green onion) before serving.

Other related recipes to this Chinese tofu recipe with minced chicken meat

If you like this Chinese tofu recipe, I have some other related recipes that you may be interested in trying:

• Mapo tofu is a famous Sichuan cuisine worldwide. I wrote this recipe several years ago, and it remains one of the most popular recipes on this food blog.
• A quick and easy salt and pepper tofu recipe is perfect for busy weekdays and loved by the whole family.