Niang doufu (酿豆腐), better known outside China as yong doufu (釀豆腐), is a classic dish belonging to the Hakka people, a nomadic subgroup within China.

Like much Hakka cuisine, niang doufu is simple, hearty and healthy—perfect for the on-the-go lifestyle of Hakkas (known fittingly enough in Chinese as 客家 or “Guest” people).

The dish, which features soft white tofu that has been stuffed and braised, is a kind of variation on dumplings. (Thanks to a lack of wheat, tofu serves as a stand-in for the usual skin.) Thanks to the worldwide Hakka diaspora to such far-flung places as Jamaica and Bangladesh, there have evolved countless variations of niang doufu, including ones with different meat or vegetable stuffings, and even some with vegetables instead of tofu as the casing.

Here’s one light, healthy variation that features a fish stuffing and vegetables, in addition to tofu, for the casing.

For more about Hakka cuisine and niang doufu (in addition to the basic recipe), check out our “Youth” issue, available for order or sale at select locations.

Fish-Stuffed Tofu and Vegetables

(Serves 4)

Filling:

500g white-fleshed fish, picked free of bones and seasoned with salt and pepper
Dash of light soy sauce
1 egg white
1 tsp cornflour

Suggested vegetables for casing:

2-3 thin eggplants, cut into 3cm thick rounds, with a slit cut into them
2-3 large green and red chili peppers, slit with the seeds removed
4-5 pieces of pre-fried doufu pok, with a slit cut in one side
1 sliced bitter gourd, cut ends off and scoop out the seeds, then slice to create rings
4 mushrooms, stalks removed
4-5 okra or ladies fingers, slit down the centre, seeds removed
1 packet dried beancurd skin, rinsed under water and wrung till dry, sliced into large rectangles

Chilli Dipping Sauce:

3 cloves of garlic, minced
3 fresh red chillies
3 tbsp tomato sauce
Juice of one lemon or lime sugar to taste

Directions:

1. To prepare the stuffing, chop fish until pulpy and sticking together. Slap handfuls onto your workspace to aid cohesion and make the paste “bouncy.” Add the egg white and seasoning, and if necessary add a teaspoon of cornflour. (Ideally you would not need to add the cornflour for binding but it might be necessary). Alternatively, you can put everything in a small food processor and pulse until smooth and bouncy.

2. Slice vegetables lengthwise and create a slit, or hollow space, for the stuffing. You can do the same with the doufu pok, and for the beancurd skin, simply wrap the stuffing in three or four layers of the skin to form flattish rectangular parcels.

3. Heat oil in a wok and fry stuffed “dumplings” in the following order: beancurd skin, tofu, eggplant, chili peppers, bitter gourd, okra and mushrooms. By frying from wettest to driest, you can make the best use of your oil and end up with a cleaner tasting end product.

4. Prepare chilli sauce by combining ingredients and seasoning to taste.

5. Eat as is with chilli dipping sauce or add to pre-prepared stock sprinkled with spring onions. It’s also great with a bowl of spicy coconut laksa!