Recipe - Five-Cplored Fried Tofu (Japan)

16 ounce Tofu
1 small Celery stalk
2 ounce Carrot
2 ounce Green pepper
3 Shiitake, fresh or dried
1 Egg, beaten
One half teaspoon Sugar
1 teaspoon Salt
2 teaspoon Sesame oil
4 tablespoon Flour
Vegetable oil, for
deepfrying
Ketchup and Szechuan
peppersalt

By: Junko Lampert, The Tofu Cookbook (Japan)

1. Press tofu with a light weight.

2. Mince vegetables and shiitake. When dried shiitake are used, prepare
them according to instruction.

3. In a large bowl combine all the ingredients except the last two. Knead
thoroughly. Add a little more flour if the mixture is too soft.

4. In a frying pan or wok heat the oil to 350F/180C. Drop spoonfuls of the
mixture into it and fry to a golden color.

5. Serve hot with ketchup and Szechuan peppersalt.

SHIITAKE ... Black mushrooms from Asian, sometimes available in fresh form,
but usually you will be using dried ones. Soak in water to rehydrate and
clean. Cut off and discard the stems. Strain the water in which the
shiitake were soaked (a coffee filter works well to catch the grit/sand)
and use liquid in soup or sauce.

SZECHUAN PEPPERSALT is called Huachiaoyen. Szechuan peppercorns are
reddish brown. But the seeded ones if possible; if not, pick through and
discard the black kernels. Only the husks are used in cooking. The
peppersalt dip is a popular flavoring for ddepfried foods. Combine 1 part
peppercorns to 3 parts salt in a dry frying pan. Heat over very low heat
until the peppercorns smoke slightly. Cool and grind in a mortar or pepper
grinder. You can also crush the peppercorns sufficiently with a rolling
pin. Add to sauce. Junko Lampert, The Tofu Cookbook: Recipes for
Traditional and Modern Cooking. Originally published 1983 by Shufunotomo
Co. US edition by Chronicle 1986.

By "patH" phannema@wizard.ucr.edu