Black Beans with Bean Curd

This Chinese-style dish brings together two bean preparations in one wok: salted black beans for their funky, fermented punch, and dried red beans that get boiled, mashed, and mixed with stock and soy sauce for a thick, savory base.

Salted black beans (douchi) are a staple in Cantonese cooking and pack a concentrated umami hit. Just a tablespoon is enough to flavor the entire dish. Don’t confuse them with regular canned black beans. These are fermented, intensely salty, and sold in small bags at Asian grocery stores.

The tofu goes in as cubes and cooks gently for 5 minutes, long enough to absorb the surrounding flavors without falling apart. Use firm or extra-firm tofu so the cubes hold their shape through the stir-fry.

The aromatics need just 30 seconds in hot oil. Green onions, garlic, and sliced green chili hit the wok first and sizzle until fragrant. Work fast here because garlic burns in seconds at high heat.

Chef Tips

• Soak dried red beans for at least 4 hours (or overnight) before boiling. Unsoaked beans take much longer and cook unevenly.
• Mash the red beans while still warm. They resist mashing once cool and you’ll end up with lumps.
• Rinse salted black beans lightly before using if you want to dial back the saltiness.
• Press the tofu for 15 minutes under a heavy plate to remove excess water. Drier tofu absorbs more flavor and gets better texture in the wok.

Variations

• With ground pork: Add a handful of ground pork to the wok before the aromatics for a classic mapo-style variation.
• Spicier: Use a Thai bird’s eye chili instead of green chili, or add a teaspoon of chili oil at the end.