This is one of my firm favourites – Stuffed Tofu Puffs (also known as Tau Pok). Tofu Puffs feature prominently in southeast asian cooking. They are usually thrown into soups and gravies because of their super absorbency. As such, they soak up flavours beautifully.

In this dish, though, I used them as little pockets to hold my fillings. When turned inside out, the soft insides of the Tofu Puffs crisp ever-so-perfectly when fried. You only need very little oil if you are using a non-stick pan.

(Left) Make a small slit at the side of each puff (the small square type) and turn them inside out gently.
(Right) Stuff them with the filling. Make sure they are packed to the brim.

I usually use fillings like minced meats or seafood pastes, seasoned with soy and mixed with spring onions and garlic. If I want some crunch, I would add some water chestnuts or carrots. In fact, this is a great dish to make if you have leftovers that need to be used up. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. That’s it. No need for egg or corn starch. Just pack in as much as you can into each puff, and then fry them. You’ll find that the fillings retain their juiciness really well.

On a separate note, school is almost out and I have been taking my kids out more frequently, which means I have been cooking and baking less these days 😉 A welcomed break!

I used to seal the openings with toothpicks before frying, but discovered that as long as you are using fillings that are sticky/gluey, you don’t need to. Probably only required for crumbly fillings. Try these. I make them all the time, and I am sure you will like them too!