Beijing's "stewed fried tofu" has a history of hundreds of years. Open the dusty ancient historical books and let me slowly explain.
As early as the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, the founding emperor Zhu Yuanzhang had not yet established his capital in Beijing. At that time, Beijing was only a border fortress trading city and an important place in the capital. At that time, Zhu Yuanzhang's fourth son, King of Yan, Zhu Di, was also the famous third emperor of the Ming Dynasty in history,"Emperor Yongle", and his fief was in Beijing. Beijing was a dangerous place at that time. The Ming Dynasty had just been founded and had not yet established itself. In the north, Xiongnu were eyeing the Central Plains, and in the south, banditry was rampant. Therefore, Beijing was the first strategic fortress in the north after the founding of the Ming Dynasty and an important barrier to resist the enemy.
The King of Yan was granted this place, which was also the beginning of political strife within the court. At that time, Empress Ma did not like Zhu Di. At her instigation, Zhu Yuanzhang was forced to have no choice but to canonize his four sons in Yanjing at that time. First, Zhu Yuanzhang wanted to keep his son away from the troubled places in the capital and avoid being framed by the later party. Secondly, the emperor also hoped to gain peace in the harem. As you may not know, the King of Yan had long had the ambition of a swan. It can be said that he broke down the jade dragon and flew the colorful phoenix, and opened the gold lock to drive away the dragon. Empress Ma's momentary jealousy released Wen Ke, who could stabilize the country, and the true son of heaven!
A woman's evil intentions would be punished. She wanted to let the King of Yan die in this dangerous place of northern Saibei. Unexpectedly, the King of Yan endured hardships and tasted courage, but secretly continued to grow stronger. Later, in the name of a clear monarch, the King of Yan led 100,000 cavalry to attack Jinling, killing hundreds of her followers, winning the throne, and causing death to the Ma family. Only then did the Ming Dynasty truly usher in the founding of the country! Zheng He's voyages to the West, and the publication of the Yongle Grand Ceremony's masterpieces were all masterpieces by Emperor Yongle. A generation of holy and wise kings was born from then on, and later historians would be even more exciting when they continued to write history!
Stop talking and return to the main story. Zhu Di was canonized in Beijing. He was a hero. He was protected by heaven and assisted by the divine monk Yao Guangxiao. The King of Yan managed the sixteen prefectures of Yanyun in the northern part of the country with great success. Not only did no major wars occur, but border trade was also developed. Merchants from south to north gathered, making the huge Yanjing very lively. In addition to Nanjing, the capital of the Ming Dynasty, Beijing was the only one in the country. With the prosperity and development of commerce, even the most inconspicuous "tofu" has traveled all the way from Jiangnan to Beijing, hehe!
When "tofu" spread to Beijing, there have been more and more ways to eat it, and the taste has been improved by combining the north and south. After hundreds of years of evolution, Beijing has formed its own characteristics. Tofu from the south was improved by the Hui and Han people in Beijing. Tofu became a precious and popular delicacy in Beijing. It went to the imperial kitchen and served on the emperor's table, and down to the delicious food in the homes of ordinary people in the city. Especially in the middle and late Ming Dynasty, after the opening of the "Liubiju" in the capital, condiments became more abundant, and the snack "Stewed Fried Tofu" appeared again, which has been passed down to this day through continuous improvement.
Stewed fried tofu
By MiguelSauer
Recipe Recommendations
Steps for Stewed fried tofu
1
Tofu, cooking oil, Zanthoxylum bungeanum, star anise, green onions, ginger, salt, rice wine, sesame paste, leek flowers, soy tofu, garlic juice, Zanthoxylum bungeanum and pepper mixed oil, coriander, balsamic vinegar.
2
First cut the tofu into thick triangular slices.
3
Then fry in oil until golden brown and remove for later use.
4
Put 10 grams of pepper and 3 grams of star anise into a stainless steel spice box.
5
Cover the lid of the spice box, pour the spice box and the ginger slices into the soup pot and bring to a boil, and then season with salt.
6
Pour a little rice wine into the soup pot.
7
Then add in the fried tofu.
8
Boil over high heat for seven or eight minutes to make the soup slightly whiter, remove the oil slick on it, and simmer over low heat for another 5 minutes to make the tofu thoroughly soft and absorb it into the soup. After the tofu is soft, it can be served with the soup. Eat and fish as you please.
9
When eating, the main seasonings include sesame paste, chili oil, chive flowers, soy tofu, garlic juice, coriander and balsamic vinegar. The amount of seasonings can be blended according to your own taste.
10
Put a spoonful of sesame paste twisted with water into the bowl, then scoop a teaspoon of leek flowers. Put a teaspoon of soy tofu juice, a teaspoon of garlic juice, and half a teaspoon of pepper and pepper mixed oil into the bowl, and drop a few drops of balsamic vinegar.
11
Sprinkle some minced coriander when serving, stir well when eating. Serve with beef buns, fried dough sticks, and sesame cakes for breakfast.Stewed fried tofu Make Tips
Characteristics of snacks: The soup tastes strong, the tofu is soft and rotten, the aroma is mellow, and it is very delicious. Warm tips: 1. It is better to choose tofu with the right hardness and hardness. Cut the tofu into triangular slices 5 cm long and 0.8 cm thick. 2. When frying, the oil temperature should not be too high. It is more suitable to use an oil temperature of 50 to 60%. Deep-fry the tofu until golden brown. 3. Authentic stewed fried tofu, only add pepper, star anise, onion, and ginger in the soup, and use salt to taste. Yellow wine removes the smell of beans and enhances the aroma, and no longer adds any stewed ingredients and seasonings. What to put in chicken soup, monosodium glutamate, soy sauce, sesame oil, etc. is incorrect. Just cook it in vegetarian food, while the traditional method is to make fried tofu soup. 4. When eating, the seasonings put into the soup can be blended according to your own taste. The main seasonings include sesame paste, shredded soy tofu, leek flowers, chili oil, pepper oil, garlic juice, vinegar and coriander. There are also marinated shrimp oil, but it is okay not to put it.