3:36 "In the West, tofu has this connotation as a [meat] substitute, but in Asian culture, it's often the star of the show." Thank you so much for saying this!!!!! I love the educational parts of your show.
Tofu as impossible meat is totally missing the point ... It should be prepared and cooked in the same way in the West as in Asia. Spaghetti isn't used in Asia as a ramen substitute, right?
So true! Other plant-based ingredients, from tempe to jackfruit, they are are their own categories/ stars of the dish and rarely consider as 'substitute' like in the West. I just so annoyed why vegetarian/vegan in the west have to be always that kind of mindset ;/
I made this last night and it was smashing good. I am once again mind-blown at how a simple method of preparing the tofu has such a profound impact on the outcome. I'd done many a fried tofu dish with the simple "dust in cornstarch then fry" and it was fine. This method though...it's not even a fair comparison. I had to take a taste bite of just the tofu, and I would eat it without any other preparation. It absolutely brought the tofu to life.
Some super savory tips Replace salt with good generous amount belacan (shrimp paste looks like a brick) in the water boiling tofu and let it marinade and cool down for couple minutes. Crush Toast dried some belacan about a table spoon and mix it with flour. No salt needed belacan is salty enough Your whole house will smell really fishy so make sure ventilation is good.
Your dad is a born teacher! I love how he speaks of the fundamentals of cooking as he cooks. This is the 3rd or 4th video of yours that I watched, and I remember that the first one also had moments like that. I love it when cooks teach about the why, not just showing us the how. Thanks so much! Also, your family is adorable. 😍
Thank you for the English subtitles and voice over. I tried to learn Cantonese from college office mates and failed miserably. Your dad is awesome for sharing his wisdom and for his joyful energy. You are awesome for the generous and skillful way you have presented this recipe. Thank you!
Bless Pops for explaining the Why, When & How in all these recipes because it really arms us non-chefs with tools and a great education on each ingredient and allows us to a-ply this knowledge in our own experiments. I keep foolishly buying tofu with optimism that I’ll figure it out. Thanks to this generous recipe, I think I can confidently accomplish a tofu dish!
It takes some time to figure tofu out but, once you do it so worth it!! I haven't ever heard/seen his technique for drawing the water out by boiling it in salt water, I've always pressed my tofu between 2 flat surfaces with weight on top but, I like his way a lot more, going to try it next time. Biggest thing IMO is getting the water out of the tofu be fore cooking it because it's either going to ruin your dish with liquid or never take the flavor but, I always have luck with getting all the water out and then ill add my seasonings to water and let tofu suck that up while cooking, or if you do what he's done and coat with starch add a sauce/dry spice after it just turns out better but, I'm sure others could tell you way more than I.
For vegans: I've tried this without egg .. it works well, but you need to double-fry. Put the cooked dry tofu in a bag with good excess of starch. shake till all is covered. Fry, let cool on a paper that absorbs fat, fry again. After one frying the tofu is crispy but will get soggy in next steps. With double frying the tofu stays crispy forever.
Another tip is to add 1/2 tbs bobs red mills egg replacement per egg equivalency, add 2 tbs of water and emusify 1 tsp of olive oil (you can even flavor it with 2 pinch of kala manak for an accurate egg taste).
@@katscua417 Personally I just buy very firm tofu and then press it lightly .. a little moisture is needed for the starch to stick to it well. I've never boiled my (edit: firm) tofu before frying - maybe it's better, but I haven't tried it yet.
Will try it with Just Egg. Made quinoa croquettes with it today and panko and they were amazing. I LOVE crispy tofu and if it's with a spicy savory sauce and white rice,damn
I love your dad and how great you bond. And how awesome he is to cook and also explain the process. My Dad passed away when I was 23, I am now 40. I cook for my Mum often, I will try to cook this dish. She loves Asian inspired dishes, with all the vegetables also. Just not spicy! Thankyou, another dish I can try and make for my family. EDIT: Also this looks like it can be Gluten Free. Unfortunately our family cannot eat gluten, so this will be an awesome dish! Thankyou Lau and family
I made this yesterday it was delicious. I did skip the blanching of the tofu as I was in a rush but still followed the techniques and got a lovely end result. I needed to swap out the cornstarch for rice flour as that was all I had. I tossed it in some chili oil just before serving and all my kids finished the pot! Thankyoufor this great recipe. it was such a light but flavorful meal.
This is the first recipe I made from this channel and wanted to share that my husband said this is the best crispy tofu he's ever had. I want to thank you for your passion and dedication of sharing Chef Lau's Cantonese recipes. I watch these videos not only for Chef Lau's erudite knowledge on Cantonese cooking and cuisine, but also it brings me back to the days when my dad also cooked Cantonese/Hakka cuisine. My dad passed away 12 years ago and I would have to try to mimic his cooking but I didnt take the time to jot down recipes or ask why a dish is prepared a certain way. Please keep the videos coming as this will preserve Cantonese cooking for many generations!
the best part of these videos is when you are asking dad questions, i've never once seen him not have a clear answer with a reason for why he is doing something. i don't even cook much chinese food and just those parts make it very interesting to watch. i love to watch someone with such a deep life experience explaining how they view something or why they view it that way. his views aren't mystical or tied to traditions he can't explain, when he explains them it seems like common sense. to be really honest, I don't like tofu and deep frying is something i avoid doing at all costs, but i'll probably try making this.
I never thought about boiling with salt to help it dry out!! I always struggle to get mine dry enough to fry with such a crispy texture! Thank you and thank your dad for showing us these tricks!
A bit of a warning for anyone who's trying this dish, It's addicting as hell, watch out. I've been taught how to make this dish around a week ago and now I'm stocking a lot of tofu just to make this dish DAILY. breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack I can't get myself to stop making this dish. It's so simple, yet so flavorful and even more complete with hot rice my god.
thank you! Always wondered why my fried tofu was not crispy. Daddy Lau's techniques were an invaluable lesson to getting home cooked fried tofu on a par with what is served in restaurants. The Lau family's efforts to share Daddy Lau's legacy is working; you have helped us to serve better tasting/more authentic Chinese food at home. Love it!
Really enjoy these cooking videos. My Dad worked in Chinese restaurants for many years and your dad reminds me very much of him, down to his expressions and descriptions of the techniques when trying to teach me when I was young. All the best.
This is the first video I've seen from your channel, and I loved it! I love your dad's style of explaining - all humility and passion for his craft and zero ego. And your family are so wholesome! Definitely going to binge watch a bunch of your content!
I always have trouble making this dish for my family. Now that I know the proper process, I will give it a try again this weekend. Thank you Chef Lau... you are simply the best! Who needs Yan Can Cook when we have Made with Lau.
You guys are absolutely a wonderful family. And Daddy Lau's Chef Skills are amazing and a true gift for everyone to enjoy and cherish. Great and Wholesome Channel!
I absolutely love learning from your dad! He's calm and straight forward. And quick! I also love hearing his language. It's so good on the ears. You are so lucky to have him!!
Watching the Made With Lau videos has made the texture of the recipes I make so much better, not only the flavor. The dishes taste so much more like the restaurant style food I am aiming for. Thank you, Lau Family!
My grandma passed away last year but due to covid 19, I wasn’t able to make it back to Hong Kong to see her. My grandma loved food, her cookings always amazed me and for the longest time I want to document them exactly how you are doing it. Your dad definitely reminds me of my grandma. The way he speaks, the way he explained how to cook the dish & how he gets excited when the dish is done is the same as my grandma shouting out loud from her kitchen when the food is ready. I love seeing you guys eatting together and make conversations, this is how I would have imagined to do with my grandma. Thank you so much for doing this & definitely keeping these receipts for my children as well! 💖
Aloha from Hawai’i 🌺 This video is wonderful! I love tofu and could never understand when people tried to “ cover “ the “ no flavor “. Your father is the perfect chef for this recipe and your family makes me respect this video and recipe even more. All the best to you
How generous of your time, energy, and beautiful cultural richness?!! I'll be cooking this tonight for my wife! Your dad is a genius, and your presentation is wonderfully clear. Thank you kindly from Melbourne.
I love this! People always think tofu is this tasteless meat substitute that you need to make yourself eat. I make tofu for lunch daily by choice using similar recipes! Like fried tofu on white rice and a fried egg 💕It’s delicious!
This was the very first tofu dish I ever tried to make and it turned out super yummy! I fell in love with fried tofu. I made some for my relatives when they were over and they loved it too. Eventho I barely cook, this was an easy-to-follow recipe that even I couldn't mess up! I plated it with steamed green beans and rice. I can't get enough of it! Thank you for the guidance!
This has always been my favorite dish to order at Chinese restaurants, and it's always the dish that gets finished first. My family is definitely going to try to make this this weekend. Thanks for this amazing video!
I can't imagine how many people are going to end up amazing cooks due to your (and others) videos. If I had content this great growing up I would have been a lot better by now haha. Especially with recipes for some of my all time favourite dishes (this one is totally up there with Mapo Tofu)
I come for the recipes and stay for the warm, family feeling. Beautifully cooked food, masterfully edited...these videos are always such a pleasure. And I learn so much!
Yes, lol, this literally IS my favorite tofu dish. Salt & pepper style is delicious on almost anything but I think tofu really shows it off better than most meats. The consistency of the tofu in this dish is wonderful too.
I really like the way you use English subtitles, talking through while your Dad cooking and also Summary in the end to make it easy for us. Cam Cam is quite adorable 😍 too
Hi Lau clan!! I will be trying this recipe with the extra flavours of chili and garlic! I usually make salt and pepper tofu and a trick with the flour dredging that really works well for me is using a ziplock bag, putting the tofu and flour in and shaking it, it's quite consistent!
I love tofu in any preparation!! Fried gets extra points 🤗 I've never heard about the salted water boiling prior, it sure makes perfect sense! I've only found the freezing technique. For me I've fried many pounds of tofu and it's never anywhere near as delicious as getting it from a favorite place. Thank you! 🤗🌻❤👍✌
Love fried tofu dishes, especially covered with sauce just before serving, but we only ate this sort of dish at restaurants bc my parents don’t know how to deep fry anything. Can’t wait to try this out! Love the format of your videos- very organized, and the summary at the end is nice.
So appreciative of a Cantonese-speaking cook making Cantonese cuisine! Bravo! I always skip those cooking videos from cooks trying to make Cantonese cuisines when they are clearly not from the region. Authentic Cantonese cuisine rocks!
I made this tofu last night and it is EXCELLENT AND DELICIOUS! Yes it is our new favorite, boil for 2 minutes in salt water and it’s a game changer. Thank you, thank you, thank you! This is as great as our local Thai restaurant makes it! ❤❤❤❤
I just made this and am still eating it and it's so good! I've tried making tofu recipes before and they were always so-so, but I knew when I saw this video, that this one would be a winner. I always got that "container" tofu aftertaste but I couldn't taste it when the tofu was prepared this way. Cooking and adding the leftover egg was also a nice addition! Thank you so much for sharing! As a Chinese adoptee, I thoroughly enjoy learning about Chinese food, especially with your educational excerpts!
OMG thank you so much for this recipe daddy Lau! I'm not vegetarian but this is so good, even if you don't care for veggies like my hubby, you will be hooked!
Me and my girlfriend just made it for her parents. We are all vegetarians so this was a perfect meal along with some chips fried in the same oil and some cavalero fried in sesame oil with sea salt and soy sauce. Thanks Lau for this recipe! You've put a smile on all of our faces!
Cavalero? Did you mean cavolo nero? I tried to find a Cavalero, but couldn't find a food item by that spelling. But, I found a dark, curly Italian kale called, cavolo nero. I was really curious because it just sounded so good.
We made this tonight, and it made my stomach so happy!!! Thank you for sharing! The only feedback I have - I printed out the recipe while I was at work, skimmed over the ingredient list at the top, and only realized that while I was cooking I didn't have dried chilies. You may want to add it to the ingredient page on your website!
The reason I learn from this channel is because there's a lot of explanation for people who are still learning how to cook. Even if the question is simple, we get an explanation.
Love the father/son collaboration! Great video and amazing looking recipe. Thanks for inviting us into your kitchen and sharing this, I can't wait to try it!
Oh gosh this was so delicious. You know it turns out delicious when the kids just keep shoving their chopsticks in their mouths and don't talk. We felt like we were back in Cheung Chau on a sunny Saturday. Thank you for teaching me this favourite. I made a mistake though and forgot to dip it in the egg even though I prepared it. So it was double coated. Don't give up if you make this mistake! It was still so good double crusted!
I grew up with a mom and pop cantonese restaurant in the neighborhood. My favorite were these fried tofus. After the dad retired, the restaurant closed, and I have never been able to find this exact dish. Thank you for sharing this! This is exactly like how I remember them! ❤️
Another EXCELLENT Video. In it you mention considering offering a class on Chinese Cooking. YES! Please do! I have followed Many You Tube Video creators offering Asian Cuisine and find Che Lau's to be the BEST and easiest to follow! Thank you for sharing your wonderful culture through food!
Another recipe where I have 99% of the ingredients in my house all the time. In this case tofu isn't always in my house because I never mastered how to cook it. I will be trying this recipe next since the Hot & Sour soup recipe turned out spectacular. These instructions are very easy to follow, so I guess I'll try this one over the weekend. Thank you so much for this video!
One of my absolute favorite dishes. It's a staple dish to order whenever I go out to a Chinese restaurant and now I can make it at home. Thank you so much!
Great guide! Thank you. What would you recommend instead for the egg? Is there anything special we could replace it with in order for the dish to be vegan?
For vegans who don’t eat egg, tempura can be made without eggs but with more types starches and ice cold water, look up a recipe, DELICIOUS, the tip about boiling tofu with salt water is genius, gonna try this.
Since it was my first time buying tofu i bought silken tofu which is not ideal for fried tofu since it is too soft . However boiling it with salt water firmed it up and I really enjoyed this! It tasted like fried chicken but better❤❤
One of the reasons that I like that they answer the questions while eating the food is because I get a better idea of what to put with the dish as well. Its much appreciated!
This looks so good. I haven't had much success cooking tofu. I am going to try your dad's cooking tips. Thank you for sharing this. I needed to add, that was the cutest family scene at the end. 💖
Hi Lau family. Watching your videos and trying your dishes have been nothing short of AMAZING. Thank you for passing on the legacy of great Cantonese cooking! One question I have: Is there a substitute for egg in this dish? I have a son that is allergic to eggs unfortunately, but I am really looking forward to trying this dish. Thank you!
I *love* salt & pepper tofu, and really almost any kind of fried tofu. it's underappreciated here in America, but thanks to folks like y'all and other Asian youtubers, we're learning how to cook it properly and how delicious it really can be! I've made it fresh several times, and IMO that's the BEST tofu -- you can eat it raw with just soy sauce and it's amazing. but it's a lot to clean up and cooked tofu is so good and easy to make; I eat it all the time.
id love to see how your dad would make la zi ji, the szechuan dish, sometimes just called chicken with szechuan peppers. its recently my new favorite dish and want to know any pointers he would give. Keep making great content!
It's my favourite dish too. I've also seen it being called chongqing chicken, or mala chicken, or hide & seek chicken, since towards the end of eating it people are basically hunting through a pile of chillies to find the last little bits of chicken and peanut. Amazing dish.
Amazing! I really appreciate how you ask questions like what options could work instead of whatever ingredient, and talk about why certain steps are important!
I tried to make this dish for dinner last night and it was yummy delicious! Although it takes me some effort for someone like me who doesn’t cook often, but I think it’s definitely worth it! 😊
Mmmm this is gonna be our weekend treat here at my house, we always like to try a new recipe that may or not be the healthiest but that’s what the whole week is for!! 😆😝😍
The baby's reaction is priceless. Love how dad patiently demonstrates and explains how to prepare the meal. This is the first time seeing your video. I like tofu but I normally buy it in the restaurant. Will try this at home, thanks for sharing.
Just made this for the first time and I let my mother try it after she commented how good the kitchen smelled and she LOVED IT. She had already eaten and was getting ready to take a nap but she couldn't resist asking for more after the first sample, saying how flavorful it was haha. Boiling with salt before doing the frying process made a big difference and the texture is so wonderful. Thank you for the wonderful recipe Laoshi!!
Looks great! I have been struggling with my air fryer, determined to make crispy tofu bites in it! I love salt and pepper tofu, so I am off to attempt a version of this using the air fryer in lieu of a bottle of oil, and will finish it off with the 2 tbsp. of oil and sautéed vegetables. Wish me luck! 🤞
LOL! So glad to hear people actually want to hear about it and follow up (and are being nice in the comments section!). Sorry to report--so far, it is not going so well. By my standards as least. I have gone thru 3 packages of tofu, using a variation on 2 recipes. One recipe is for the flavor and another is for the technique. But I am still working on it. And have also learned about Chick-fil-A nuggets, so that is another version I want to conquer. I am happy to post again once I have something note-worthy to post. Just fyi, I am sorry to say, as I am the daughter of a chef and NYC restaurateur, I won't say that I am done and have mastered the air fryer and the best technique for tofu cubes, until it is 100% perfect. Including texture (which has presented a problem thus far). Otherwise, my dad will be turning in his grave... same as my mom, who was also a fabulous cook. She would sometimes say, "it must be the recipe, just toss it and try a different one." Which is a phrase I have taught my kids (and all 4 are good cooks), and also try to remember whenever I am disappointed by a new recipe or cookbook. She also always said, "if you get 1 good recipe out of a cookbook, it was worth buying!" (Back in the day). So I do often use 2 recipes, along with my knowledge (which is extensive), to create a "keeper", which is what we call any recipe worth making again. A "showstopper" or "superstar" is typically a favorite we serve to company (we have dinner parties atleast once a week). We never try something new on company, and we don't share recipes that we have created on our own with anyone. Again, I will try it a few more times, so if I come out with something great, I will be sure to share it with you! As you are strangers (I presume), and I therefore will not see my food coming and going amongst my friends. I hope atleast!
@@skontheroad Thanks for the update even. At some point I want to give it a shot. Air Fryer is tricky as this is something that is battered and Deep Fried to a degree.
I happened upon this video this morning, and made this for lunch 😂 I've never prepared tofu like this before, and it was incredible. Thank you so much for sharing this information and technique!
I made this dish yesterday with a slight variation. I did everything that your dad did with the tofu including boiling it first. The only difference is my husband made a nice sauce with water, oyster and soy sauces. It was absolutely delicious and the tofu remained crispy! Your dad's way is the best way to fry the tofu! Thank you so much for sharing!
I was wondering why my fried tofu always came out bad. Now I see I need to boil it in salt first, before coating and frying. Learned something today. 👍🏽
I started this video just after I scarfed down a load of salt and pepper ribs and salt and pepper squid from my local Cantonese takeaway You definitely know how to both read minds and fill stomachs lmao
My favorite dish but I can’t find it anywhere ever since I’ve relocated. I was always grateful to the chef for making salt and pepper tofu for me before, but after trying to make it myself, I grew more grateful🥲. Thank you so much for this recipe!
3:36 "In the West, tofu has this connotation as a [meat] substitute, but in Asian culture, it's often the star of the show." Thank you so much for saying this!!!!! I love the educational parts of your show.
Tofu as impossible meat is totally missing the point ... It should be prepared and cooked in the same way in the West as in Asia. Spaghetti isn't used in Asia as a ramen substitute, right?
@@THEanovah This is not "impossible meat" -- fried tofu has been around for thousands of years.
@@randomoneforstuff3696 that's exactly his point(?)
Btw, this is also true for Tempe. Tofu cousin.
So true! Other plant-based ingredients, from tempe to jackfruit, they are are their own categories/ stars of the dish and rarely consider as 'substitute' like in the West. I just so annoyed why vegetarian/vegan in the west have to be always that kind of mindset ;/
I made this last night and it was smashing good. I am once again mind-blown at how a simple method of preparing the tofu has such a profound impact on the outcome. I'd done many a fried tofu dish with the simple "dust in cornstarch then fry" and it was fine. This method though...it's not even a fair comparison. I had to take a taste bite of just the tofu, and I would eat it without any other preparation. It absolutely brought the tofu to life.
What is the seasoning mix?
Some super savory tips
Replace salt with good generous amount belacan (shrimp paste looks like a brick) in the water boiling tofu and let it marinade and cool down for couple minutes.
Crush Toast dried some belacan about a table spoon and mix it with flour. No salt needed belacan is salty enough
Your whole house will smell really fishy so make sure ventilation is good.
@@filipinocitizen5756It was a garlic salt and a ground black pepper
Your dad is a born teacher! I love how he speaks of the fundamentals of cooking as he cooks. This is the 3rd or 4th video of yours that I watched, and I remember that the first one also had moments like that. I love it when cooks teach about the why, not just showing us the how. Thanks so much! Also, your family is adorable. 😍
Thank you for the English subtitles and voice over. I tried to learn Cantonese from college office mates and failed miserably. Your dad is awesome for sharing his wisdom and for his joyful energy. You are awesome for the generous and skillful way you have presented this recipe. Thank you!
Bless Pops for explaining the Why, When & How in all these recipes because it really arms us non-chefs with tools and a great education on each ingredient and allows us to a-ply this knowledge in our own experiments. I keep foolishly buying tofu with optimism that I’ll figure it out. Thanks to this generous recipe, I think I can confidently accomplish a tofu dish!
It takes some time to figure tofu out but, once you do it so worth it!! I haven't ever heard/seen his technique for drawing the water out by boiling it in salt water, I've always pressed my tofu between 2 flat surfaces with weight on top but, I like his way a lot more, going to try it next time. Biggest thing IMO is getting the water out of the tofu be fore cooking it because it's either going to ruin your dish with liquid or never take the flavor but, I always have luck with getting all the water out and then ill add my seasonings to water and let tofu suck that up while cooking, or if you do what he's done and coat with starch add a sauce/dry spice after it just turns out better but, I'm sure others could tell you way more than I.
I fcking love how you provide cooking summaries. This is like a video textbook. It's so idiot proof and I LOVE it
Boiling the tofu in salted water was an eye opener! Thank you for the technique!
I did not know To boil TOEFL and salted water. It was an eye-opener for me as well
I came here to say the same thing, holy crap this is gonna upgrade my vegan life a bunch
Boiling or steaming tofu makes the texture denser, this is similar method I use to make Indonesian food :)
I agree!! What's the difference with pressing and freezing with the boiling tofu?:)
That worked wonders. The texture is amazing
For vegans: I've tried this without egg .. it works well, but you need to double-fry. Put the cooked dry tofu in a bag with good excess of starch. shake till all is covered. Fry, let cool on a paper that absorbs fat, fry again. After one frying the tofu is crispy but will get soggy in next steps. With double frying the tofu stays crispy forever.
Did you boil yours in salt water too? Or did you just press your tofu?
@@katscua417 still boil
Another tip is to add 1/2 tbs bobs red mills egg replacement per egg equivalency, add 2 tbs of water and emusify 1 tsp of olive oil (you can even flavor it with 2 pinch of kala manak for an accurate egg taste).
@@katscua417 Personally I just buy very firm tofu and then press it lightly .. a little moisture is needed for the starch to stick to it well. I've never boiled my (edit: firm) tofu before frying - maybe it's better, but I haven't tried it yet.
Will try it with Just Egg. Made quinoa croquettes with it today and panko and they were amazing. I LOVE crispy tofu and if it's with a spicy savory sauce and white rice,damn
I love your dad and how great you bond. And how awesome he is to cook and also explain the process. My Dad passed away when I was 23, I am now 40. I cook for my Mum often, I will try to cook this dish. She loves Asian inspired dishes, with all the vegetables also. Just not spicy! Thankyou, another dish I can try and make for my family. EDIT: Also this looks like it can be Gluten Free. Unfortunately our family cannot eat gluten, so this will be an awesome dish! Thankyou Lau and family
I made this yesterday it was delicious. I did skip the blanching of the tofu as I was in a rush but still followed the techniques and got a lovely end result. I needed to swap out the cornstarch for rice flour as that was all I had. I tossed it in some chili oil just before serving and all my kids finished the pot! Thankyoufor this great recipe. it was such a light but flavorful meal.
I was having a bad day but seeing your family and Hong Doy loving the food is helping this crummy day out a lot. Thanks for the recipe Lau Clan!!
Hope you feel better :) from a stranger
Hope you having a good day
I'm pretty sure Hong Doy is part of his family.
@@jumpinjohnnyruss “Hong Doy loving the food”. Obviously he’s part of the family lol. This is why we need commas!
@@Talk2WandaVision a wwe
This is the first recipe I made from this channel and wanted to share that my husband said this is the best crispy tofu he's ever had. I want to thank you for your passion and dedication of sharing Chef Lau's Cantonese recipes. I watch these videos not only for Chef Lau's erudite knowledge on Cantonese cooking and cuisine, but also it brings me back to the days when my dad also cooked Cantonese/Hakka cuisine. My dad passed away 12 years ago and I would have to try to mimic his cooking but I didnt take the time to jot down recipes or ask why a dish is prepared a certain way. Please keep the videos coming as this will preserve Cantonese cooking for many generations!
the best part of these videos is when you are asking dad questions, i've never once seen him not have a clear answer with a reason for why he is doing something. i don't even cook much chinese food and just those parts make it very interesting to watch. i love to watch someone with such a deep life experience explaining how they view something or why they view it that way. his views aren't mystical or tied to traditions he can't explain, when he explains them it seems like common sense.
to be really honest, I don't like tofu and deep frying is something i avoid doing at all costs, but i'll probably try making this.
I never thought about boiling with salt to help it dry out!! I always struggle to get mine dry enough to fry with such a crispy texture!
Thank you and thank your dad for showing us these tricks!
Italian professional chef here, I'm in love with Chinese cuisine and Daddy Lau is definitely my hero! He's my Bruce Springsteen of chinese cooking
I read it with Chef John's voice "after all, you're the Bruce Springsteen of Chinese cuisine !"
Me too
My favourite is squid 🐙 😍 Italian's cook it alot too 😋
A bit of a warning for anyone who's trying this dish, It's addicting as hell, watch out. I've been taught how to make this dish around a week ago and now I'm stocking a lot of tofu just to make this dish DAILY.
breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack I can't get myself to stop making this dish. It's so simple, yet so flavorful and even more complete with hot rice my god.
What does it taste like? I have never eaten Tofu before but I'm about to start.
@@HyeonsikLi savory and a bit spicy (you can adjust the spiciness yourself tbh), eat it with hot rice
@@suluhwidyotomo7942 i will give it a try soon. Fried tofu looks way more appealing to me tbh
Well it’s scrumptious but who can eat deep fried food every day?
Well you’re probably not culturally Asian I guess
thank you! Always wondered why my fried tofu was not crispy. Daddy Lau's techniques were an invaluable lesson to getting home cooked fried tofu on a par with what is served in restaurants. The Lau family's efforts to share Daddy Lau's legacy is working; you have helped us to serve better tasting/more authentic Chinese food at home. Love it!
Really enjoy these cooking videos. My Dad worked in Chinese restaurants for many years and your dad reminds me very much of him, down to his expressions and descriptions of the techniques when trying to teach me when I was young. All the best.
This is the first video I've seen from your channel, and I loved it! I love your dad's style of explaining - all humility and passion for his craft and zero ego. And your family are so wholesome! Definitely going to binge watch a bunch of your content!
I always have trouble making this dish for my family. Now that I know the proper process, I will give it a try again this weekend. Thank you Chef Lau... you are simply the best! Who needs Yan Can Cook when we have Made with Lau.
Awww thank you Vitus! Hope your family loves it!!
Great teacher. Love your dad cooking.
You guys are absolutely a wonderful family. And Daddy Lau's Chef Skills are amazing and a true gift for everyone to enjoy and cherish. Great and Wholesome Channel!
I absolutely love learning from your dad! He's calm and straight forward. And quick! I also love hearing his language. It's so good on the ears. You are so lucky to have him!!
I finally made this tonight and it's amazing! Even my picky daughter was asking for more. Thanks for showing us how easy great food can be to make.
Thanks
Thank you!
Watching the Made With Lau videos has made the texture of the recipes I make so much better, not only the flavor. The dishes taste so much more like the restaurant style food I am aiming for. Thank you, Lau Family!
Mine too
that moment where Hong Doy gave a big "MMMMMMM" and everyone celebrates has 1000% improved my day
My grandma passed away last year but due to covid 19, I wasn’t able to make it back to Hong Kong to see her.
My grandma loved food, her cookings always amazed me and for the longest time I want to document them exactly how you are doing it. Your dad definitely reminds me of my grandma. The way he speaks, the way he explained how to cook the dish & how he gets excited when the dish is done is the same as my grandma shouting out loud from her kitchen when the food is ready. I love seeing you guys eatting together and make conversations, this is how I would have imagined to do with my grandma.
Thank you so much for doing this & definitely keeping these receipts for my children as well! 💖
Aloha from Hawai’i 🌺 This video is wonderful! I love tofu and could never understand when people tried to “ cover “ the “ no flavor “. Your father is the perfect chef for this recipe and your family makes me respect this video and recipe even more. All the best to you
How generous of your time, energy, and beautiful cultural richness?!! I'll be cooking this tonight for my wife! Your dad is a genius, and your presentation is wonderfully clear. Thank you kindly from Melbourne.
I love this! People always think tofu is this tasteless meat substitute that you need to make yourself eat. I make tofu for lunch daily by choice using similar recipes! Like fried tofu on white rice and a fried egg 💕It’s delicious!
I love tofu as it is so nutritious. Thanks for sharing your recipe, and showing us your special techniques 😊
Nutritious and neutral flavored (so you can season it in anyway you like!)
非常感谢您嘅支持！老劉祝福您及家人平安健康！
Nothing is "nutritious" anymore after frying!
@@proudasiangirl576 it doesn’t loses nutrients, it just isn’t as healthy because of frying it
Tofu should be made as it’s own food group in my humble opinion.. so simple but yet can absorb almost any great sauces tastes 😋. Thank you Lau Family
Yes! Totally agree ❤️❤️
Nah, it's simply an ingredient that can be added to other dishes, nothing more.
@@primalconvoy good on your opinion 😉
Agree. Tofu deserves its own emoji! 😁
it at least has it's own mode in Resident Evil games
Your dad's personality really reminds me of mine. Sadly, my dad passed away last year but these videos give me so much comfort.
This was the very first tofu dish I ever tried to make and it turned out super yummy! I fell in love with fried tofu. I made some for my relatives when they were over and they loved it too. Eventho I barely cook, this was an easy-to-follow recipe that even I couldn't mess up! I plated it with steamed green beans and rice. I can't get enough of it!
Thank you for the guidance!
Thank you for featuring a vegetarian dish 🤩🤩🤩 Also really appreciate the amount of details you guys go into explaining the recipe and method!
This has always been my favorite dish to order at Chinese restaurants, and it's always the dish that gets finished first. My family is definitely going to try to make this this weekend. Thanks for this amazing video!
While I sadly can't understand a word your father says, I still love listening to him speak. It's so calming and comforting.
Thanks!
We appreciate you so much!! Thank you!
I can't imagine how many people are going to end up amazing cooks due to your (and others) videos. If I had content this great growing up I would have been a lot better by now haha. Especially with recipes for some of my all time favourite dishes (this one is totally up there with Mapo Tofu)
I come for the recipes and stay for the warm, family feeling. Beautifully cooked food, masterfully edited...these videos are always such a pleasure. And I learn so much!
Yeah, it si so nice all the family collaborating. Even the little one!
Yes, lol, this literally IS my favorite tofu dish. Salt & pepper style is delicious on almost anything but I think tofu really shows it off better than most meats. The consistency of the tofu in this dish is wonderful too.
I really like the way you use English subtitles, talking through while your Dad cooking and also Summary in the end to make it easy for us. Cam Cam is quite adorable 😍 too
By far, the best Chinese cooking video channel. 🏆 Simple, quick, concise, easy to follow. Good English and Mandarin subtitles. Good graphics. 👏👏👏
Hi Lau clan!! I will be trying this recipe with the extra flavours of chili and garlic! I usually make salt and pepper tofu and a trick with the flour dredging that really works well for me is using a ziplock bag, putting the tofu and flour in and shaking it, it's quite consistent!
I love tofu in any preparation!! Fried gets extra points 🤗
I've never heard about the salted water boiling prior, it sure makes perfect sense! I've only found the freezing technique. For me I've fried many pounds of tofu and it's never anywhere near as delicious as getting it from a favorite place. Thank you! 🤗🌻❤👍✌
Love fried tofu dishes, especially covered with sauce just before serving, but we only ate this sort of dish at restaurants bc my parents don’t know how to deep fry anything. Can’t wait to try this out! Love the format of your videos- very organized, and the summary at the end is nice.
So appreciative of a Cantonese-speaking cook making Cantonese cuisine! Bravo! I always skip those cooking videos from cooks trying to make Cantonese cuisines when they are clearly not from the region. Authentic Cantonese cuisine rocks!
I made this tofu last night and it is EXCELLENT AND DELICIOUS! Yes it is our new favorite, boil for 2 minutes in salt water and it’s a game changer. Thank you, thank you, thank you! This is as great as our local Thai restaurant makes it! ❤❤❤❤
I just made this and am still eating it and it's so good! I've tried making tofu recipes before and they were always so-so, but I knew when I saw this video, that this one would be a winner. I always got that "container" tofu aftertaste but I couldn't taste it when the tofu was prepared this way. Cooking and adding the leftover egg was also a nice addition! Thank you so much for sharing! As a Chinese adoptee, I thoroughly enjoy learning about Chinese food, especially with your educational excerpts!
OMG thank you so much for this recipe daddy Lau! I'm not vegetarian but this is so good, even if you don't care for veggies like my hubby, you will be hooked!
Me and my girlfriend just made it for her parents. We are all vegetarians so this was a perfect meal along with some chips fried in the same oil and some cavalero fried in sesame oil with sea salt and soy sauce. Thanks Lau for this recipe! You've put a smile on all of our faces!
Cavalero? Did you mean cavolo nero? I tried to find a Cavalero, but couldn't find a food item by that spelling. But, I found a dark, curly Italian kale called, cavolo nero. I was really curious because it just sounded so good.
@@stopcheatingconsumers9779 Oops! yes sorry, I always say it wrong :)
劉師傅真係堅正！廣東菜易學難精！Master Lau is really that's good, Cantonese cuisine is easy to learn but hard to master.
好好謝您嘅支持！工多藝熟，多煮幾次就精嘞。老劉㊗️您和家人平安健康！幸福快樂！
We made this tonight, and it made my stomach so happy!!! Thank you for sharing!
The only feedback I have - I printed out the recipe while I was at work, skimmed over the ingredient list at the top, and only realized that while I was cooking I didn't have dried chilies. You may want to add it to the ingredient page on your website!
The reason I learn from this channel is because there's a lot of explanation for people who are still learning how to cook. Even if the question is simple, we get an explanation.
Love the father/son collaboration! Great video and amazing looking recipe. Thanks for inviting us into your kitchen and sharing this, I can't wait to try it!
Oh gosh this was so delicious. You know it turns out delicious when the kids just keep shoving their chopsticks in their mouths and don't talk. We felt like we were back in Cheung Chau on a sunny Saturday. Thank you for teaching me this favourite. I made a mistake though and forgot to dip it in the egg even though I prepared it. So it was double coated. Don't give up if you make this mistake! It was still so good double crusted!
I am trying to learn Cantonese and cooking. Your channel is perfect!
聽到世伯講廣東話, 好有親切感, 又有中英文字幕, 謝謝 劉氏父子家庭 做福人群🙏😊❤
非常感謝您的支持和肯定！老劉祝福您與家人健康快樂！
It's extra special to see a parent cooking, you can feel the love going into it
I grew up with a mom and pop cantonese restaurant in the neighborhood. My favorite were these fried tofus. After the dad retired, the restaurant closed, and I have never been able to find this exact dish. Thank you for sharing this! This is exactly like how I remember them! ❤️
Thank you!!! That's my go-to appetizer and I'm glad I have the option to cook it myself.
Another EXCELLENT Video. In it you mention considering offering a class on Chinese Cooking. YES! Please do! I have followed Many You Tube Video creators offering Asian Cuisine and find Che Lau's to be the BEST and easiest to follow! Thank you for sharing your wonderful culture through food!
My favourite moment was your dad interacting with that cute baby. So sweet. He obviously adores his Cam Cam.
Another recipe where I have 99% of the ingredients in my house all the time. In this case tofu isn't always in my house because I never mastered how to cook it. I will be trying this recipe next since the Hot & Sour soup recipe turned out spectacular. These instructions are very easy to follow, so I guess I'll try this one over the weekend. Thank you so much for this video!
One of my absolute favorite dishes. It's a staple dish to order whenever I go out to a Chinese restaurant and now I can make it at home. Thank you so much!
I always struggle making this dish! But I'll try again tomorrow as it's one of my sister's favorites! Thank you 🥰
Great guide! Thank you. What would you recommend instead for the egg? Is there anything special we could replace it with in order for the dish to be vegan?
I want to know too 😅
For vegans who don’t eat egg, tempura can be made without eggs but with more types starches and ice cold water, look up a recipe, DELICIOUS, the tip about boiling tofu with salt water is genius, gonna try this.
Since it was my first time buying tofu i bought silken tofu which is not ideal for fried tofu since it is too soft . However boiling it with salt water firmed it up and I really enjoyed this! It tasted like fried chicken but better❤❤
vegan is the way
Looks delicious! PS It'd be cool if you created a Skillshare course on your approach to producing videos too! Just some food for thought.
Oooo that is a great idea too!!
What do you do with all the oil after frying?
I use it for stirfry
great demo.. one of our favourite dishes... can't wait to try making it
One of the reasons that I like that they answer the questions while eating the food is because I get a better idea of what to put with the dish as well. Its much appreciated!
This channel is so wonderful and makes me feel quite emotional! Thank you for sharing your cooking, culture, and family with us.
This looks so good. I haven't had much success cooking tofu. I am going to try your dad's cooking tips. Thank you for sharing this.
I needed to add, that was the cutest family scene at the end. 💖
Tofu is sooooo good as soon as you stop viewing it as a meat substitude and realise it is it's own thing, I need people here to understand that now
Hi Lau family. Watching your videos and trying your dishes have been nothing short of AMAZING. Thank you for passing on the legacy of great Cantonese cooking! One question I have: Is there a substitute for egg in this dish? I have a son that is allergic to eggs unfortunately, but I am really looking forward to trying this dish. Thank you!
How can you not love this family!!! Papa Lau is amazing!!
I *love* salt & pepper tofu, and really almost any kind of fried tofu. it's underappreciated here in America, but thanks to folks like y'all and other Asian youtubers, we're learning how to cook it properly and how delicious it really can be! I've made it fresh several times, and IMO that's the BEST tofu -- you can eat it raw with just soy sauce and it's amazing. but it's a lot to clean up and cooked tofu is so good and easy to make; I eat it all the time.
+1 for salt and pepper squid!!
Can't wait for that recipe 🤩
id love to see how your dad would make la zi ji, the szechuan dish, sometimes just called chicken with szechuan peppers. its recently my new favorite dish and want to know any pointers he would give. Keep making great content!
It's my favourite dish too. I've also seen it being called chongqing chicken, or mala chicken, or hide & seek chicken, since towards the end of eating it people are basically hunting through a pile of chillies to find the last little bits of chicken and peanut. Amazing dish.
I am Cantonese from HK , understand so well your dad 's explanation, he is a great cook and this 椒鹽豆腐 is a great dish ! Thank you very much !!
Amazing! I really appreciate how you ask questions like what options could work instead of whatever ingredient, and talk about why certain steps are important!
I tried to make this dish for dinner last night and it was yummy delicious! Although it takes me some effort for someone like me who doesn’t cook often, but I think it’s definitely worth it! 😊
I made this for my boyfriend who’s trying to eat less meat and he won’t stop talking about it! He says it’s the best tofu he’s ever had.
Mmmm this is gonna be our weekend treat here at my house, we always like to try a new recipe that may or not be the healthiest but that’s what the whole week is for!! 😆😝😍
The baby's reaction is priceless. Love how dad patiently demonstrates and explains how to prepare the meal. This is the first time seeing your video. I like tofu but I normally buy it in the restaurant. Will try this at home, thanks for sharing.
Just made this for the first time and I let my mother try it after she commented how good the kitchen smelled and she LOVED IT. She had already eaten and was getting ready to take a nap but she couldn't resist asking for more after the first sample, saying how flavorful it was haha. Boiling with salt before doing the frying process made a big difference and the texture is so wonderful. Thank you for the wonderful recipe Laoshi!!
Wow Daddy Lau makes everything look simple....but not that easy when I try
Just keep trying, or at least that's what I tell myself. 😃
At 6:08 so cute when Cam Cam is copying grandpa’s hand motions as he demonstrates the dredging.
omg I didn't notice that, was too focused on learning. lil communicator
Looks great! I have been struggling with my air fryer, determined to make crispy tofu bites in it! I love salt and pepper tofu, so I am off to attempt a version of this using the air fryer in lieu of a bottle of oil, and will finish it off with the 2 tbsp. of oil and sautéed vegetables. Wish me luck! 🤞
How did it go with the air fryer?
Sounds great! how did you do it? want to try it too with my air fryer
Also wondering how it went!
LOL! So glad to hear people actually want to hear about it and follow up (and are being nice in the comments section!). Sorry to report--so far, it is not going so well. By my standards as least. I have gone thru 3 packages of tofu, using a variation on 2 recipes. One recipe is for the flavor and another is for the technique. But I am still working on it. And have also learned about Chick-fil-A nuggets, so that is another version I want to conquer. I am happy to post again once I have something note-worthy to post. Just fyi, I am sorry to say, as I am the daughter of a chef and NYC restaurateur, I won't say that I am done and have mastered the air fryer and the best technique for tofu cubes, until it is 100% perfect. Including texture (which has presented a problem thus far). Otherwise, my dad will be turning in his grave... same as my mom, who was also a fabulous cook. She would sometimes say, "it must be the recipe, just toss it and try a different one."
Which is a phrase I have taught my kids (and all 4 are good cooks), and also try to remember whenever I am disappointed by a new recipe or cookbook.
She also always said, "if you get 1 good recipe out of a cookbook, it was worth buying!" (Back in the day). So I do often use 2 recipes, along with my knowledge (which is extensive), to create a "keeper", which is what we call any recipe worth making again. A "showstopper" or "superstar" is typically a favorite we serve to company (we have dinner parties atleast once a week). We never try something new on company, and we don't share recipes that we have created on our own with anyone.
Again, I will try it a few more times, so if I come out with something great, I will be sure to share it with you! As you are strangers (I presume), and I therefore will not see my food coming and going amongst my friends. I hope atleast!
@@skontheroad Thanks for the update even. At some point I want to give it a shot. Air Fryer is tricky as this is something that is battered and Deep Fried to a degree.
I happened upon this video this morning, and made this for lunch 😂 I've never prepared tofu like this before, and it was incredible. Thank you so much for sharing this information and technique!
I made this dish yesterday with a slight variation. I did everything that your dad did with the tofu including boiling it first. The only difference is my husband made a nice sauce with water, oyster and soy sauces. It was absolutely delicious and the tofu remained crispy! Your dad's way is the best way to fry the tofu! Thank you so much for sharing!
Ughh that looks so good
I was wondering why my fried tofu always came out bad. Now I see I need to boil it in salt first, before coating and frying. Learned something today. 👍🏽
I started this video just after I scarfed down a load of salt and pepper ribs and salt and pepper squid from my local Cantonese takeaway
You definitely know how to both read minds and fill stomachs lmao
Eheheh yes! We also need to do a salt and pepper squid dish!
Salt and pepper taste good for almost everything.
Thanks for showing us the steps to get the best results!
My favorite dish but I can’t find it anywhere ever since I’ve relocated. I was always grateful to the chef for making salt and pepper tofu for me before, but after trying to make it myself, I grew more grateful🥲. Thank you so much for this recipe!
Ahhhh, This is what I need at 12:10 AM
Hope you have happy tofu dreams :)
Saw the thumbnail, got nostalgia, and immediately agreed. Best tofu dish guaranteed.