Fish Tofu Recipe
Fish tofu is a popular ingredient in tteokbokki because it has a unique bouncy texture that complements the chewy texture of the rice cakes. Its protein content also makes the dish more filling and nutritious. In this homemade fish tofu recipe, we'll show you how to make this protein-packed snack from ground fish, shrimp, simple seasonings, and tapioca starch.
Equipment
- blender
- rectangular food storage container (glass or ceramic, heat resistant, 28oz)
- Plastic Food Wrap (heat resistant)
- Steamer (Or you can use a large pot and a steaming rack to steam the fish cake.)
- frying pan
Ingredients
Ginger scallion water
- 2 green onions (Chopped. About ⅓ cup of chopped green onions.)
- 15 g ginger (Chopped. About 1½ tbsp of chopped ginger.)
- 1 tsp sichuan peppercorns (Optional.)
- ½ cup hot water
Fish Tofu
- 400 g swai fillet (Can also use tilapia, catfish, or cod fillet.)
- 50 g shrimp (If you want to skip the shrimp, just use 50g fish of your choice to substitute it.)
- 3 tbsp ginger scallion water
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp white pepper powder
- ½ tsp sugar
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp cooking wine (optional)
- 1 whole egg
- 1 egg white
- ⅓ cup tapioca starch (Ideally use tapioca starch. Can also use potato starch instead. Do not use cornstarch or flour.)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, add chopped green onions, ginger, Sichuan peppercorns, and hot water. Set aside on your countertop for 15 to 30 minutes, allowing it to cool naturally to room temperature.
- Dice the swai fillet (or tilapia, catfish, or cod fillet) into 1-inch cubes and cut each shrimp into 3 segments. Next, add the fish, shrimp, and 3 tablespoons of ginger scallion water prepared in step 1 to a blender and blend on medium speed for 1 minute.
- Add all the ingredients listed under "fish tofu" except for the tapioca starch into the blender, and blend on medium speed for 1 more minute until it forms a smooth batter.
- Transfer the batter to a large mixing bowl, add ⅓ cup of tapioca starch to the batter. Using a spatula, blend the mixture until there are no dry starch pockets remaining in the bowl. Next, using a whisk, stir the batter in one direction for 5 minutes. It's important not to skip this step as the stirring helps to organize the proteins in the fish tofu, resulting in a more elastic texture.
- Brush a rectangular food storage container with a thin layer of vegetable oil. Pour the fish batter to the container, spreading it out evenly.
- Cover the container with a sheet of plastic food wrap and poke approximately 20 holes on it using a toothpick.
- Place the container on a steamer (or steam over medium-high heat on your stovetop) and steam about 25 minutes, or until the fish tofu is cooked through and firm.
- Remove the container from the steamer and let it cool slightly. Transfer the steamed fish tofu out to a cutting board. Cut it into rectangular cubes, about 2'' long, 1'' wide, ½'' thick.
- Add 2 tbsps of vegetable oil to a frying pan, and fry the fish cakes over medium heat for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until they are golden brown and crispy.
- You can enjoy the fish tofu immediately after it's pan fried. It's already super delicious and flavorful without any dipping sauce. Or you can add fish tofu to soups, stews, or stir-fries as desired. Check out my Cheese Tteokbokki Recipe where I used fish tofu.
- Storage: Place the fish tofu in an airtight container or freezer bag in a single layer, then place the container or bag in the freezer. Fish tofu can be stored in the freezer for up to 2-3 months. When you're ready to use the frozen fish tofu, remove it from the freezer and let it thaw in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight. Alternatively, you can defrost the fish tofu in the microwave on a low power setting. Once thawed, the fish tofu can be used in your desired recipe.