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Chinese

Hakka Stuffed Tofu

Hakka Stuffed Tofu fills firm tofu with a savoury pork and shiitake mixture, then pan-sears and gently braises the pieces in a light soy sauce.

Published and reviewed by Kitchgrow on 1 September 2026Updated

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Hakka Stuffed Tofu

1 hr 15 mintotal

55 min hands-on20 min hands-off

Prep 30 min · Cook 25 min

Serves
2
Difficulty
Medium
Spice
None
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Ingredients

Quantities are for 2 servings.

You'll need: Stovetop.

Allow 20 minutes of inactive mushroom soaking before cooking; the soaking liquid becomes part of the light braising sauce.

Method

  1. Place the dried shiitake mushrooms in a bowl and cover them with the portion of water reserved for soaking after heating it until very hot. Let them soften for 20 minutes, then squeeze them dry, chop them finely and strain the soaking liquid through a fine sieve.

    20 min

  2. Combine the pork mince, chopped mushrooms, spring onion whites, ginger, garlic, the portion of soy sauce reserved for the filling, Shaoxing wine, sesame oil, the portion of cornstarch reserved for binding, white pepper and salt. Stir firmly in one direction until the mixture becomes sticky.

  3. Pat the tofu blocks dry. Use a small spoon to remove a shallow pocket from one broad side of each block, leaving the base and edges intact so the tofu can hold the filling.

  4. Press the pork mixture firmly into each tofu pocket and level the exposed surface. Do not overfill, because the filling expands slightly as it cooks.

  5. Heat the neutral oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Place the tofu filling-side down and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the pork surface is golden and releases cleanly from the pan.

    3–4 min

  6. Turn the tofu carefully and brown the remaining broad side for about 2 minutes. Arrange the pieces filling-side up, then add the strained mushroom liquid, the remaining water, the remaining soy sauce and the sugar.

    2 min

  7. Bring the liquid to a gentle simmer, cover and cook over low heat for 10 minutes. The pork filling must be cooked through with no pink centre and should reach at least 71°C.

    10 min

  8. Transfer the stuffed tofu to a warm serving dish. Mix the remaining cornstarch with a small spoonful of cool water, stir the slurry into the pan sauce and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until the sauce lightly coats a spoon.

    1–2 min

  9. Spoon the sauce over the tofu, scatter with the spring onion greens and serve hot.

How to tell it's done

The tofu should remain intact with lightly golden surfaces, while the pork filling is firm, juicy and cooked through. The sauce should be glossy and lightly thickened rather than heavy or gelatinous.

Getting it right

Tip

Dry the tofu well and sear the filling side first. A dry surface browns more cleanly, and the initial sear helps anchor the pork mixture inside the tofu pocket.

What to serve it with

Serve the stuffed tofu with steamed rice and simply cooked greens, spooning the light mushroom-soy sauce over the rice.

Common mistakes

The tofu tears or the pork filling loosens.
Dry the tofu, avoid overfilling the pockets, and sear the filling side first until it releases cleanly. Check the pork centre before serving.

Substitutions

  • Pork Mince — Ground Chicken may replace the pork mince for a lighter, non-traditional variation. Keep the filling cold while stuffing and cook it to a centre temperature of 74°C.
  • Dried Shiitake Mushrooms — Button Mushrooms may replace the dried shiitake mushrooms. Finely chop and cook them briefly before mixing; the filling and sauce will have a milder mushroom flavour.
  • Tofu — Use extra-firm tofu when standard firm tofu breaks during hollowing. Its texture is denser and less tender, but it is easier to stuff and turn in the pan.
  • Shaoxing Wine — Water may replace Shaoxing wine for an alcohol-free version. The filling will be milder and will have less fermented aroma.

Storing and reheating

Refrigerate Hakka stuffed tofu with sauce in a covered container for up to 3 days. Reheat covered until hot; freezing is not recommended because tofu releases water after thawing.