SMOKED TOFU WITH SHIITAKE MUSHROOM SAUCE

INGREDIENTS

250 gm firm tofu, 50 gm dry shiitake mushrooms, 1 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder, 1 tbsp white pepper, a pinch five spice powder, 1 tbsp Chinese toasted sesame oil, 2 tbsp vegetarian oyster sauce, 1 tsp finely chopped garlic, 1 tsp finely chopped ginger, 2 fresh red chillies (sliced lengthwise), 1 cup vegetable stock 1 tbsp cooking oil

METHOD

Combine the soy sauce, chilli powder, five spice, sesame oil and pepper and mix well. Coat tofu with marinade and leave for two hours. Soak Shiitake mushrooms in water. Fire up your outdoor BBQ/grill with an even mix of charcoal and wood. Your grill should have a lid that closes over the cooking area. Weber grills are ideal for home smoking. Wait until the charcoal/wood is evenly burning and move all of it to one side of the grill, leaving one half of the grill with nothing underneath to create a smoking area with no direct heat underneath. The temperature evens out at approximately 140 degrees celsius in the cooking area. Place the tofu on the area of the grill with no coal/wood underneath. Brush grill with oil so the tofu does not stick. Reserve marinade. Close the lid. Smoke for half-an-hour to 45 minutes. Check temperature at frequent intervals, add more charcoal or wood to keep temperature consistent. Transfer tofu to the hot area of the grill and baste with reserved marinade, turning constantly. Do this until the tofu is evenly coated with sauce and perfectly glazed. Drain shiitake mushrooms and chop coarsely. In a saucepan, heat oil and brown garlic and ginger. Add vegetarian oyster sauce, shiitake mushrooms and stock, reduce to a thick sauce. Add fresh chillies and pour sauce over smoked tofu. Serve with hot steamed rice.