This pale looking tofu is quite delicious when served with chopped coriander, chili sauce and soy sauce. My mother said that our grandmother loved making these when they were young.

The tofu used is firm tofu that is cut diagonally. After removing the middle part of the tofu for the stuffing, the remaining tofu bits is smashed and mixed into the stuffing. The result is softer textured meatball-like stuffing. The high water content of the tofu really makes a difference.

Since tofu itself is quite tasteless, it is better to sprinkle some salt on it, if no dipping sauce is prepared.

One of the most important thing in preparing tofu for any kind of dish is the washing. Tofu bought from store is usually shrink-wrapped on styrofoam or plastic container. Drain the water. If the water smells, it is better to throw away the tofu. Wash the tofu thoroughly with cold water at least three times and use it immediately. If it is not to be cooked right away, store it in a clean plastic/glass container, and fill the container with clean water. Keep refrigerated. Change the water every 12 hours to keep the tofu fresh.

Ingredients

255 grams firm tofu (3 cubes, 85 grams each), cut into half diagonally
100 grams pork, minced (alternatively, chicken can be used)
1/4 teaspoon sugar (optional)
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 tablespoon tapioca starch
1/4 teaspoon soy sauce
1 stalk spring onion, chopped finely

Instructions

• Make two slits on the tofu, remove as much tofu as you can in between for the stuffing. Sprinkle some salt on the tofu
• For the stuffing, combine all ingredients and the left over of the tofu scraps in a bowl and mix well
• Form a ball using two tablespoons of stuffing and carefully insert it into the tofu. Firm it up using your fingers
• Steam in a metal steamer or bamboo steamer for 15 minutes
• Serve warm with steamed rice

Cooks’ note

Preparation time 30 minutes

Yield 3 – 4 servings

Remember those days a gazillian years ago, in college, when grocery money was scarce and with exams plus assignments crashing in there wasn’t just enough time (nor money) to lavish yourself with decent food items? Well, that probably only happened to me. Those were the days when ramen noodles had become the most filling and nutritious meal of the semester. So much that I had to sacrifice to get that black sexy cocktail dress.

Since those bleak (but wild) days, I wished I had a bit of creativity to cook ramen noodles the lifeline. The snazziest thing I did with my sad bowl of ramen was add some scrambled eggs and chopped scallion. That’s about it.

So last night, I felt some creativity sparks and sometime ago I read that Giada made omelette with her leftover spaghetti. We (my brother and I) were starving and there was nothing in the pantry except instant ramen noodles and some eggs. I mixed up the two and it was good – good enough to be blogged about.

Fyi, Indonesians are famous for their instant ramen noodles that go by the name of Indomie. There are many flavors available such as chicken, spicy chicken, curry, soto, and many more. Naturally, Indomie with chicken flavor is what we have in our pantry and that was what I used in my little ritzy experiment.

First I boiled the noodles till al dente and seasoned them with the powdered stock. Stir fry some onions and tomatoes, add the seasoned noodles and pour whisked eggs onto the pan. Voala! Served with spicy tomato sauce – that would hold up the hunger for another hour. Or much less.

How do you spice up your ramen noodles? Please do share.

Ingredients

2 eggs, beaten with 2 tablespoons of water and a pinch of salt
1 pack of instant ramen noodles – any flavor (55gr)
2 tablespoons onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tablespoons parsely, finely chopped chopped
1 tablespoon cooking oil
Tomato sauce / sweet chilli sauce

Instructions

• Drop ramen noodles into boiling water. Cook for 4 minutes (or according to the package instructions)
• Drain the water and the instant powdered stock included in the package. Mix well with a fork till
• Heat up an 8″ non-stick pan and drizzle cooking oil on it. Quickly stir fry chopped onions over medium heat for 2 minutes till they are translucent and toss in the tomatoes. Cook for another 1 minute
• Put in the noodles and chopped parsely into the pan and mix well with the other ingredients – cook for another two minutes
• Try to arrange / distribute the noodles evenly across the pan and also arrange the placement of the tomatoes. Pour the egg mixture slowly by circular motion starting from the outer edge of the pan. Try to cover all surface. If you can’t, don’t worry about it. Just swirl the pan around slightly before the egg sets and it will fill up the empty spaces
• Lower heat and cook for 4 minutes. Slide a flat spatula under the omelette and quickly flip over and cook some more till both sides are browned
• Serve with your choice of dipping sauce

Cook’s note

Always try to add some fresh spices such as chopped leeks or minced garlic or some scallions. These will bring out invigorating flavor, rather than relying solely on the flavor powdered base that comes with the ramen noodles.