Chinese fast food

Ingredients:

* Soft tofu 300g. Either gypsum or nigari tofu is ok
* Brine for the tofu: Salt, 1 tsp; Hot, boiled water, ~2 cups (enough to submerge the tofu)
* Sauce for the stir fry: Sweet bean paste, 1 tsp; soy sauce 1 tsp; Liaojiu a.k.a. Shaoxing wine 1/2 tsp; salt; 1/4 tsp; sugar, 1/2 tsp; MSG 1/8 tsp; white pepper powder 1/8 tsp; water, 1 tbsp
* Aromatics: garlic, 2 cloves, minced; mild or medium chili pepper, ~1 small, cut into 1cm pieces
* Optional: Chili bean paste 1/4 tsp (only include if you already have on hand)
* Slurry of 1/2 tsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tbsp water

Process:

1. Drain your tofu and cut into about one inch cubes. Mix with the hot brine, let soak for at least 15 minutes.
2. Mix your sauce and prepare your aromatics. Remove the tofu from the brine.
3. To fry, first longyau (piping hot wok, heat off, toss in ~3 tbsp oil, give it a swirl). Medium flame, heat the oil up until it can bubble around a pair of chopsticks, then slide in the tofu. Fry on one side for ~3 minutes, or until the oil becomes clear again, then scooch the tofu up the side of the wok. Toss in your chili bean paste, and fry that until it stains the oil red, ~1 minute. Fry the garlic until fragrant (~30 seconds), then swap the flame to high. Add in the sauce. Quick 15 second fry. Chilis in. Swap the flame to low, thicken with the slurry.