We are doing something spicy today!
Bean curd skin, also known as yuba, is basically the skin that forms on the surface when you boil soy milk for a few minutes. It is then removed from the milk and usually dried. It can be found in many different types: sheets, strips, or even knots in the dry section of most Asian supermarkets.
Here, bean curd knots are sautéed in a spicy and garlicky chili oil, and served with green on the side. It's chewy, comforting, and perfectly spicy, ready?
You start by boiling the dried bean curd knots for about 20 minutes, or until they get a tender texture like pasta. Then drain well.
In the meantime, we prepare the chili oil that consists of red pepper flakes, sesame seeds, garlic, ginger, and sesame seeds that are fried until golden brown.
Next, bean curd knots are sautéed until slightly golden in the aromatic oil for a few minutes so they can soak up the flavors.
Finally, we add soy sauce for saltiness and umami, maple syrup for a subtle sweetness, and a drizzle of lime juice for flavor.
Sprinkle with chopped green onions and serve with your favorite greens on the side! I went with pak choy, but kale, spinach, or even broccoli would make good alternatives.
These bean curd knots are not only easy to make, but they are also spicy and flavorful thanks to the addition of ginger, garlic, and green onions. Did I mention this recipe packs over 20g of protein per serving?
Let me know in the comments if you try this recipe!
Bean Curd Knots in Spicy Chili Oil
Ingredients
- 2 cups dried bean curd knots (also called tofu skin knots)
- 3 tablespoon neutral oil
- 1 clove of garlic minced
- ½ inch ginger grated
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 teaspoon lime juice
- 2 teaspoon maple syrup
- for serving: pak choy, kale, chopped cilantro or green onions
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, add the dried bean curd knots and let it simmer for about 20 minutes, or until tender. Remove from heat and drain the knots. Slightly press them with a spatula to remove excess water. Cover and set aside.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, and sesame seeds. Fry to 2-3 minutes, or until sesame seeds are golden brown.
- Add the bean curd knots to the skillet and sautée for 2-3 minutes, stirring regularly to prevent sticking.
- Deglaze the pan with the soy sauce, lime juice, and maple syrup and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove from heat and top with chopped cilantro or green onions.
- Serve the spicy bean curd knots with sautéed greens on the side like pak choy, spinach, kale, etc.
- Bean curd knots will keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator, they can be eaten cold too.
Nutrition
Your terminology is off here. Bean curd = tofu. Bean curd skin = yuba.
Thanks for the info Melissa. I corrected in the post, however bean curd knots* = yuba, and "bean curd" (or beancurd) can also be Singapore tofu which is not real tofu but a soy milk pudding 🙂 With so many foods made from soymilk, it is confusing sometimes!
I bought some from a Chinese supermarket. The only English words on the packet were bean curd knots.
It was gorgeous. I added a bit of vegan chicken stock to the water then used the water to cook some rice in.
Just made this turned out very good. Nice alternative to regular cubed tofu and noodles.
Great! Glad to hear you liked it 🙂
Excellent Recipe. Do you have a source for Bean Curd Knots? I do not want to buy the quantity that is available on Amazon. Are there any sources that will sell 1 lb or 2 lb s? Thanks for your guidance
I would go to an Asian store, check and if they don't have they can probably order.
Awesome recipe, thanks so much Thomas. I have just recently been enjoying dried bean curd and related recipes after learning from my yoga teacher. Such meals are so tasty and addictive!
Awesome! Glad you liked the recipe!
Your chopstick etiquette is horrible. No Asian would stick their chopsticks in their food like this. It’s bad luck.
Glad you like the recipe and thanks for your kind words 😉
He's not Asian. And your Social Etiquette is pretty bad
To clarify, it's bad luck in a bowl of rice...
Awesome! I've seen these knots at the grocery before and thought they looked cool, but had no idea what to do with them. I tried your recipe (without the maple because I'm cutting back on sugar) and love it! It's a great meal to prepare in advance. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Thanks for your feedback Renee!
used to cook this a lot in China, I used to make myself sick off of these lol love them
Bought these knots on a whim in a local supermarket without any idea of what to do with them. They just looked interesting! Your recipe was perfect. Really loved the flavours, and so straightforward. Thank you!
Awesome, thanks for your feedback! 🙂
Tried this today for lunch. So quick and easy, and tasty! I was able to find the dried bean curd knots in the giant aisle of Various Dried Things at the Asian market. Thanks for your recipes - you are one of the 4 main vegan blogs I go to on a regular basis. I don't know why some people feel the need to be so critical on here but props to you for responding with grace.
Thanks for your feedback Cat! Glad you liked this recipe 😉
Came across this recipe when trying to work out what to do with dried bean curd (I’ve never used it!)
What a simple, amazing dish. I served it with broccolini and brown rice. Delish. Can’t wait to make it again.
Thanks Amy 😉
These taste amazing! Such a nice combination of flavours.
I used them to make gimbap but I can't wait to have them with some greens on the side another time.
Thanks for a great recipe 🙂
Thanks Laura! 🙂
think I can make this just with the folded skin? I think it was supposed to be used as immitation meat but to me the only difference is it's not knotted.
The recipe looks too good not to try!
What do you mean by "folded skin"? If it's made from yuba (tofu skin), then yes it should work as well!
yep I meant Yuba! so new to the tofu game! Thanks a bunch!
Great! Hope you will enjoy cooking with tofu!
This was phenomenal!!! thank you for posting it 🙂
Thanks Mina!
Ok this may be weird but the first time I made this with yuba and just tied the knots myself the yuba was slightly past expiry and it worked out deliciously. Second time the yuba was within expiry more supple and it disintegrated in the boiling process! What a let down. I’m a tofu noob so just wondering do I boil fresher yuba less amount of time at a lower temp?
Thanks!
I never experienced anything like that! I always use dried bean curd knots and they never disintegrated, maybe try boiling for a shorter amount of time. It's like pasta, I don't think expiry date really affects the cooking time.
Thank you for this recipe! I picked up the dried bean curd knots in the asian grocery store because they looked interesting. Your recipe was easy and everyone liked it! That doesn't always happen when I cook with tofu/bean curd. haha
Thanks for your feedback Mari! Yes, it's not a common ingredient, but it's delicious 😉