This is one of my favourite comfort food dishes. It’s the combination of rice and peas, like the Italian risi e bisi, that I find particularly irresistible. There is something very cleansing about this dish, which really allows the silken tofu to shine. The recipe comes from Kylie Kwong’s Simple Chinese Food – the original version is slightly brothier, with less peas and served with leaves of iceberg lettuce, which would give a nice crunchy contrast, but I’ve always just served it like this for a simple meal for two, or with a Chinese omelette and another vegetable dish if I want to make a larger meal.

Braised tofu with shitake mushrooms, tomatoes and peas

Adapted from Simple Chinese Food by Kylie Kwong

• 1 x 300 grams (10 oz) packet of silken tofu
• 2½ cups of water
• 2 tablespoons light soy sauce or tamari
• 2 tablespoons shao hsing wine or dry sherry
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 1 teaspoon of sea salt
• 1 medium size tomato, cut into wedges
• 3 fresh shitake mushrooms, stems discarded and caps sliced
• 4 oyster mushrooms, stems discarded and caps sliced
• 1 cup of shelled peas, fresh or frozen
• 4 spring onions (scallions) trimmed and cut into 10 cm (4 inches) lengths
• 1 tablespoons ginger julienned
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons malt vinegar
• Pinch of ground white pepper

1. Gently remove tofu from packet and slice into six pieces and drain off any excess liquid.
2. Place water, soy sauce, wine or sherry, sugar, ginger and salt into a wok and bring to a gently simmer for a few minutes.
3. Gently slide tofu, tomato, mushrooms, peas and spring onions into broth, separating the tofu as you place it in the broth. Simmer uncovered for five minutes until vegetables are just tender.
4. Take off heat and add sesame oil and vinegar.
5. Pour into a large bowl, sprinkle with pepper and serve immediately.

Serves two as a meal or four as part of banquet