Stir-fry Tofu with Ginger (Pad Khing Tofu)

This is a very simple Thai dish, what you could make at home; in fact you would find this offered in few restaurants. Simple or not, it's still a tasty dish. You can also make a fish version by substituting fried firm white fish pieces for the tofu (it would be called Pad Khing Pla). You can buy fermented yellow soybean sauce in most good Chinese supermarkets. Chinese celery is much thinner and smaller than the celery found in North America, it also has a stronger flavour.

Stir-fry Tofu with Ginger (Pad Khing Tofu)
200 g firm tofu
100 g ground pork (optional)
5 slices ginger
2 cloves garlic
1/2 onion
2 stalks Chinese celery
2 spring onion
1 red chili
1/2 tsp ground white pepper
1 Tbsp oyster sauce
1 Tbsp fish sauce
1 Tbsp fermented yellow soybean sauce
1/2 tsp palm sugar
1/4 cup stock
cooking oil

Mince garlic and julienne ginger. Slice onion and cut the celery and spring onion into 1 inch pieces. Slice chili thinly. Cut tofu into small cubes.

Heat 2-3 tablespoons of oil in heavy bottomed pan to fry tofu. Fry tofu until golden brown; set aside.

Add prepared garlic, onion, ginger, pepper, chili and cook until fragant. Add pork, if using, yellow soybean sauce, oyster sauce, sugar and stock. Stir-fry together about 2-3 minutes with no pork, 2-3 minutes more with pork. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Finally add fried tofu, celery and spring onion and mix together.

Serve hot with fragrant rice.