Destination
Ipoh
The story
Tau fu fah (also spelled tau fu fa; "tofu flower") is Malaysia's most-loved traditional dessert: freshly-set silken tofu, spooned in delicate curds into a bowl and drenched in a light ginger-scented panela syrup (or a heavier gula melaka syrup for the Malaysian version). Served warm in winter or cold in summer; sold from mobile carts across the country from the classic tau fu fah uncles who've been running the same route for decades. A specifically Chinese-Malaysian tradition (very similar to the Hong Kong dau fu fa, but with the Malaysian addition of gula melaka on the sweetness spectrum) and one of the country's small culinary joys.
Method
Bruise the sliced ginger with the flat of a knife. Combine with the gula melaka, water, pandan leaf and salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer, stirring until the gula melaka dissolves. Simmer 15 to 20 minutes until fragrant and slightly reduced. Strain out the ginger and pandan (or leave in for a stronger flavour).
For hot tau fu fah: fill a wide pan with 500ml water and bring to a low simmer. Place the tofu block (still in its packaging) in the water and warm for 8 to 10 minutes until heated through. Lift out and drain the packaging liquid.
For cold tau fu fah: keep the tofu in the fridge, then unwrap. Chill the syrup fully in the fridge.
Using a wide flat spoon, scoop the tofu in shallow delicate slices into serving bowls (each scoop should be about 2 to 3 tablespoons and reveal the silken curd texture; don't just plop the block in whole).
Drench each bowl generously with the ginger syrup (about 4 to 5 tablespoons per serving). Scatter with optional garnishes: shredded ginger, sesame seeds or a spoon of pandan jelly.
Tips
- Buy good silken tofu. This is essentially the whole game. A quality Japanese or Chinese silken tofu (soft, unpressed, sold in a plastic tub) gives you the correct texture. Firm or pressed tofu is a completely different dish.
- Warm gently in the packaging. The tofu doesn't need to boil; a gentle 8-to-10-minute warm bath (still in its plastic tub, in a pan of simmering water) heats it through without breaking the delicate curds.
- Scoop in flat, shallow slices. Use a wide flat spoon (like a shallow soup spoon) to scoop the tofu in delicate slices; don't just tip the block into the bowl. The flower-like silky texture is the whole point.
- Gula melaka is what makes it Malaysian. The molasses depth of Malaysian palm sugar gives the syrup its classic caramel-warm note. White sugar tastes flat here.
- Hot for winter, cold for summer. Both are correct. Malaysian dessert stalls shift the same recipe between hot and chilled depending on the season and the day.
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