There’s this pretty well-known Taiwanese dish called Three Cup Chicken. The flavorful dish of dark meat chicken is flavored with sugar, soy sauce, and sesame oil with a strong dose of Chinese/Thai Basil.  My mom came up with a vegetarian version, Three Cup Tofu with the same flavor profile and it’s even easier to make. I was planning on posting Three Cup Chicken first, since it’s the original dish. That would have made more sense but alas, my body was just not willing to work with me on this…

Three Cup Tofu 3

If you haven’t guessed it already, I’m pregnant again! Yup, and nauseated. The last several weeks have been challenging, keeping it a secret and cooking and blogging. I’ve been eating very little meat and it’s nearly impossible for me to cook sometimes. Pregnancy turns your taste buds upside down!

For a coffee-lover like me, it’s crazy how instantly I have no desire to even smell coffee. I knew I was pregnant! That and the sudden explosion of acne on my face. TMI? I am grateful that this pregnancy has not been as insufferable as the last; still, I really just haven’t felt like eating much. Even drinking water is kind of gross. Anything pickled has been fantastic. Fruit is great except for watermelon. Meat is really hard and so I had to switch mostly to eggs and tofu.

Ironically, as I’ve been editing this post the last two days, my nausea spell seems to have been lifted. Yes! Finally! I reached 15 weeks yesterday so it’s about time. I’m even drinking coffee (unfortunately decaf) this morning for the first time in months.

Enjoy this great tofu dish. It’s perfect for those pregnant and not, vegetarian and not, as long as you like basil! Don’t be alarmed when it looks like way more basil than you put in an Italian dish. That is how this Taiwanese dish (well the original Three Cup Chicken) is meant to be.

Three Cup Tofu
~2 to 3 servings

  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon rice wine
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 3 blocks fried tofu (3 1/2″ x  2 3/4″ x 1 1/2″ blocks)
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
  • 1 1/4 oz Chinese or Thai basil leaves
  • rice to serve

Instructions –

1. In a small bowl, stir together soy sauce, rice wine, sesame oil, and sugar. Set aside.

2. Cut a block of tofu in half. Slice each half into 1/2″ slices. Repeat with the other two blocks of tofu. Set aside.

Fried Tofu, sliced

3. Heat wok on medium heat and add vegetable oil. Swirl around the wok. As soon as you see smoke, add the tofu. Stir-fry gently, trying not to break up the tofu.

4. Add soy sauce mixture and garlic. Stir-fry. Add basil and toss until basil wilts. Serve immediately with steamed rice.

Three Cup Tofu

posted by jessica at 05:02 PM Filed under Chinese, Recipes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.