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Douhua (silken tofu pudding with ginger syrup), the whole dishDouhua (silken tofu pudding with ginger syrup), close up

Douhua (silken tofu pudding with ginger syrup)

15 min · 15 g protein · 208 cals / serving

The soft, wobbly tofu pudding sold warm from street carts across China and Taiwan, made the shortcut way: fresh soft tofu warmed gently and scooped into small bowls, under a thin brown sugar syrup that is sharp with fresh ginger. Diced ripe mango on top. Barely sweet, silky, and easy to eat a little of.

Servings2

Ingredients

  • 14 oz soft tofu, fresh soft or silken tofu sold in water (not the boxed shelf-stable kind), in one block

Ginger syrup

  • 2/3 cup water
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar, dark if you have it
  • a 5 cm (2-inch) piece ginger, thinly sliced

To serve

  • 1/2 ripe mango, small dice

Steps

  1. Make the syrup: simmer the water, brown sugar and ginger slices in a small pan for 8 minutes, until it smells strongly of ginger. Lift out the ginger (or leave a slice or two in for more heat).Step 1, what it should look like
  2. Lower the block of tofu into a pan of barely simmering water, or set it in a bowl and microwave for 1 1/2–2 minutes, just until warm through. Drain off the liquid it releases.Step 2, what it should look like
  3. With a wide, shallow spoon, scoop thin curved layers of tofu into two small bowls. Pour the warm syrup over, scatter the mango on top and eat warm. It is also very good cold from the fridge on a hot day.Step 3, what it should look like

Good to know

Which tofu do I buy?

Fresh soft or silken tofu, the kind sold in a water-filled tub or tube in the chiller that wobbles when you tip it. Boxed shelf-stable silken tofu works but is softer and carries less protein. Firm tofu tastes fine but loses the custard texture that makes this dish.

Can I make it less sweet?

Yes. Use half the sugar; the ginger carries it. It comes out a little higher, at about 72 instead of 66.

Other toppings?

Soft cooked red adzuki beans, a few raspberries, or a few crushed roasted peanuts if you want a bit of crunch. In Taiwan it is often eaten with a spoon of soy milk poured round the edge.

Alternative

Per

Calories
63
Protein
(27%)
5 g
Fat
(31%)
2 g
Carbohydrates
(42%)
7 g
of which sugar
6 g
Fiber
<1 g
Sodium
6 mg

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Computed from the ingredients with our published formula, not yet kitchen-tested. General guidance, not medical advice. Talk to your prescriber. How

As written, 417 kcal goes into the pot and 706 g of ingredients comes out as about 660 g of food: 63 kcal per 100 g. Cooking moves water and energy density is the score's biggest lever, so the dish is scored as cooked, not as an average of its parts. Every ingredient links to its food page, with the same data and score. The label's percentages are each macronutrient's share of the calories. The full formula.