Sha cha with sesame paste and fermented bean curd

Ingredientsserves 1

Method

1. Lift a quarter of a cube of fermented bean curd out of the jar with clean chopsticks, put it in your saucer and mash it with the back of a spoon. Red fermented bean curd works too, redder and stronger.
2. Add a teaspoon of sesame paste and stir it into the bean curd; if the paste is stiff, loosen it first with a few drops of warm water.
3. Add two tablespoons of sha cha, half a teaspoon of sesame oil and a pinch of sugar, stir it into a thick brown sauce, then loosen it with a spoonful of clear broth from the pot.
4. Best with lamb and shaved beef, and the saucer to reach for when a clear broth leaves the food tasting thin. Too thick, add broth; too mild, a little more bean curd.
5. Use a clean, dry spoon or clean chopsticks in all three jars, and put them back in the fridge with their lids on; whatever is left in the saucer is thrown away.

Take care

• Contains fish, shrimp (a crustacean), soy and sesame, and some sha cha brands contain peanut. Anyone allergic to peanut or sesame should leave this saucer alone. Sesame paste is on the list of foods to avoid in pregnancy.
• Fermented bean curd is very salty, so start with less. A sauce does not make undercooked food safe.

The story

Sha cha with sesame paste and a small piece of fermented bean curd is the rich saucer Hong Kong people mix at home, from three jars already in the fridge. It has the savour of sha cha, the roast of the sesame and the salt of the bean curd, and it is best of all with lamb.

Same kind

Garlic soyChilli soySha cha and soy

Lo Fo Tong is cultural food-heritage reference, not medical advice. If you are pregnant, unwell or on medication, talk to your doctor or registered practitioner before changing what is in the pot.