Braised 5 Spice Tofu with Eggs

Braised 5 Spice Tofu with Eggs
Braised Tofu, I love them and it is yummy. Braised Tofu with Egg is one of the popular hawker foods in Singapore. It usually comes together with either braised pork and or duck. Whenever I was in Singapore, I always go for this delicacy in Chinatown. It is not easy to find them in Kuala Lumpur especially during Covid 19 Lockdown.
Today I’m going recreate this dish with some Sichuan elements, peppercorn. I will be using a smart cooker for braising which will make life easier (without the need to worry that liquid will dry up and tofu burnt)
Ingredients
1. 10 pieces of firmed tofu
2. 1 sprig of spring onion, chopped
3. 3 clove garlic
4. 6 slices of ginger
5. 6 bay leaves, 3 star anise, 1 inch cinnamon bark
6. ½ tsp red peppercorn and ½ green peppercorn
7. 1 tsp 5 spice powder
8. 20g rock sugar
9. ½ cup soy sauce
10. 6 eggs
Instruction
1. Firstly, place the firm tofu on a rack in a pot and sprinkle some salt over them to draw out the water content so that it is easier to deep fry. After sprinkle the salt let it stands for 30 mins
2. Heat up a fry pan and add 1 cup of oil
3. Deep fry the tofu until golden yellow, dish up for use later
4. Remove the excess oil from the fry pan and add in the garlic and ginger, saute till fragrant
5. Add in the green onion and likewise, saute till fragrant, add 2 cups of water and bring to boil
6. Add in the spices, soy sauce and rock sugar. Mix to melt the rock sugar and bring to boil. Add 1 tbsp of anchovy powder and adjust the taste to your liking.
7. In the smart cooker pot, place some green onion at the botton, stack the tofu on the green onion and pour in the sauce. Add enough water to cover the tofu and steam for 30 minutes
8. In the meantime, and place the eggs into a pot filled with water(enough to cover the egg), cover and bring the water to boil. As soon as the water is boiling, turn off the heat and simmer for 5 mins.
9. Remove the eggs and place them in a pot filled with ice cold water. After 10 mins, peel the eggs and add the egg to the tofu. Make sure the eggs are submerged in the sauce and simmer for 2 hours.
10. Garnish with some green and ready to serve.