Home-Style Bean Curd

There are many versions of this dish; it’s a matter of whose home and what regional style of cooking is involved. One fact is constant, however: the bean-curd cubes are first deep-fried, so that instead of being soft and smooth, they are firm and spongy. The common version is generally rather neutral—the bean curd is combined with slivers of meat, some vegetables, and a mellow soy-sauce mixture. My home-style, without any moist vegetables, is spicy, with a rich brown sauce.