Stir Fried Lettuce
Yes, cooked lettuce can be irresistible!
Cooking Summary
Ingredients: (detailed list)
- Main Ingredients: romaine lettuce, garlic, chili pepper, salt, oil
- Seasonings: fermented tofu, sugar
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Overview
In casual Western cuisine, lettuce is often used in salads, or as a perfunctory vegetable layer in a sandwich. Cooking it may sound... new.
Since it's edible raw, it doesn't need to be cooked for much time at all, so this dish comes together in a snap. The quick cooking time preserves the satisfying crisp texture, while fermented tofu gives it a deep savory flavor.
Don't miss out!
Why this recipe
Most stir fried lettuce recipes online are tested only a handful of times. My dad used to make this dish multiple times a day, every day, for 60+ years and can make this in his sleep.
I know you'll love it as much as our community does! This recipe has over 154.8K views, 3.3K likes on YouTube.
Ingredients
Which lettuce is best for cooking?
Varieties of lettuce that have thick leaves and sturdy stems will have an easier time keeping their crunchy, crispy texture when cooked. For that reason, we don't recommend green leaf lettuce or red leaf lettuce, as their leaves are quite thin. Iceberg lettuce leaves are also relatively thin.
Our favorite lettuce to cook is romaine lettuce. The leaves and stems of romaine lettuce are strong and thick.
Cooking with fermented tofu
This is one of the dishes where fermented tofu really shines. Its funky, savory flavors balance out any grassy astringency from the lettuce leaves.
Remember to use white fermented tofu, which will say "腐乳" on the jar. If you like a bit of heat, you can get spicy fermented tofu, which will say "辣腐乳" on the jar, and is the same as white fermented tofu with just a few crimson specks of chilis in it.
Don't mistake it for red fermented tofu "南乳", which is used to make Char Siu. It tastes completely different!
How to make Stir Fried Lettuce
(Start boiling water now to get a head start on a later step!)
Wash the romaine lettuce (1 whole) very thoroughly. If you have time, let it soak in a tub or large bowl to help the debris and dirt wash off. Once the lettuce is clean, cut it into bite-sized pieces, about 2 inches long.
Smash, peel, and mince the garlic (3 clove).
Cut open the chili pepper (1 whole) and discard the stem and core. Cut the chili pepper into thin strips. The strips of chili will add both flavor and color!
Take fermented tofu (2 piece) out of the jar and put the pieces in a small bowl. Using a spoon, mash the soft pieces of fermented tofu into a rough paste. Add sugar (1 tsp) to the bowl and mix to combine.
Boil water in a wok on high heat (or pour boiling water into the wok over high heat).
Rather than an exact measurement, use as much water as you'll need to submerge the lettuce.
Once the water is boiling, add salt (1 tsp) and oil (1 tsp). This will start seasoning the lettuce and also give it some shine.
Add the lettuce and give it a stir. Cook for 30 seconds, and then, before it loses much of its crunch, remove the lettuce. Set the blanched lettuce aside and pour the water out from the wok.
Heat your clean, dry wok on high heat. Once it's hot, add oil (1 Tbsp). Add the minced garlic and cook it for 10 seconds. Stir it slightly.
Add the strips of chili and cook it for 8 seconds.
Add the mashed fermented tofu and cook it for 15-20 seconds, stirring it around.
Give the blanched lettuce a quick shake to remove any excess water, then add the lettuce to the wok. Cook it for 30 seconds, mixing thoroughly to get the aromatics mixed and distributed throughout the lettuce.
Plate the lettuce, making sure to scoop up those tasty aromatics. To keep the dish from getting soggy as you eat it, tilt to pour out some of the liquid after you've plated all the lettuce. Enjoy!
Top 3 Mistakes
- Leaving fermented tofu whole:
Mash the fermented tofu into a paste and mix it with the sugar before cooking. This prepares the seasoning to distribute through the lettuce instead of leaving large salty pieces.
- Serving lettuce in a puddle:
Shake excess water off the blanched lettuce before stir-frying, then pour off extra liquid when plating. Letting it sit in that liquid makes the finished dish turn soggy.
- Overcooking the vegetables:
Follow the recipe’s short cooking time and watch the vegetables as they change. Leaving them over the heat too long can sacrifice the crisp texture you are trying to keep.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you buy fermented tofu?
You'll find fermented tofu near the bottled and jarred Asian sauces.
You'll see large, white cubes soaking in a liquid in a short, stout jar. In Chinese, it'll say 腐乳, and "Fermented Tofu" in English.
Each brand may taste a little different, and we can't be sure of what brands you'll have access to. The best way to decide is to buy one and try it out. If you like it, keep using that one!
Should cooked lettuce be crunchy or soft?
It's more common to cook the lettuce quickly so that it can keep its crunchy texture and vivid color.
If you prefer softer lettuce, then you should cook whatever's more appetizing to you! Or, if you need to make this dish easier to eat, another approach might be to prepare the lettuce in smaller pieces when you're cutting it and then to cook it quickly, as our recipe recommends.
Can you stir-fry veggies other than lettuce, when cooking with fermented tofu?
Yes! Another common pairing is spinach and fermented tofu.
When cooking lettuce with fermented tofu, what ratio of lettuce to fermented tofu is best?
In our recipe, we use 1 lb of lettuce and 2 cubes of fermented tofu. Remember, you can use our tool on the recipe page to scale the recipe up and down to fit your needs.
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Made with love ❤️
We started Made With Lau to celebrate Cantonese culture and honor the legacy of our wonderful parents, Jenny and Chung Sun Lau.
Our hope is that these recipes and stories help you spread the joy, love, and nostalgia that I felt growing up.