stir-fried snow pea sprouts with tofu

a box of snow pea sprouts (dou miao in mandarin), also known as snow pea shoots.

As a child, I wasn't very keen on snow pea sprouts. I just found them a bit... blah. Surprisingly, though, I've grown rather fond of them in recent years, and for the past several weeks I've actually found myself reminiscing about my mum's stir-fried snow pea sprouts. Funny that!

So a few days ago, I bought snow pea sprouts for the very first time in my life, and attempted to make something similar to what I used to get at home. While my tofu didn't turn out quite as delightfully golden and crispy as my mum's (will have to remember to enquire about that the next time we have a chat), I am happy with the results. The flavours were simple, familiar... gratifying. And, unlike my younger self, I had no problem devouring it all in one go.

stir-fried snow pea sprouts with pan-fried tofu for one

100g snow pea sprouts (snip them in half if the stems are long)
100g firm tofu, sliced into thin squares or rectangles
1 clove garlic, minced
oil, for frying
pinch of salt
light soy sauce and sesame oil, to taste

- In a frying pan, heat up a little oil and fry the tofu on both sides till golden brown. You may omit the oil if using a non-stick pan. I did mine for 2 - 3 minutes on one side, then 1 - 2 minutes on the other side. Place tofu in a bowl and sprinkle through a pinch of salt.
- Heat up a little more oil in the frying pan and briefly fry garlic until golden, then add the snow pea sprouts and stir-fry until they are just tender. This should only take several seconds.
- Drizzle snow pea sprouts with light soy sauce and sesame oil and toss lightly. Chuck in the tofu, serve with rice, and enjoy!

How do you like snow pea sprouts? Do you change your mind about certain foods as you grow older?

stir-fried snow pea sprouts with pan-fried tofu