Firm tofu, tender spinach and the salty depth of tauco come together in a quick stir-fry to serve with rice. The spinach goes into the pan right at the end, so it wilts while keeping its fresh green colour.
Tauco is a salty paste made from fermented soybeans, used in various Indonesian dishes. Its flavour is savoury and distinctive, with a depth that doesn’t need to be built up in a long-cooked sauce. In this stir-fry, tauco is the base for the tofu and spinach; garlic and chilli add fragrance and heat. Since salt levels vary by brand, it’s best to taste before adding any extra salt.
The combination of tauco, tofu and leafy greens fits within a broad Chinese-Indonesian cooking style, but recipes and proportions vary from cook to cook and region to region. This isn’t a definitive regional classic with a single canonical version. The idea is practical: brown the tofu for colour and firmness, briefly fry the aromatics until fragrant, and add the greens only once the savoury base is ready. This keeps the spinach from cooking for too long and releasing too much liquid.
Firm tofu works better here than soft tofu, because the cubes hold their shape as they fry. Pat the tofu dry; it will brown more easily in the pan. Tauco is usually available at Asian grocery stores or in the Asian-food aisle. Ideally, use the bean paste itself, rather than sweet soy sauce as a substitute: it has a different flavour and can make the dish too sweet. If your tauco is particularly salty, start with one and a half tablespoons and add more after tasting if needed.
Fresh spinach is available all year round, with field-grown spinach especially available in spring and autumn. Baby spinach wilts quickly; for larger leaves, you can remove the thick stems and add the leaves in two batches. Wash the spinach well and let it drain, as excess washing water will thin the sauce. A small amount of water in the pan helps spread the tauco over the tofu and leaves without turning the dish into a soup.
Serve the stir-fry straight away with hot rice to soak up the salty sauce. Cook the rice while you prepare everything else, so it’s all ready at the same time. Cool leftovers quickly, store them covered in the fridge and reheat thoroughly within two days; warm them gently in a pan with a splash of water. The spinach will be softer and darker, but the flavour will still be good.
Rinse the rice until the water is mostly clear. Put the rice and 450 ml water in a pan and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to low, cover and cook for 10–12 minutes, or according to the package instructions. Remove from the heat and leave covered while you make the stir-fry.
Pat the tofu dry and cut it into cubes of about 2 cm. Heat the oil in a large wok or frying pan over medium-high to high heat. Fry the tofu for 6–8 minutes, turning, until golden brown all over. Transfer it out of the pan and set aside.
In the same pan, fry the garlic, shallot and chilli for 1 minute, until fragrant. Stir in the tauco and sugar and fry for another 30 seconds. Add 100 ml water and scrape up any browned bits from the pan.
Return the tofu to the pan and toss so the cubes are coated in the sauce. Add the spinach in two batches, tossing each time until the leaves wilt before adding the next batch. Fry for another 1–2 minutes, until the spinach has just wilted and the tofu is hot.
Taste the sauce and add a little salt only if needed; tauco is already salty. Serve immediately with the rice.
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