Time flies, and soon it's the eighth day of the Lunar New Year. This is Lin Yan's first year at his in-laws' house, and it's a completely different experience for him.
It was the first time that I had to pay countless New Year’s greetings, the first time that I met so many relatives, the first time that I gave red envelopes to children, and the first time that I didn’t celebrate the New Year with my mom.
On the eighth day of the first lunar month, Zhao Shiyun got up early to make tofu. She had rested for the Lunar New Year holiday, and every day she was either eating and drinking or paying New Year's greetings. At night, she would go to bed early in the warm bed with her husband. She was so lazy.
I ate too much meat during the Chinese New Year, so for breakfast today Lin Yan cooked some white porridge with some pickled beans and sauerkraut, and a bowl of soy milk, which was enough.
Li Yuemei took a sip of soy milk and said to Lin Yan, "Brother Yan, when the tofu is ready, feel free to use it. If it goes bad, we can eat it ourselves and not worry about wasting it."
Lin Yan stirred the porridge in his bowl and replied with a smile, "I know, ah."
Yu Ge'er was very excited: "Brother, let me help you."
Yesterday, Zhou Chunlan brought two cans of chili sauce to Lin Yan. After they returned home on the second day of the New Year, Zhou Chunlan went to the field to pick a basket of red peppers. In addition to red peppers, the chili sauce also requires garlic, oil, salt, sugar and vinegar.
Zhou Chunlan washed and dried the red peppers, removed the stems one by one, and then chopped them. She also minced the garlic.
After preparing the ingredients, scoop a tablespoon of lard into the pot. Once the oil is hot, add the minced garlic and sauté over low heat until fragrant. Then add the chopped chili peppers and stir-fry until fragrant. Season with salt, sugar, and vinegar to taste. Finally, simmer over low heat until the chili sauce thickens. Before serving, Zhou Chunlan sprinkles a little tsaoko powder for added flavor. This adds a richer flavor and a richer texture to the chili sauce, making it a perfect complement to the bland tofu.
However, cardamom powder has a strong taste, so don't add too much. You should control the amount when using it. Generally, add 1-2 grams of cardamom powder to one pound of chili peppers to avoid covering up the taste of the chili peppers themselves.
The key to this delicious chili sauce lies not only in the right heat and the right proportions of the ingredients, but also in the skill of the person who makes it. Lin Yan couldn't make it quite as good, anyway. Zhou Chunlan brought him two cans, one for cooking and one for herself, with minced meat and fermented black beans. She'd be willing to put meat in it for her own consumption, but adding meat to a dish she'd sell wouldn't be profitable.
Lin Yan scooped up a little chili sauce with his chopsticks and tasted it. His eyes lit up. This was delicious, much better than the ones sold in town. He switched to the minced meat version, and his taste buds were instantly ignited. The rich texture of the minced meat blended with the unique aroma of fermented black beans and the intense, fiery flavor of the chili peppers. The three flavors intertwined, creating a delicious melody in his mouth.
Lin Yan couldn't help but praise: "This hot sauce is really unique. If it is sold in the town, it will definitely be very popular." Yu Ge'er also tasted it curiously. It was so spicy that he stuck out his tongue but still shouted that it was delicious.
Li Yuemei laughed and scolded, "Look at you greedy cats. But this chili sauce is really good. If we really sell it, business will definitely be good."
Lin Yan had an idea, thinking that he could not only make tofu for eating, but also serve it with the chili sauce, so that more people could taste the delicious food and make some money.
So he said to Li Yuemei, "Mom, this chili sauce was made by my mom. I will go to discuss it with her tomorrow to see if she wants to sell it." Li Yuemei nodded in agreement.
Zhao Shiyun brought over a plate of tofu and said, "Brother Yan, the tofu is here for you. Feel free to use it."
Lin Yan waved his hands in fear and said, "This is too much. We don't need so much." After saying that, he glanced at Li Yuemei.
Li Yuemei knew that he was afraid of what she would say, so she said, "Use it first, and sell it if you can't finish it."
Lin Yan could only agree. He took out the tofu, cut it into small, long pieces, and set aside. He scooped a spoonful of lard into the pan, melted it, and added a spoonful of salt. This would prevent the tofu from breaking when frying. Then he slid the tofu along the edge of the pan, and the oil instantly splattered everywhere. Yu Ge'er jumped up and backed away, shouting, "Brother, it hit me."
Lin Yan chuckled. Sometimes, Yu Ge'er really didn't look like a farm kid, but more like a rich young master. But that also had to do with his family's doting. Besides feeding the chickens and doing the laundry, he didn't have to worry about anything else. Daddy and Mommy Shi Yun were busy with everything, including the farm and the tofu shop.
Fry until one side is golden brown, then turn the other side. When both sides are fried, add a spoonful of chili sauce and stir-fry. In fact, you should put it in the dish and brush it with chili sauce, but Lin Yan doesn't have a brush at the moment, so this is the only way. Stir-fry a few times and sprinkle with chopped green onions, then you can serve it.
Lin Yan brought the fried tofu to the table. Everyone in the courtyard stopped what they were doing and gathered around. Yu Ge'er brought a few pairs of chopsticks and passed them around. He couldn't wait to pick up a piece of tofu and taste it.
Yu Ge'er took a bite and gasped because of the heat, but his eyes sparkled. "Brother, this is so delicious! It feels better than any tofu I've ever eaten."
Li Yuemei also tasted a piece and nodded in praise, "Brother Yan, this tofu is really good. It has a unique flavor when paired with this spicy sauce."
Zhao Qiming and Zhao Shiyun didn't say anything, but ate one piece after another, not afraid of the heat, blew on the pieces twice and stuffed them into their mouths. You can tell this without asking.
Lin Yan also picked up a piece and ate it. He felt that it was really good. The tofu was golden and the skin was fried crispy. The chili sauce was salty and spicy, and it was garnished with chopped green onions. It was delicious and beautiful.
Yu Ge'er chewed some tofu and mumbled, "Brother, what's the name of this tofu? If we want to sell it, it needs a name."
Lin Yan slapped his forehead and said, "Oh, right, I haven't thought about this before." He ate tofu while thinking, "How about calling it spicy tofu?"
The others looked at each other in confusion. Zhao Shiyun said, "That doesn't sound very nice."
"So what's your name?"
"Let me think about it..."
At this time, Zhao Qiming said, "How about calling it fragrant tofu? This tofu has a rich fragrance after it's made. Just the smell makes you want to eat it."
"Fragrant tofu? This is good." Lin Yan gave a thumbs up, and others also agreed.
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