Tofu Skin Roll is a vegan Asian appetizer where crispy fried yuba wraps around seasoned vegetables, then braises in a fragrant spiced broth and gets finished with a silky cornstarch sauce. The contrast between the golden-fried exterior and tender braised interior makes this dish shine.
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Gather and prepare all the ingredients.
To make the filling, heat a non-stick pan with ½ tablespoons oil and sauté mushrooms until aromatic.
Then, continue to sauté carrots and celery until carrots turn softer. Add in the cabbage and toss until well-combined. Season accordingly and transfer to a bowl to cool.
Lay 2 half-moon shape tofu skin on a cleaned chopping board to make a round circle. (Skip this step if you have a full circle sheet)
Then, add another half-moon shape tofu skin in the middle to connect both sheets together. Glue all the openings with the flour paste.
Place the filling at the top of the sheet (the side closer to you), and bring the sides to the middle, then roll it into an enclosed log.
Transfer the log onto another half-moon tofu skin and roll it up again. Poke a few holes on each side of the roll with a cake tester or fork.
To fry the tofu skin roll, place enough oil in a shallow pan, and fry it until golden brown then set aside. The oil temperature should be about 300°F- 320°F (150°C-160°C). Transfer cooked tofu skin roll to a cleaned plate.
In a heated non-stick pan, add a drizzle of oil and sauté ginger until fragrant. Then, slowly pour in the water or vegetable stock and add in the cinnamon stick and star anise and bring it to a rolling boil.
Season with soy sauce and sugar accordingly. Once the sugar has melted, turn down the heat to medium and carefully place the tofu skin roll into the pan.
Using a ladle, spoon broth over the tofu skin roll and turn the log occasionally so each side has time to absorb the sauce.
Cook each side for about 5 minutes. Transfer the roll onto a cleaned chopping board and slice into your desired width once cooled.
To make the sauce, thicken the remaining broth with cornstarch slurry.
Slather the tofu skin roll with sauce and garnish with cilantro or serve sauce as dip for an enjoyable meal.
Store cooled rolls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in the broth over low heat for 5–7 minutes or serve cold. Freeze unbraised fried rolls for up to 1 month; thaw and braise from frozen, adding 2–3 minutes per side.
Thermometer (for oil temperature: 300°F–320°F) · Cake tester or fork (for poking steam holes) · Ladle (for spooning broth over rolls)
Yes, prepare and fry the rolls up to 2 days ahead, then refrigerate. Braise and sauce them fresh just before serving for best texture.
Heat oil to 300°F–320°F (150°C–160°C). Too hot will burn the exterior; too cool will make it greasy.
Look for frozen or dried yuba sheets in Asian grocery stores, usually in the refrigerated or freezer section near tofu products.
Use flour paste to seal all openings between sheets, and poke holes with a cake tester or fork before frying to release steam evenly.
It can be if you use tamari instead of soy sauce and verify your tofu skin and star anise are not cross-contaminated. Check all ingredient labels.
