Hollow deep-fried tofu puffs returned to a simmering chicken-bone broth alongside bean sprouts, simmered until every pore of the tofu has absorbed the seasoned stock. A humble Nanjing street snack with a playful identity: the curved bean sprout beside the swollen tofu puff resembles the jade ruyi ornament of classical Chinese design, hence the full name Ruyi Hui-Lu-Gan.
A Nanjing snack food with centuries of street-vending history. Local lore attributes the dish's creation to an apocryphal encounter between Ming-dynasty founder Zhu Yuanzhang and a street vendor frying tofu puffs: the emperor, bored of palace food and traveling incognito, tasted the sizzling tofu and ordered the vendor to braise it in chicken stock. However embellished, the story reflects genuinely old roots in Nanjing's street-food culture. The technique of re-braising fried goods — returning them to seasoned stock until fully saturated — represents a characteristically Nanjing instinct for coaxing every drop of flavor from simple ingredients.
The tofu puff, swollen with broth, gives under slight pressure and releases a burst of savory chickeny stock into the mouth. The bean sprout adds a clean crunch against the soft yielding tofu, and the broth itself, reduced and clarified, is clean-tasting and gently warming.
Tofu is composed of a porous soy-protein gel network. Deep-frying drives out moisture and creates an open, sponge-like interior. When the fried puff is returned to simmering stock, osmotic and capillary pressure draws the flavored liquid deep into every pore — the re-braising process the name describes. The stock must be kept at a gentle simmer, not a rolling boil: vigorous bubbling tears the puff's exterior before absorption is complete and muddies the broth. Blanching the bean sprouts separately preserves their crunch and prevents their excess vegetable moisture from diluting the carefully built stock.
Variations
Variations across Nanjing vendors include wood ear fungus, sliced carrot, or dried tofu skin added to the broth. Some stands use pork bone broth rather than chicken for a richer base. In wintertime a drizzle of chili oil is common. A restaurant version adds dried lily flowers and is served with a splash of Zhenjiang dark vinegar to cut the richness.
On the Palate
Where Braised Fried Tofu Puffs sits in the Chinese flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 2
How it's made
7 steps · 10 min
- 145 min
Simmer chicken bones with ginger, one star anise, and a splash of white vinegar in 1.5 liters water over low heat 45 minutes; strain into a clean pot
- 22 min
Blanch bean sprouts in boiling water 30 seconds; drain and set aside
- 32 min
Add fried tofu puffs to the strained hot stock; bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat
Watch outKeep the stock at a gentle simmer, never a rolling boil — hard bubbling tears the puffs open before they can drink up the broth and clouds the soup.
- 41 min
Season with salt, light soy sauce, and white pepper
- 515 min
Keep at a low simmer for 12 to 15 minutes until puffs are fully softened and stock-saturated
Watch outSimmer until the puffs go fully soft and saturated with stock — that's when they give up their sponge and turn silky.
- 62 min
Add the blanched bean sprouts; cook 2 more minutes
- 72 min
Ladle into bowls with generous broth; finish with a few drops of sesame oil or dark vinegar; serve hot
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