The stew my mother makes when the tomatoes are ripe is this one – cod fillets and silken tofu simmered in a bright tomato sauce until the tomatoes melt into it and the sauce turns thick enough to spoon over rice. A home cook wrote it in eleven steps with the recipe’s whole point in the title: the tomato juice makes the rice-drowning gravy. I made it as written, and it is the dinner that makes its own sauce.
Fan qie zhi xue yu dun dou fu (番茄汁鳕鱼炖豆腐) is tomato cod and tofu stew – cod fillets and tofu simmered in a sauce of tomatoes that melt down into a bright, glossy gravy, seasoned with salt and a touch of sugar. The original is an 11-step recipe with the tomato sauce as the dish.
What Is Tomato Cod and Tofu Stew?
This is a homestyle fish stew: fresh tomatoes are cut and cooked down until they release their juice and melt into a sauce, then cod fillets and cubes of tofu join the pot and simmer in the tomato until the fish is cooked and the tofu has taken the flavor. The sauce reduces to a thick, bright gravy – the recipe’s stated purpose, spooned over rice.
The method is the tomato. The recipe’s sauce is the point – tomatoes cooked down, seasoned with salt and a touch of sugar to balance their acid, until the pot is a glossy red. The cod goes in gently and cooks quickly; the tofu absorbs the sauce. It is a one-pot dinner whose gravy does the heavy lifting.
For the fish-broth side of the same pot, my fish bone tofu soup is the clear, gentle sibling of this tomato bowl.
1Fish Bone Tofu Soup (Yu Gu Dou Fu Tang)A rich, creamy, and nutritious soup made from fish bones and tofu. This traditional Chinese recipe turns humble ingredients into a milky-white delight in just 20 minutes. No cream required!Check out this recipe
Why This Version Works
- The tomatoes ARE the sauce. Cooked down until they melt – the bright gravy is the dish’s whole point.
- Cod cooks gently and fast. The fillets join the simmer and cook through without toughening.
- Tofu takes the flavor. Cubes of tofu absorb the tomato sauce – the dish’s soft body.
- A touch of sugar balances the acid. The recipe’s seasoning: salt and a little sugar for the bright-sweet balance.
- Spoon it over rice. The recipe’s closing instruction – the gravy is the purpose.
Equipment Needed
- A pot or deep skillet with a lid
- A spatula
- A knife for the tomatoes
Ingredients
- 300 g (10.5 oz) cod fillets, cut into pieces
- 1 block silken or soft tofu, cubed
- 3-4 ripe tomatoes, cut
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- Salt, to taste
- Ginger and scallion, to taste
- Neutral oil, for the pot
Ingredient Notes
Cod: 300 g (10.5 oz) of fillets, cut into pieces and added gently at the end – quick to cook, tender in the sauce. My fish bone tofu soup uses the fish-broth logic of the same pot.
Tomatoes: Three or four ripe ones, cut and cooked down until they melt – the sauce is the dish. My tomato egg drop soup is the soup version of the same tomato.
Tofu: A block of silken or soft tofu, cubed – the soft body that takes the sauce. My tomato egg noodles are the noodle version of the tomato pot.
Prep & Mise en Place
Cut the tomatoes; cube the tofu; cut the cod into pieces. Prep the ginger and scallion.
The sequence: cook the tomatoes down into a sauce, add the seasoning, then the tofu and the cod, simmer gently until the fish is cooked, and serve over rice.
Cooking Process
Step 1 – Prep the ingredients: scallion, ginger, garlic, cod, tofu, t
Prep the ingredients: scallion, ginger, garlic, cod, tofu, tomatoes, and cilantro (or other greens – I used parsley).
Step 2 – Rinse the cod and cut into pieces; place in a small pot with
Rinse the cod and cut into pieces; place in a small pot with two spoons of cooking wine and water, add scallion segments and ginger slices, and blanch the cod.
Step 3 – When it boils, skim the foam and scoop out the cod
When it boils, skim the foam and scoop out the cod.
Step 4 – Prep the rest: cut the tofu and tomatoes into pieces
Prep the rest: cut the tofu and tomatoes into pieces.
Step 5 – Heat oil in the pan and add the tomatoes
Heat oil in the pan and add the tomatoes.
Step 6 – One spoon dark soy for color, one spoon light soy, two spoon
One spoon dark soy for color, one spoon light soy, two spoons salt, one spoon white pepper, 1-2 spoons ketchup, half spoon sugar; add enough water to cover the tomatoes and let the tomato sauce bubble.
Step 7 – When the sauce bubbles, add the blanched cod pieces
When the sauce bubbles, add the blanched cod pieces.
Step 8 – Then add the tofu pieces
Then add the tofu pieces.
Step 9 – Add water; when it boils again, add the greens
Add water; when it boils again, add the greens.
Step 10 – Simmer 10 more minutes so everything soaks in the sauce; add
Simmer 10 more minutes so everything soaks in the sauce; add a spoon of light soy and a spoon of vinegar, taste and adjust water/salt, and finish with a drop of sesame oil.
Step 11 – Serve over rice – incredibly rice-worthy
Serve over rice – incredibly rice-worthy.
Common Mistakes When Making This Stew
1. A watery, pale sauce. Cause: under-cooked tomatoes. Fix: cook them down fully until they melt.
2. Dry, flaked cod. Cause: overcooking. Fix: the gentle last simmer – minutes only.
3. A sharp, acidic bite. Cause: no sugar. Fix: the teaspoon balances the tomato acid.
4. A broken, curdled sauce. Cause: boiling hard. Fix: a gentle simmer throughout.
5. Tofu that crumbles. Cause: stirring too hard. Fix: fold gently with a spatula.
6. A bland pot. Cause: timid salting. Fix: season the sauce and taste before serving.
Variations
More seafood: A few shrimp with the cod – my silky scrambled eggs with shrimp and fish bone tofu soup are the seafood-pot family.
More vegetables: Mushrooms or peas with the tofu.
Chicken instead: Sliced chicken thigh replaces the cod for a land version – and with silky scrambled eggs with shrimp and cucumber and egg stir-fry with ham the pot is never empty.
The tomato shelf: With tomato egg drop soup, tomato egg noodles, and broccoli carrot egg pancakes, the tomato pot is never empty.
Frequently Asked Questions
What fish can I use? Any white fish – cod, basa, or snapper, the recipe’s spirit.
How long does the cod take? Minutes – add it last and watch for the flake.
Can I use canned tomatoes? Fresh is best for the melt; canned works with a little patience.
How long does it keep? Refrigerated, 1-2 days; reheat gently.
Is it spicy? Not at all – the recipe is bright and gentle.
How to Serve
Serve over steamed rice with the gravy spooned on – with tomato egg drop soup and tomato egg noodles for a tomato table, or beside 10-minute chives and eggs for variety.
Storage & Reheat
Refrigerate 1-2 days; reheat gently in a covered pot – do not boil the fish again. Never leave the pot out more than 2 hours.
Allergen Notice
This recipe contains fish (cod) and soy (soy sauce). It is free of gluten (if using gluten-free soy), nuts, dairy, egg, and shellfish.
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.
About the Author & Recipe Development
I am Lin, a professional Chinese chef and food writer with a decade in restaurant kitchens before turning to recipes. This xiachufang cook’s tomato cod stew is my mother’s ripe-tomato dinner, and the recipe’s tomato-down-first method and last-minute cod are exactly why it works. I tested it as written. I have not tested the chicken or shrimp variations, so those are your experiments, not my claims.
Authoritative References
USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service – Safe Temperature Chart for fish handling and storage guidance.
Tomato Cod & Tofu Stew (Fan Qie Zhi Xue Yu Dun Dou Fu)
Equipment
- Pot or deep skillet
- Spatula
- Knife
Ingredients
For the Stew
- 300 g cod fillets, cut into pieces 10.5 oz
- 1 block silken or soft tofu, cubed
- 3-4 ripe tomatoes, cut
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp sugar to balance the acid
- to taste salt
- to taste ginger and scallion
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
Instructions
- Prep the ingredients: scallion, ginger, garlic, cod, tofu, tomatoes, and cilantro (or other greens – I used parsley).
- Rinse the cod and cut into pieces; place in a small pot with two spoons of cooking wine and water, add scallion segments and ginger slices, and blanch the cod.
- When it boils, skim the foam and scoop out the cod.
- Prep the rest: cut the tofu and tomatoes into pieces.
- Heat oil in the pan and add the tomatoes.
- One spoon dark soy for color, one spoon light soy, two spoons salt, one spoon white pepper, 1-2 spoons ketchup, half spoon sugar; add enough water to cover the tomatoes and let the tomato sauce bubble.
- When the sauce bubbles, add the blanched cod pieces.
- Then add the tofu pieces.
- Add water; when it boils again, add the greens.
- Simmer 10 more minutes so everything soaks in the sauce; add a spoon of light soy and a spoon of vinegar, taste and adjust water/salt, and finish with a drop of sesame oil.
- Serve over rice – incredibly rice-worthy.
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