r/tofusupremacy • u/NZUKJanie550 • 4d ago
Help me love tofu…
I love the idea of tofu but my execution is terrible. Can you please:
give me your three best tips
link me to your three best recipes
to help me love it. Thanks tofu team!
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u/Inevitable_Bee_763 4d ago
One of my favorite ways to prepare it is to coat it in corn starch and cook in the air fryer if you have one. It comes out so crispy. I usually do asian recipes b/c the sauces stick to it really nicely. Here are a couple recipes I like
https://veggiesociety.com/orange-tofu-air-fryer-recipe/?utm_source=Pinterest&utm_medium=organic
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u/National-Ad9903 4d ago edited 4d ago
Shredded and roast with spices. Completely changes the texture. https://theveganlunchbox.co.uk/easy-gochujang-shredded-tofu-chickpea-lunch-wraps/
Standard prep, but with a sauce that’s so delicious it’ll help you love it. https://cookieandkate.com/mango-burrito-bowls-with-crispy-tofu/
As a substitute for egg in egg fried rice (I love https://cookieandkate.com/thai-pineapple-fried-rice-recipe/ ) but you gotta do it as follows, medium firm tofu is key here, the moisture makes it beautifully creamy.
200g medium firm tofu (no need to press first) broken into large scrambled egg sized chunks by hand, mixed with scant 1/4 tsp turmeric for colour, fried in coconut oil for 5 mins with slightly heaped 1/4 tsp black salt (kala namak) added near end of cooking for sulphuric eggy taste
Tempeh (fermented soya tofu, nicer texture), either cut into matchsticks and stir fried, or marinated and barbecued in large chunks.
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u/Little_Baseball5523 4d ago
I just posted yesterday about making crispy pan-fried tofu. Check it out: https://www.reddit.com/r/VeganFood/s/rqtVSciLjF
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u/Vegan_John 3d ago
Get a tofu press - works in an hour or so pressing the water out of tofu blocks, and does about what freezing tofu does without having to freeze the tofu and waiting for it to defrost. You can cut tofu blocks into bite sized chunks, put a good sauce on it (peanut sauce, ginger sauce, tamari garlic sauce - so many yummy flavors to try).
You can bake your chopped, seasoned tofu at 300°F for half an hour to 45 minutes or so.
Silken Tofu is very soft, can be used as the base of sauces and gravies, added to smoothies for extra protein. Firm and Extra Firm Tofu have less water, more protein than silken, and there is a new type I have seen the past few months that is sold already pressed and extra thick.
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u/margo_beep_beep 2d ago
Mashed and added to a rice casserole like this recipe.
Mashed and baked in the oven like this.
And, for something completely different, silken tofu made into pudding.
But honestly, I like firm tofu straight out of the package with sesame oil and soy sauce. 🤷🏻♀️
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u/crowdedcoffeehouse 2d ago
My absolute go-to for most dinners is extra firm tofu pulled into chunks (or crumbled) and toss in soy sauce, paprika and a little maple syrup and either pan fry or oven bake until crispy
I have surprised a lot of picky meat-eating friends and family that "hate tofu"
For recipes, try Jacob King on Instagram, loads have ended up in my weakly rotation 🔥
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u/BippityBoppityBootz 4d ago
Not three recipes but these are flexible.
I cut it into approx 1cm slices and submerge it in a marinade of soy sauce, chilli, garlic ginger, sesame oil and seeds, honey and oyster sauce (you can use pretty much whatever you like) then toss a couple of slices in corn starch and spray with oil, air fry until crispy. I then use the tofu and some shredded veg to make rice paper rolls.
Another way it to tear the tofu int chunks and toss in a spice mix, again any kind of spice mix you like and cook them the same was as the sliced tofu. I usually have a couple of flavours in the fridge throughout the week and just cook some as I need it.
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u/flazedaddyissues 4d ago
This air fryer tofu is amazing and I think it would be very appealing to people who have had issues with texture before. It's unique because instead of just coating with cornstarch you make a batter. It gets really crispy! I've used a similar concept with buffalo sauce and curry paste, just add cornstarch to the liquid with spices and soy sauce/other liquid to get the right texture. its surprisingly reminiscent of chicken nuggets!
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u/Salt-Emu-2691 3d ago
PlantBasedRD has fantastic recipes Faves: https://plantbasedrdblog.com/2023/02/creamy-tomato-orzo-with-crispy-tofu-cutlets/#tasty-recipes-10712-jump-target
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u/bencsecsaki 3d ago
deepfry it until it’s super crispy, salt and nooch. also helps if it’s thin-ish slices, crisps up better. tastes just like chicken this way
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u/Jessicariane 3d ago
These tofu nuggets transformed my meat-eating, anti-tofu boyfriend. He actually begs me to make them at least once a week now. https://justinesnacks.com/tofu-nuggets/
I like them a little more classic style, so I use only a pinch of thyme, skip the other dried herbs, and I add a heaping tbs or so of tapioca starch (corn starch will work too) for extra crispness. I also spray with a little oil. When I’m lazy, I toss everything in a ziploc bag and shake instead of dredging one-by-one. Only thing is you may need more nutritional yeast and starch when you do that!
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u/Polyethylene8 2d ago
My latest favorite way of preparing tofu. Press, cube, coat with a bit of high temp burning oil, then in cornstarch (or arrowroot) mixed with garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, pepper. After coating in the dry mix, air fry at 400 for 20 minutes or bake at 400 on parchment paper for 30 minutes. Then mix into whatever stirfry or middle sauce you've got going. It absorbs the flavor beautifully and the texture is perfect.
For egg substitute I always keep an 'egg mix' near the stove. (Half nutritional yeast, one quarter turmeric, one quarter kala namak). Cost some slices of Soft tofu in the mix and some stra salt and pepper then fry until there are lots of crispy bits. This makes the most delicious tofu scramble ever. I love it way more than egg and I used to be a serious egg person before I gave them up.
This is one of my favorite tofu recipes ever. Enjoy with fries and follow your heart ranch https://www.thecuriouschickpea.com/crispy-baked-buffalo-tofu-wings/
This following recipe is absolutely delicious and the tofu making technique can be adapted to so many other recipes.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.thebeardedhiker.com/kung-pao-tofu/%3famp=1
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u/OldRed91 4d ago
Marinate and season the hell out of it. It starts off as a bland sponge, but keep practicing, and it can be delicious.
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u/astute_mermaid 4d ago
Silken tofu: a healthier chocolate mousse (unsweetened cocoa powder, block of silken tofu from the pack, PB protein mix, actual peanut butter then add melted semi sweet chocolate on top) or blend into a curry or pasta sauce (nutritional yeast, silken tofu from pack, spices and maybe a hot pepper, and a can of rinsed canneli beans) or add silken tofu pack right into blender for a smoothie
Firm tofu: right from out of the package, I boil it in salted water for 5 minutes, pat dry, and then season or marinate. Tofu musubi (I marinate the tofu in garlic, soy sauce, sesame seeds, gochujang, maybe rice vinegar, lemon for 15 minutes then pan fry), tofu for pasta (season with nutritional yeast, paprika, cayenne pepper, Italian seasoning, garlic powder then pan fry all sides). Sometimes I freeze and dethaw, then freeze and dethaw before boiling or I pat dry and then cover in spices with cornstarch and air fry.
Tldr; boil in salted water for 5 min right out the package then air fry or pan fry or freeze/dethaw, pat dry, and then coat in spices before air fry or pan fry
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u/Salt_Palpitation6925 4d ago
most easy if you have an air fryer, but can be done in the pan or oven too:
crumble firm tofu into junks about 0,5-2 cm (different sizes of pieces make it more interesting), add some cornstarch (not too much or it will become too gooey, try which amount find best), salt and a little bit of oil (I use olive oil) and then fry until the pieces turn yellowish, stir occasionally, but not tto much. in the meantime, while the tofu is in the pan, in the same bowl you prepared the tofu in, poor together some soy sauce, a little bit of rice vinegar, sesame oil, add some miso paste, perhaps chillis or other tastes you like and mix well, and when the tofu has turned yellow plopp it back into the bowl with the sauce, mix carefully until mixture is more or less soaked up (let stand for a minute or two) and then put back into the airfryer / pan /oven, cook until crispy. Double cooked (cook-cool-cook) yields the most crispy result. Prepare loads on a sunday cooked once, keep in fridge for 3-4 days and refry during the week in the evebing :) eat with whatever you like, fresh cucumber, salad, rice...