Ahh dreaded tofu… butt of so many jokes aimed at vegetarian food as bland, bad and boring. So how to cook this soy based protien to make it tasty?
Cooking tofu is actually very easy and quick, but there are a few tricks that will make it tastier as tofu naturally doesn’t have much flavour. Tofu can vary significantly in texture from extra firm to soft or even silken. Its best to choose the type of tofu based on the kind of dish you are making. Firm tofu is best for any dish where the tofu is fried, roasted or added to a sauce or soup as it is less likely to break up during cooking. Soft or silken tofu has a texture similar to egg custard and is best for cold savoury dishes (common in Japanese cuisine) or desserts.
Tofu is made from the curds of soy milk, coagulated and pressed into blocks, like a soft cheese. It is an excellent source of protein and contains all nine essential amino acids. It is also a valuable source of iron, calcium, manganese and phosphorous. In addition to this, it also contains magnesium, copper, zinc and vitamin B1. So tofu is good for you – go on be brave – give it a go!
Tofu Steak with Mushrooms
Pick a firm or extra firm tofu for this dish. Dry the tofu by sitting it on kitchen towel for a few minutes. If its a particularly wet variety I would even squeeze it gently by pressing a plate or board on top to get rid of more liquid. Leave the tofu in quite large slabs, at least 25mm thick. Cut garlic into slices, don’t press it as you want to create crispy flakes. Fry the garlic slices until browned with shimeji mushrooms (you can also use sliced button or brown mushrooms, and I also often make this with enoki mushrooms), season the garlic and mushrooms with soy sauce, salt & pepper. Set the garlic and mushrooms aside whilst you fry the tofu steaks in the garlicky oil, about 5 mins each side until golden brown. Serve the tofu with the garlic and mushrooms over the top, and sprinkle over fresh chopped spring onions. Drizzle with a little chilli oil for a spicy version. (from the book: Japanese pure and simple, Kimiko Barber) Serve this with any green veggies.
Crispy Tofu
Cubes of crispy tofu can be served on their own as a starter or snack with a dipping sauce like soy sauce or sweet chilli sauce, or the cubes can be added to stir fries, salads or Thai curries. Choose a very firm tofu, squeeze the liquid out as above, and cut it into cubes. Set the oven to 200degC. Marinade the tofu; straight salt & pepper is easiest, but if you are cooking it for a curry or stir fry you could use other spices or curry powder. I also sometimes coat the tofu in cornstarch, or rice flour, but this is not essential. Put the tofu on greaseproof paper on a baking sheet and bake for 30-40mins until it is firm and crispy. And thats it – simple!
Marinated Fried Tofu
This is the way I cook tofu most often, because its very quick for when you get home late after work or the gym. Cut firm tofu into slabs or cubes and marinade them, ideally 15mins, but 5mins will do. My go-to marinades are teriyaki sauce, or soy sauce and sesame oil, but you can use anything that takes your fancy. Fry the tofu for about 5mins each side until golden brown, and serve. To get a glaze on the tofu, add honey or sugar syrup to the marinade, but be careful it doesn’t burn when you cook it. I add tofu to many asian dishes: stir fried veggies, Thai/Malaysian curries, vegetable noodle soups (laksa, miso udon/ramen etc). It really does go with pretty much anything.
Tofu Cauliflower “Cheese”
Try this Japanese twist on cauliflower cheese. Make a white sauce by frying plain flour in olive oil, then slowly add vegetarian dashi stock until you have a thick sauce. Add a generous tablespoon of miso paste, and salt and pepper, and stir in thoroughly. Red miso paste is better, but white miso is also fine. No cheese required! Lightly fry small cubes of firm tofu, and mix in with the cooked cauliflower, before pouring over the sauce. Sprinkle parmesan (real or vegan) and nori (seaweed) pieces over the top to serve.
Vegetarian dashi is a stock made by soaking dried kelp seaweed (konbu) and dried shiitake mushrooms in water. Soak them in cold water for an hour before putting on the heat for a couple of minutes but don’t let it boil. Dashi can be made in advance and stored in the fridge. Usually dashi has fish stock in it, but this veggie version is just as good. Nori is the thin seaweed sheets that are used for sushi wrapping. (from the book: Japanese pure and simple, Kimiko Barber)
And why not try these tofu dishes on your travels…
The following two dishes you wouldn’t likely make at home, but try them out if you ever get the chance on your travels in Asia.
Tofu pudding: Tofu pudding has a very similar taste and texture to egg custard. It is made with a very soft silken tofu served cold with a warm sweet gingery syrup poured over. Really delicious! It is available in many places from high end Chinese restaurants to street food markets. There is a famous market shop in Tai Po, Hong Kong where people queue up at all times of the day to get their fix.
Stinky Tofu: Not for the faint hearted stinky tofu is one of those asian delights that, like durian, is a very acquired taste. The best place to find it is in Asian night markets such as the Tonghua (Linjiang Street) Night Market in Taipei. Stinky tofu can be served on its own or in a soup. It is made from very fermented tofu, and the highly rotten smell is definitely worse than the taste. Seek it out for the experience if you are in Asia, and feeling brave!
Letter from Jakarta. 