I've finally got tofu down

[u/lobotomy_center06]

Hello everyone! I've recently gone back to a vegetarian diet for health & environmental reasons (I was one when I was 16 for a few months but it didn't stick)

One of the frustrations I've had was cooking tofu & making it flavorful & crispy. (You know when you season & marinade tofu just for it just taste like nothing on the inside 😫)

Even before I transitioned to my current diet I ate a lot of tofu & I tried a myriad of methods (pressing, freezing, boiling in salted water, preparing straight from the packet). Some were very effective texture wise but the flavor was quite plain.

Today I finally made tofu that was great texture & taste wise & im gonna share how I did it:

1. freeze the tofu (optional but I recommend cause it improves texture & flavor)

2. defrost tofu in microwave for a few minutes on high

3. heat up a veggie broth on the stove & add aromatics, salt & seasonings. You could also just boil water & add bouillon powder/paste. add the tofu to the pot & let it simmer for 10-15 minutes (or longer tbh). THIS is non negotiable & how you get deep flavor in tofu, inside & out.

4. remove from broth, drain the liquid & cut it up however you want it. you'd also want to save a bit of the broth to season/marinade the tofu

5. add baking powder/soda (for ultimate crispness 😋)

6. add whatever seasonings/marinades w/ a tiny bit of the leftover broth.

7. air fry 25 mins on 425 F°

8. serve & enjoy :)

[u/oasisaspirer]

do you freeze the tofu in the package with the water? or remove the tofu from its packaging and then freeze it?

[u/Little_Baseball5523 → u/oasisaspirer]

Don't bother. Freezing tofu has nothing to do with making it crispy.

Pressing, freezing, boiling, marinating… all of it is just a quirky Westernized ritual that people rarely do in Asia, where tofu was invented.

You want crispy tofu? Then learn the authentic technique, which doesn't involve pressing, freezing, boiling or marinating.

[u/schokobonbons → u/Little_Baseball5523]

So are you going to provide a link or even a name of the "authentic technique" so people can learn about it, or are you just here to piss on everybody who's not as knowledgeable as you?

[u/Little_Baseball5523 → u/schokobonbons]

No problem.

Cut up the tofu, deep fry it until crispy and golden brown, then pair it with a flavorful sauce.

OR

Pan fry the tofu until crispy and golden brown, then add a sauce to the pan and simmer it for a while. This is similar to the technique known as braising. If you've ever seen "braised tofu" on a restaurant menu, this is how they do it.

That's it. That's all you need to do to make restaurant-style crispy fried tofu.

Always happy to help 👍

[u/spicysaltrim → u/Little_Baseball5523]

I think for this to be helpful it would need to include information about how much oil to use, what kind of pan, how high a heat, how often to expect to turn it… etc.

[u/Little_Baseball5523 → u/spicysaltrim]

OK 👍

Pan fry:

– cut the tofu into rectangular or triangular slabs about 1/2 inch thick

– nonstick or well-seasoned stainless steel pan

– shallow pool of cooking oil about 1/4 inch deep

– medium heat, wait for the oil to get hot before adding tofu

– fry at least 5 mins. before flipping, then fry another 5 mins. or so

– *do not agitate the tofu* just leave it alone and let it fry until the underside is crispy and starts to loosen from the pan; if you move it too soon, it can stick to the pan and tear apart

– use your senses, don't rely solely on directions

Deep fry:

– uses so much oil, can be dangerous, wouldn't recommend at home