If, like us, you are not actually vegetarian, but like to add vegetarian meals into your repertoire, you have probably come across tofu, but are not sure what to do with it, or how to cook it.
Look no further. We have come to grips with this awesome high protein, low carb food and it’s time to share our tips with you.
Tofu is particularly nice with tomato based or Asian sauces but you need to cook it into little crispy cubes first.
What Type Should I buy?
First tip - always buy firm tofu. You will come across silken, regular , firm and super-firm. The firm has the consistency of feta and is very manageable. Super-firm is like meat but not readily available in the supermarket.
How To Turn It Into Crispy Tofu
Once you have your firm tofu, drain it if it is sold in liquid, pop it on a chopping board and cut it into 2 cm cubes.
For 400 g tofu (enough for 4 people) you will need to mix 40ml (about 2,5 Tablespoons) cornstarch (Maizena), half a teaspoon of fine pepper, black or white, and half a teaspoon of salt, in a large bowl.
Pop your cubes of tofu into this bowl with the cornstarch mix and gently toss it around, coating the cubes well.
Heat 2,5 Tablespoons oil (we like olive oil) in a non-stick pan on a high heat. When the oil is hot pop the coated tofu in - the pan should be big enough that the tofu is in a single layer. If not, do the tofu in batches. Fry the pieces for about 6 minutes turning now and then so that all the sides of the cubes are golden and crispy.
Take the tofu out of the pan and set aside to use in your recipe.
Some Tofu Ideas
A nice idea is to make a stir fry, add your sweet and sour sauce and then stir in your bits of crispy tofu. Another idea is to make egg fried rice and then add your crispy tofu.
A Recipe For You To Try
Or maybe you would like to try our recipe for a Crispy Tofu Barley Bowl:
For 4 servings, you will need:
400 g cubed tofu prepared as above
2 teaspoons vegetable stock powder dissolved in 500 ml water
200 g pearled barley
1 cucumber, halved lengthwise, deseeded and sliced
200 g cherry tomatoes
40 g cashew nuts
Sweet Chilli Dressing made by mixing the following together:
1 Tbsp olive oil
65 ml red wine vinegar
65 ml sweet chilli sauce (we like the Wellingtons)
salt to taste
Place the barley and your vegetable stock in a pot and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down to a simmer and cook with the lid on for 35 minutes. The barley should have absorbed most of the stock and be soft but not mushy. Drain and place in a big bowl.
Halve the cherry tomatoes and add them and the sliced, deseeded cucumber to the sweet chilli dressing (see above). Add this mixture to the barley and toss all together.
Serve the barley mix in bowls, topped with the crispy tofu pieces and the cashew nuts.
Enjoy!