Sunday, 03 January 2010

• Fried Tofu: To Please Vegetarians and Non-Vegetarians Alike!

  
  

  
  Tofu has been given a bad rep by a lot of people as bland and boring, but it's far from it! Tofu isn't just a vegetarian staple anymore and I'm sure you'll be convinced of that once you try this recipe.
  
  First off, you'll need:
  

  • a box of cornstarch
  • a package of extra firm tofu (something like this would work out well )

  
  When you first open the tofu, drain the water out of the package. Then you can take a knife to the tofu like you would any fruits/veggies (a dull butterknife works fine!). I usually like the cut the tofu length wise into rectangles and then squares and then triangles but you can cut it however you see fit.
  
  Then if the tofu is still damp, cover it in cornstarch. If it isn't damp enough to be covered in cornstarch, then dip it in water first then cornstarch.
  
  There's a couple of things to note with the cornstarch covered tofu. DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES STACK THE TOFU PIECES AFTER YOU'VE COVERED THEM IN CORNSTARCH. They'll stick together and you won't be able to recover the tofu and have it have the same consistency as it would have had. After you've covered the tofu with cornstarch it'll look something like this:
  
  

  
  

  Before you can fry it, it has to look like this:
  
  

  
  

  
  
  After you've covered all the tofu, take about 1-2 tbsp of canola oil and heat it on high heat. Fry the tofu when the oil is hot. You'll know when to turn it over by the color and texture. When the tofu is done, it should be a slight yellow and be hard when tapped lightly with a spatula.
  
  

  
  

  
  This pic is a bad example, sorry!! But basically, once the tofu is done, it looks like this:
  
  

  
  

  
  
  This recipe is very versatile. I like to serve it up with peanut butter sauce (recipe follows) or it can also be seasoned kinda spicily with spike, a dash or so of salt, or whatever you want!
  
  
  Peanut Butter Sauce:
  
  To be honest, I don't usually measure this out, but it's easy/fool proof enough that I seriously doubt it'll be an issue.
  
  

  • 2-3 heaping tbsp of peanut butter (I usually use creamy but chunky works as well!)
  • 2-3 tbsp of water

  
  Dump the pb in a bowl and the water on top. Microwave it for 30 seconds (you might have to adjust accordingly!). Stir the mixture until it's smooth and has a pourable consistency.
  
  

  
  

  That's what it should look like straight out of the microwave. If it's too watery, add more pb. If it's too pb-y, add water!
  
  

  
  

  
  After stirring, this is around the consistency it should be. Obviously you can adjust to your liking. If you want it to be watery, add more water, and vice versa.
  
  Bon Appetite!
  
  

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