How to cook tofu properly
I am in need of some really great methods to prepare tofu. My best success is from baking, but that can take upwards of an hour! Is there a way to get crispy, tasty tofu faster? Whenever I try to pan fry it, it winds up staying soft, squishy and frankly inedible. I typically love tofu, so it may just be that I am preparing it wrong (probably!!).
Answers ( 1 )
I'm a huge tofu lover - there's definitely a learning curve with cooking it!
I just recently found my favorite way to cook it:
1. Wrap the tofu in a clean kitchen towel and press it with something heavy on top for at least 30 minutes. I usually put the ceramic part of my crock pot on top with 4-5 cans inside. I always skipped this step when I first started cooking with tofu because I thought it wouldn't make a difference, but it actually really does. Especially when sauteing it.
2. Cut into desired-sized cubes.
3. Heat a pan up on medium-high heat with whatever kind of oil you prefer - I usually use either olive or sesame oil.
4. After the pan has heated up for a couple minutes, place the tofu in a single layer. Make sure there aren't any stuck on top of other pieces. Cover.
5. I usually saute each side for at least 7 minutes before flipping - at least for the first couple sides. After that, the pan is usually a lot hotter, and the sides will brown a little faster. The key is patience!
The sauteing part usually takes me about 30-35 minutes, and I much prefer this method to baking tofu.
Another great way to prepare it is as crumbles for either tacos or spaghetti bolognese.
Taco crumbles - https://itdoesnttastelikechicken.com/vegan-tofu-taco-crumbles/
For bolognese, I just crumble it up in a pan (like you would with ground beef), add spices, cook until brown, and then throw my spaghetti sauce in to warm it up.