I have often seen TOFU in shops. I would like to try it but do not know what to do with it. Any ideas please?

Question

I have often seen TOFU in shops. I would like to try it but do not know what to do with it. Any ideas please?

Answer 1

Steamed soft tofu:

1. Steam a piece of soft tofu

2. drizzle on some soya sauce and sesame oil or only with teriyaki sauce.

3. Sprinkle on some chopped spring onion.

Stir-fry soft tofu with mix veg. :

1. heat pan with some oil, lower the heat fry some minced garlic till fragrant.

2. Add in some frozen veg. mix(carrot, peas and corn mix), add t tablespoon water, cover the pan simmer for 2 minutes.

. Add ketcup, soya sauce(or salt) and pepper to taste.

3. finally add soft tofu light stir.

4. serves with some chopped spring onion on top.

Firm tofu Salad :

1. wash and pat dry a piece of firm tofu.

2. Deep fry the tofu till golden brown.

3. Make sauce : some grounded peanut, soya sauce and sugar

4. serves with some shredded cucumber and beansprouts(scald in hot water) sandwiched in between the fried firm tofu, drizzle the sauce on top just (before serve).

Answer 2

My favourite tofu recipe is for Agedashi-dofu. It's a wonderfully simple and delicious japanese way of preparing it. You should be able to get all the ingredients at the supermarket or anywhere that sells Japanese food.

1) Cube firm silken tofu

2) Roll in (katakuriko) potato starch (corn starch or flour work too but potato's best)

3) Shallow fry until hardened then turn

4) In a separate saucepan, mix (konbu dashi) seaweed stock with soy sauce, heat to make a watery sauce/dip

5) Serve and enjoy :o)

You can also put shredded daikon (a kind of radish) on top.

The answer above's also good... it's a westernised version of a japanese dish. Usually we just dip in flour, egg (substitute or soy milk for vegans), panko, then fry. Then serve with 'Bulldog Sauce' which is a fruit and veg sauce you can buy easily in a Japanese shop.

Answer 3

My favorite is tofu in a stirfry. When you open the package it will be in water. Take it out and set it on a paper towel. The more moisture you get out of it the better. Cut into even sizes so it cooks at the same time.

Put some oil in a pan and pan fry until lightly browned. Then mix in with stirfry veggies.

So you know what it should be like go to a Chinese restaurant and order anything with tofu in it. That way you will know what it is supposed to look like.

Answer 4

Scramble it, fry it, blend it, chop it up and put it in a salad or soup, make a paste.

You can buy a tofu cook book, those are handy.

Answer 5

Marinade it, and chop it into small chunks or strips and use it in stir-fry. Other than that, it is the most uninteresting vegetarian product in existence.

Answer 6

I lightly fry 1" tofu cubes, then make a sweet and spicy sauce of brown sugar, soy sauce and red pepper flakes.  Then stir fry some sliced onion, the tofu and sauce and serve with rice.  It is very yummy.

If you want to be a serious tofu chef, you could buy a cookbook if you wanted more recipes.  My favorite is "Tofu Cookery" by Louise Hagler.  It has a ton of good ideas and even has tofu desserts and pastries.

Answer 7

There are two types of tofu, silken (Japanese) and water packed (Chinese).  The silken is what's in the aspetic boxes.  You use that in creamy dishes--puddings, soups, sauces, as a substitute for eggs in baking.  It's also good diced into miso soup.

Chinese tofu is found either in the refrigerator section (of natural foods stores) or the produce section (of conventional grocery stores).  I freeze my tofu to give it a chewier texture.  You can see the tips in my profile.

After freezing and pressing, the sky's the limit!  I usually saute with some seasonings--you can do herb-crusted tofu with spices and a bit of corn or arrowroot starch.  You can dredge in flour and seasonings for a sort of "chick'n-fried tofu."  You can bake it, you can stir-fry, you can roast.  Check out www.vegweb.com for recipes.

Tofu is rather bland and it absorbs the flavors of the food you cook with it.  It's what makes it so wonderfully versatile.

Answer 8

I made a tofu lasagna on Sunday and just substituted meat  for tofu.

Answer 9

Here is one I have posted in the past.  It is our favorite!!!  

A block of firm or extra firm tofu, sliced about 3/4 inch thick

1 or two lightly beaten egg whites (depending on how much you need)

About 3/4 cup of plain bread crumbs or panko bread crumbs mixed with a tsp of marjoram, and about 4 to 5 Tablsp of fresh grated parmasen or asiago cheese. A little salt and pepper if desired.

Take the block of tofu out of the container and put on top of a thick pile of paper towels, place another thick layer on top of it and keep pressing to get a majority of water out. You may have to repeat this.

Slice them and dip in the egg white and then press into the bread crumb mixture. You are then going to lightly fry them...the original recipe called for using Pam or some kind of cooking spray in the pan...I like a little crispy on the crust so I use a little olive oil or safflower oil. Lightly brown each side and set on an oven proof plate or pan...keep warm in a very low heat oven. While they are staying warm mix together... a cup of mayo (a good kind like Helman's..NOT the sweet type like miracle whip), About 1 heaping or 2 Tablespoons of fine chopped garlic..depends on your taste so you can add or subract the amount you like and about 2 Tblsp of soy sauce. I lost the actual recipe years ago so I just adjust to MY liking and of course you can do the same. Mix it all up...oh, I should have stated to make the sauce first and cover and put in the fridge so the flavors can marinate, then cook the tofu.

Anyhow....You can eat the tofu with side veggies and the sauce on the side for dipping as we sometimes do but it make an incredible sandwich on your favorite buns! Just spread the bun with the sauce, put on a slab of tofu, tomato slice and a leaf of whatever lettuce you like! All 5 of us find them addictive! If you try this I truly hope you enjoy it!!! Since then my kids love tofu!

Answer 10

Go to your local grocery store and find Tofutti... Tofu may be boring ... but when made into tofutti it becomes a great ice cream substitute for those with lactose intolerance.