How to Cook a Good Tofu

Tofu is an increasingly popular product in the world due to its versatility. Tofu can replace meat, eggs, sour cream and curd in cooked dishes. And this is a great solution not only for vegans, but also for anyone whose body does not tolerate dairy products. Still, there are a few rules to know to make a tofu delicious. What are they? Let’s find out!

• Drain before cooking. First of all, you must wash tofu thoroughly under running water and dry it. Washing tofu is usually not a problem. However, pressing tofu could be a tough task. Some people use disposable towels, others press tofu using cutting boards. However, if you want your workplace to stay as tidy as possible and the tofu pressing process not take ages, it is worth buying a tofu press. It is a simple, quick and mess-free way to get tofu extra firm. The drier the tofu is, the crispier it will get when baked or fried.

• Don’t forget to add some spices. If you tasted a piece of tofu just removed from a packet, you would find it really difficult to describe its taste. Just because tofu seems to be tasteless! Therefore, it can be marinated like meat to give it a more intense flavor. The marinade is suitable for using any spices, oil, garlic, ginger, honey or any other you like. Depending on the dish you are preparing tofu for, you can choose spices that will give a spicy, spicy or exotic taste. The longer you leave the tofu in the marinade, the more intense the taste will be. For example, for tofu steaks, the recommended marinating time is 7-8 hours.

• Bake in a heated pan. To bake the perfect bites of tofu, you should place them on a heated pan. You should also use some oil or other fat when baking tofu in the pan. Only then it will become crispy and simply melt in your mouth. However, it is important not to overdo it. Let’s say, if you put the tofu on a pan that is too hot, it will just stick to the bottom. And after that fixing the dish will not be easy indeed. Baked pieces should be used within a few days. Later, tofu will not only become tasteless to eat, but will also lose its good nutritional properties.

• Tofu for soups and stews. To flavor your soup or stewed tofu, it needs to be marinated and fried beforehand. And add the fried tofu pieces to the prepared soup or stew five minutes before cooking. Tofu pieces will lose their crunchiness, but will absorb the broth and will not break. Thus, it will remain fairly firm in consistency and retain its flavor characteristics. If you want to experiment, it is recommended to try the soup according to a Japanese, Korean or Chinese recipe. In this way, you will not only prepare great food, but also get to know the cuisine of another culture and learn this new thing.