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I like tofu. My wife eats it almost daily, I eat it occasionally (typically, I make mabodofu). My biggest issue is that it's fragile and doesn't have a texture akin to meat. Before anyone recommends seitan, I like that but can't have gluten or wheat anymore. Any suggestions?
I live in Japan, so we have no shortage of types of tofu, but even our firmest doesn't do it for me.
Press your tofu for 2-4 hours, wrapped in paper towels. You wanna get it real dry. Microwave it for like 1-2 minutes. Get it REALLY dry. Once all that water is out, you wanna rehydrate it with some sauce + seasonings, basically like a marinade. Once it’s soaked up the goodness, air fry it (preferably) or pan fry it. Should end up with a texture almost similar to chicken. It’s still gonna be softer than real meat, but getting it just absurdly dry first is the first step to getting it close
There is another method and my girlfriend's favorite too:
Boil it in salt water for 2-5 minutes like pasta before draining it, seasoning it, and frying it (air fryer, convection oven, or pan fry)
The salt draws out the moisture, seasons it lightly inside, and relaxes the proteins. All of which make it absorb seasonings and sauces better. It makes it super crispy on the outside too.
This is also THE method for crispy fried mushrooms. Same principle. If you shred oyster mushrooms, boil in salt water, press out for a minute or two, and pan fry them, you get extremely tasty, crispy mushrooms with a meaty flavor. Toss them in some seasoning and BBQ sauce and you have a crispy pulled pork replacement for tacos or something.
Can I just slice it into slices and dehydrate it in a low temperature oven for hours and hours?
Like can I make 'dehydrared tofu chips' is what Im asking.
Or does anyone please know any brand of CHEAP dehydrated tofu chips already made and sold in canada?
Also does anyone please know how much of the essential amino acids tofu offers per 100grams of tofu (and I do mean any form of tofu. Fermented tofu , whatver form you pick) and then compare it to the essential amino acids 100 grams of ground beef gives.
Thanks
Searched it up in 5 seconds:
Man, I had no idea this stuff existed. I wanna make it now! lol.
thanks
Standard answer is get extra firm tofu, drain it, pat it dry, then freeze it. Later when you defrost it, it has a chewier texture.
Oh, I hadn't tried freezing it. I'll raise the flag on this to try.
The ice crystals change the structure of the tofu. This is an ongoing research topic in modern food science as the growth direction and firmness of the tofu matters.
But you should just try it and see what happens with yours.
I'm excited that we'll likely get better textured plant based protein sources soon.
Nobody commenting on the fact that this good scientist nearly shares a name with the largest fast food chain on the planet on the planet. I like to think this Dr. Chris Macdonald is rebelling against their father, Ronald.
I agree Macdonald is clearly a plant working against big meat.
I'm a bit surprised that tofu is ahead of beans, especially in the Planet Score, since it's kind of just further processed beans.
My best guess is that the non-determinate "beans" are an average or something like kidney beans, whereas tofu is specifically soy beans.
And well, Wikipedia tells me that soy beans kick ass:
Cultivation of soybeans has one of the lowest needs for land use (1.3 m² / 1000 kcal) and emits some of the lowest amounts of greenhouse gas emissions per gram of edible protein of any food (1.6 kg CO2 / 100 g protein).
Would probably need to e-mail them to ask for the actual data... 🥴
What's with the protein obsession? Eat more fiber, that is what almost everyone is lacking.
Laughable new USAian nutrition guidelines plus accompanying social media nutrition grifters
Marketing. Also, people think you can only get protein from meat.
This is the take.
Which is funny, because tofu is low fiber. Eat more beans.
+1 to more beans!
I’m here for tofu recipes pls
Grate a block of tofu on a cheese grater with large holes, fry with oil and some soy sauce in a pan while stirring. Add a diced onion as it gets firmer, then garlic, then strained tomato and italien herbs.
Voila, vegan Bolognese.
Or just spread some hot sauce on tofu slices and fry both sides. Goes great with many things.
Check out Thai vegetarian recipes. Mostly soy protein and the most flavorful food in the world. You can substitute a lot of Asian ingredients if they are not available in your region very easily too.
Been vegetarian for over 20 years now and focusing on maximalist kitchens (thai, indian etc) is the way to go with vegetarian constraint!
For something different, apply this technique to any of the suggested recipes here. ETA: firm and extra firm tofu works best.
Freeze it. Thaw it. Press it. Shred (or cube) it.
It takes on a different texture, and can remove even more liquid through pressing than fresh.
Agedashi tofu is one of my favourite Japanese dishes https://www.justonecookbook.com/agedashi-tofu-2/
A few from my recipesage library.
Mapo Tofu,
Garlic Eggplant Crispy Tofu,
Tofu Broccoli Quinoa,
Tofu Taco Filling. Hmm. I feel like I should have more good tofu recipes...
Magic Tofu
Per pound or 454g of extra-firm tofu:
Enjoy on everything! I add it on top of pizzas, in wraps, in a plate with vegetables and rice...