I know a lot of people have trouble cooking tofu so I’ve put together some good tips here and created a blog post and video entirely about cooking tofu.
If you buy the right kind of tofu, cook it in the right pan, and serve it with a flavorful sauce tofu can be amazing.
You’re skeptical? Just try it, let me know how it goes!
First things first you must buy the right kind of tofu for what you are cooking. Today I’m doing a stir fry dish so I’m choosing firm tofu. I personally love the firm tofu from Trader Joes. My favorite is the actually the Sprouted one. I don’t ever like the extra firm tofu, I feel like this has a very rubbery feel – depending on the brand. The soft or silken tofu is for things like soup, smoothies, “scrambles”, and other things but will often fall apart in the skillet.
The best way for your tofu to fry up right and absorb the flavors you are going to add is to press the tofu before chopping it up. I wrap my block of tofu in a clean towel or paper towels and place a weight on top. I like using a couple of heavy plates or bowls (you can also use your cast iron pan). I usually press about 10 min. You don’t want ALL the water out because then it will get rubbery.
The next important element of frying tofu is your pan. I’m cooking my tofu in a well seasoned cast iron skillet. To be honest it’s taken years to get my skillet to the point of “well seasoned” so that eggs, tofu, and other soft foods don’t stick to it. If you don’t have this then use a non stick pan. Heat pan or skillet over medium heat.
Next you are going to need a vegetable oil or olive oil to cook your tofu in. I don’t like using coconut oil because I don’t like the slight coconut flavor with the tofu. I used 1 Tablespoon of oil for one block of tofu. This really isn’t the place to skimp on oil because it’s going to help keep the tofu from sticking to the pan.
Chop up your tofu to your desired size. You can do longer thinner pieces, but I like cubes for the frying. I save interesting shapes for the baking version since I’m not moving it around as much in the oven.
Ok now this next part is KEY. Preheat your skillet and oil for a min or two, add tofu, and then… refrain from stirring it around! You can do a quick stir to coat with oil when you first get the cubes in there, but then let it be. Your patience should pay off by allowing the tofu to brown before moving it around. You want the tofu to shrink up and brown. If you stir constantly then it’s going to stick to the pan.
Tofu often cooks slower then I want over that medium heat but it gives me a chance to prep my vegetables and other dinner items. If you turn your heat up too high you are going to sear your tofu and you’ll miss getting that nice golden brown crunch on the edges. So be patient with the amount of time and let it brown before you stir!
Let me know how this technique works for you and I’ll add more tofu cooking ideas soon!
