I am always looking of new innovative ways to prepare tofu. I discovered tofu in my young manhood, and have been a partisan ever since. The beauty of tofu is that it absorbs the flavor of whatever spice, seasoning or flavoring is being used. This makes it a great substance to cook with.  From what I’ve seen, in most Asian restaurants the condiment of choice is soy sauce or hoisin sauce. Another favorite is oyster sauce. I recall back in my youth that, in New York’s  Chinatown, one of the favorite, inexpensive dishes in the mon and pop restaurants was steamed vegetables with hoisin sauce. I decided to apply the same principal to tofu. In this case, with fried tofu. The result was marvelous.

As mentioned in prior posts, it’s a good idea, even with extra firm tofu, to have it pressed before cooking.  Pressing the tofu squeezes out extra moisture, making it firmer and dryer which means you get a wonderfully crisp exterior when you cook it. Let me add,  if you’re using tofu as is, it doesn’t require pressing; but if you are sautéing or shallow frying tofu (or looking to achieve extra crispy tofu), pressing is best. It also holds its shape better during cooking and ensures your seasonings won’t be diluted.  Pressing tofu is no big deal: wrap the block of tofu in a paper towel and put it on a large plate with a lip; then put something heavy such as a frying pan on top, weight it down further with cans and jars, and leave for 30 mins. The tofu will be about two-thirds its original thickness, and less than a ¼ teaspoon of water will have been removed. That’s it, now you can go on with the recipe.

I paired the tofu with soba noodles, something very common to Japanese cuisine. If preferred, you can pair it with  rice, quinoa, couscous, or string pasta.

TOFU WITH OYSTER SAUCE

Ingredients:

1 block tofu ( usually between 14-16 ounces)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons flour
3 tablespoons olive oil;
Pepper to taste
¾ cup oyster sauce (or more to taste)
½ cup chopped scallions

Instructions:

1. After pressing (see above),  rinse tofu under running water and pat dry with paper towels. Cut into bite-sized pieces, about ¼-inch.
2.  In a small bowl, combine eggs ands flour and whisk until it forms a smooth paste.
3.  Heat oil in a large saucepan over moderate-high heat. Add tofu and stir fry for about 3-4 minutes. Add egg-flour mixture, stirring to ensure all pieces are coated, and cook until tofu is golden. Add pepper to taste, and remove to a serving dish or platter. Top with scallions and serve over soba noodles.
   Yield: 4 servings.

Once in a while a tofu dinner is called for. Tofu  is that rare ingredient ( a protein) that absorbs the flavor of any herb or spice one may use in cooking. That’s why this recipe is so marvelous. In this case, the prime ingredient is sesame seeds. Just marinate the tofu, then roll in sesame seeds and cook to perfection. Easy, quick and delicious served over steamed rice.

Note, as we’ve mentioned countless times before: tofu should be pressed before cooking. Why? Many tofu preparations don’t require pressing. But if  you are sautéing or shallow frying tofu (or looking to achieve extra crispy tofu), pressing is the best way to remove excess moisture. Pressing also helps create firmer tofu that better holds its shape during cooking and ensures your seasonings won’t be diluted. How to do it? Simple: Take your tofu out of the package and wrap it in a few layers of paper towels, placed on top and bottom.  Place the wrapped block of tofu on the counter or a cutting board, then place something flat and heavy on top. I like to use a cast iron skillet, weighed down with some canned goods, or a heavy book or two. After 30 minutes or so, you can remove and unwrap your tofu. It’s now ready for cooking.

Once the pressing is done, you can proceed with the recipe, and enjoy the best sesame tofu you’ve ever had.

SESAMER TOFU

Ingredients:

2 pounds extra firm tofu, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely mince
1 tablespoon peeled and grated ginger root or ¼ teaspoon dried
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 cup sesame seeds
4 tablespoons peanut oil

Instructions:

1. Marinate the tofu in a zip-lock bag for 2 hours.
2. Remove from bag and roll tofu in sesame seeds.. Heat peanut oil in a large skillet or fry pan, and cook tofu in hot oil over medium heat until brown. Serve hot over steamed rice.
   Yield: 4 or more servings.

I’m always on the lookout for a good tofu dish. This one is from Max, an old friend of ours. He, like I, is a fan of tofu, and this is his go-to recipe. What’s interesting about it is that it calls for nutritional yeast. When I prepare tofu I either dredge it in seasoned flour or breading. Nutritional yeast is new to me. I imagine it makes for a healthy repast. The rest of the ingredients are common to any tofu rendition. It’s a quick easy meal that goes great with rice,  or any favorite grain.

Max’s version calls for the tofu to be pressed, a common preparation among tofu aficionados. This is done to remove the moisture content so that the tofu will hold its shape when frying or grilling. It’s an easy enough procedure: Place a block of tofu in layers of paper towels folded in half or quarters; place a weight, like large can or heavy skillet on top of the tofu; let it sit for at least 30 minutes—until paper towels stop absorbing moisture; slice tofu into strips or cubes and cook as directed. The dish yields four servings.

MAX’S TOFU

1 block tofu (firm or extra-firm, pressed)
4 tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 teaspoons garlic powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil

Coat tofu in dry ingredients and panfry in oil, turning until browned all over.

From time to time I cook tofu, or tempeh, as the case may be. Like everyone else, I found that Tofu (or tempeh) takes on the flavor of whatever seasoning is being used. That’s the great thing about it: it’s versatility.

This recipe is fairly straightforward, it’s basically tofu or tempeh braised in a soy sauce, vinegar, tomato paste and mustard combination. It’s delicious hot over rice or toast, and it’s great for sandwiches too. If you’re using tempeh, it needs a longer time to simmer to absorb the flavors, so use extra liquid in the sauce.

SIMMERED TOFU OR TEMPEH

Ingredients:

1 pound tempeh or firm tofu
1 onion, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1½ to cups water or vegetable broth
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons vinegar
¼ cup tomato paste
¼ teaspoon dry mustard
Pepper to taste

Instructions

1. If using tofu, rinse and chop into 1-inch cubes. If using tempeh, rinse and slice into bars about ¼-inch thick and 2 inches wide.
2.  Heat oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté until golden.  Stir in water or broth (use 1½ cups for tofu, 2 cups for tempeh), soy sauce, vinegar, tomato paste, mustard and pepper. Bring to a boil. Arrange tofu or tempeh in the pan or wok. Spoon the sauce over the cubes or slices, making sure they are covered.
3.  If you’re serving the dish hot, cover and simmer about 20 minutes for tofu, ½ hour or longer for tempeh. If you want to use the cubes and slices for sandwiches, cook uncovered over low heat until the sauce is evaporated and absorbed, making a glaze over the cubes or slices. Keep an eye out to prevent sticking and burning.
   Yield: 4
   Note: For a more seasoned taste, add a clove of minced garlic and a pinch of cayenne to the onion when sautéing, and a tablespoon of chopped fresh ginger near the end of the sautéing.

I am a fan of Indian cuisine, especially  for its vegetarian content. One of my favorite recipes is Kashmir Spinach with Paneer. Kashmir is in northwestern India and spinach, or palak as it is called in Hindi, is very popular in the region. Mixing palak with paneer, a fresh cheese popular throughout South Asia, is very common. In fact, in Kashmir the dish is known as palak paneer. In every case, the paneer is deep-fried and served with the spinach

But what if you don’t have any paneer cheese on hand? So, improvisation is in order. Why not use tofu instead? To my surprise, the dish works very well with beancurd. It is just as tasty, and healthy. As with the original, we serve it over rice, and it makes for a great vegetarian dinner. The spices present in the dish are perfect in livening up the neutral tofu flavor. No other enhancement is required.

Let me add that this recipe is spicy. You can use just one green chili or skip it altogether. You can make it as hot or as mild as desired. Either way, enjoy.

KASHMIR SPINACH WITH TOFU

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons cumin powder
¼-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and mince
2 teaspoons turmeric powder
4-5 cardamom pod
½ teaspoon garam masala
2 tablespoons fennel seed powder
3 Serrano chilies, slit along their length
1 14-ounce package extra firm tofu, rinsed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Salt to taste.
1 pound fresh spinach leaves, washed and cut into ribbons
¾ teaspoon cornstarch, made into a slurry with a few tablespoons of water

Instructions:

1. Heat oil in a wok or pan on medium-high flame. When it simmers, add cumin, ginger, turmeric, cardamom,  garam masala, 1 teaspoon of fennel seed powder, and green chilies. Toss mixture with oil.
2. Add tofu and stir the mixture until the beancurd is covered with spices and oil. Add salt to taste.
3. Add about 1 ½ cups water to pan. Gently mix, cover and bring to a boil.
4. Lower heat to simmer. Uncover, and sprinkle over the remainder of the fennel seed powder. Stir in the spinach. Add cornstarch and stir to mix.
5. Cover and simmer for another 4-5 minutes, until spinach is wilted. Serve with steamed rice.
Yield: 4-6 servings.