I need help- tofu neophyte

cassandra

Tue, Apr 21 2009, 2:00 pm

I want to make tofu for the first time, in a stir fry. I'm guessing I should saute it with some oil or something. How long does it have to cook for? How big should you make the pieces? Is there anything I should know that I'm not thinking of or is it pretty straightforward?

princessleah

Tue, Apr 21 2009, 2:16 pm

I make tofu stir-fry all the time! Make sure to buy EXTRA-FIRM so that it doesn't fall apart in the cooking. So usually I get the vegetables going first, especially take-a-long-time ones like onion or carrot, then add in the rest of the veggies (mushrooms, broccoli, whatever), toss around with some olive or sesame oil and then some soy sauce. When everything is NEARLY cooked, throw in the tofu to just get it coated and warm. Cut it into chunks (cubes).
If you want it to get crispy, you can dredge it in some egg and flour and fry it, but I don't usually do that because it's a patchka. Good Luck! Let me know how it turns out.

cassandra

Tue, Apr 21 2009, 2:24 pm

Thanks! I did not see extra firm but I'm going to try it with regular and hope for the best. (It's not going to feed anyone but me and possibly one child who will eat anything so the pressure isn't too great.)

btMOMtoFFBs

Tue, Apr 21 2009, 2:25 pm

I second the recommendation for extra firm.

I do it a little differently than princessleah... Cube the tofu block (go for 1 inch cubes) and sautee it. As it browns, flip cubes to an unbrowned side and continue. Use a few dashes of toasted sesame oil and soy sauce, even a few hot pepper flakes, if you dare, and mix with some light olive oil or canola oil for the sauteeing. Then add veggies when its mostly cooked and sautee those with the tofu so the veggies impart their flavor, too.

Definintely patchekedik, but worth the effort.

Let us know how it turns out.

princessleah

Tue, Apr 21 2009, 2:47 pm

btMOMtoFFBs wrote:

Hmm that's interesting. It doesn't overcook the tofu?? I like mine not too mushy.

MommyLuv

Tue, Apr 21 2009, 3:20 pm

I also like the tofu crispy instead of soft. I usually sautee it first with oil and soy sauce for a while-sometimes it could take almost an hour to get to the perfect texture. Then I add in the other veggies and whatever other flavoring.

DefyGravity

Tue, Apr 21 2009, 3:30 pm

I read on recipezaar that you can put it in the freezer and that helps improve the texture. I only use extra firm tofu, but still don't care for the texture. Sometimes I broil it first, and that helps a bit, but I'm still not so excited about tofu. Even though I use it a lot.

shnitzel

Tue, Apr 21 2009, 3:45 pm

BTW I finally found a way to make tofu that DH loves b/c he can't taste tofu. Instead of keeping it cubed and using firm/extra firm I use firm silken tofu and mush it so it gets blended in with everything else and has no discernible tofu pieces. I don't make a traditional stir fry but use a tomato base and add red and green peppers, onions and sometimes hot peppers. It has his favorite veggie in it so he eats it happily and doesn't look pained at the sight of white blocks.

Raisin

Tue, Apr 21 2009, 3:50 pm

DefyGravity wrote:

I'm not that excited by tofu either. once I mushed it and made some sort of burger type thing. another time I used it in lasagna. both of those were good, only because you could hardly taste it. I also had it in a chinese type soup once and it was good.

c. moose, do you have a recipe for your tofu meatballs?

bluebird

Tue, Apr 21 2009, 6:55 pm

I find that pressing some of the moisture out of tofu really improves its texture and also helps it to absorb whatever marinades or flavorings you use. To press, just wrap it in some paper towels, put a plate on top, and put something with a bit of weight like a cookbook on top of the plate. Press for 15-20 minutes, then cube and stir-fry.

cassandra

Tue, Apr 21 2009, 10:59 pm

My adventures in tofu:

First try was unsuccessful, ended up with a tofu scramble mostly stuck to the bottom of the pan. I think I didn't use enough oil and also my chunks were probably too small. Second attempt: I used a LOT of oil on the bottom of the pan and cut tofu in bigger chunks. I let it essentially fry on both sides (probably about ten minutes on each sides, and some of it stuck but most of it came off. Took it out, when it was done (really brown and crispy), dumped the oil, sauteed my veggies with some soy sauce and then added the tofu after a couple of minutes. The tofu didn't really absorb any of the soy sauce flavor, but that's was fine. All told it was pretty good and I'll try it again now that I know I can stomach it and it wasn't terrible.

Thanks for all your help, everyone. Next time I will buy extra firm and I think I will try your method, bluebird, since it seems smart.