3 Simple Ways to Make Tofu Taste Amazing
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Tofu is known all over the world as a common meat substitute. It offers a lovely savory treat. The only problem is, it can be a bit hit and miss. When you go out and eat tofu at a restaurant, it tends to taste delicious. But, when you make it at home…things aren’t so great. It puts a lot of people off, which is a shame as tofu can be used in so many dishes to great effect.
Well, no longer will you have to worry about your tofu tasting horrible and rubbery! Today, you’ll see three very simple tips to help tofu taste amazing whenever you cook it.
Buy Firm Tofu and Press It
You’ll find many varieties of tofu on the market, with silken and firm being the two most common. Silken tofu is pretty smooth and tends to just break apart in dishes. Firm tofu is what you need to get some bite to your meals. Once you’ve bought your firm tofu, you need to press it out. Effectively, you need to press the block of tofu to get out all of the extra water inside it. This will improve the texture while you eat it, which also improves the taste. Plus, removing the excess water will be better when you go to marinate your tofu in the next step!
Marinate Your Tofu
Tofu always tastes better when it has been marinated – preferably overnight. This is because all the flavors from the marinade seep into the tofu and impart so much flavor into it. The best thing about tofu is that it has a neutral taste, meaning any type of marinade will work well with it. Something like this salsa macha recipe at feastingathome.com is a great idea for some spicy Mexican-style tofu that’ll work well in wraps or burritos. Or, consider a soy sauce marinade if you want more Asian-inspired tofu. The choice is yours, but letting your tofu marinate overnight will give it so much flavor.
Crisp Up Your Tofu
The final step is to add some crispiness to your tofu, giving it a new texture and flavor. A convenient way of doing this is by covering the tofu in cornstarch. Once it’s all covered, pan fry it in a tablespoon or two of an oil of your choice. Sesame oil seems to work really well with tofu, as it gives it an extra flavor. The cornstarch crisps up while you cook, leaving you with tofu that has a little extra kick to it. The browning from the oil to add the crispy texture also gives the tofu a better taste.
If you follow these rules, you are almost guaranteed to have amazing tofu every single time you cook it. This food isn’t just for vegetarians; anyone can enjoy it! Tofu is so diverse and can be placed into loads of different meals from cuisines around the world. So, it makes sense to learn how to make it taste as good as possible.
This post was contributed and was made possible by the support of our readers.
Hubby and I tried tofu in all different ways, Your suggestions sound yummy. But I must admit we just never could commit ( LOL) xo
I understand, Katherine! Definitely a different texture! xo
I love sesame oil, I bet it does add a great flavor to crispy tofu!
Jenna