How to Fry Tofu

Tofu adds protein to meatless meals.

If you are considering reducing meat in your diet, tofu is a healthy way to get protein and plump up many vegetarian meals. Plus, it's easier to cook with than you might imagine. Tofu takes on the flavor of what you cook it with, giving you limitless opportunities for creativity. Frying tofu is the first step in many delicious dishes.

Things You'll Need

• Block of tofu
• Cooking oil
• Various spices
• Paper towels or blotting cloth
• Non-stick pan
• Non-metallic spatula

Instructions

1. Remove as much moisture as possible from the tofu without smashing it. This is fairly easy to do by blotting with paper towels or a chef's cloth.

2. Heat up a couple tablespoons of oil in a frying pan. To keep your dish healthy, use a "good fat" flavorful cooking oil like olive or canola oil. Keep your heat at a medium temperature.

3. Cut your block of tofu into 1-inch square cubes. You might want to give the cubes from the inside of the block an extra blotting to remove excess moisture.

4. Carefully lower your tofu into the hot oil, one by one. Tofu is fragile and can easily crumble when raw.

5. Allow each piece to fry to a golden crisp before flipping over. Test one piece before flipping them all over.

6. Flavor to your own liking once each side is crispy. Tofu is good in many different kinds of vegetarian dishes, paired with fresh, steamed, or stir-fried vegetables, rice, or wrapped in a tortilla.

Tips & Warnings

• The most difficult part of the process is timing. You will want to allow each side of the tofu to fry, without it sticking to pan. You may need to add extra oil to the pan during the process.

• If the oil is too hot, you can burn yourself while adding the tofu. The water in the tofu will immediately sizzle when it hits the pan and will cause some of the oil to splash.

References

• Cooks.com: Fried Tofu