How to Prepare Firm Crispy Tofu for a Chinese Style Stir-Fry
If you haven't worked with tofu before, it can be something of a mystery to cook. It doesn't seem to have a taste or a smell, and it comes submerged in fluid. Tofu isn't unlike meat in it's preparation. There are many different ways to cook Tofu, but this article is going to focus on making it delicious and crispy so it'll be ready for a stirfry. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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1
Turn your burner on medium and heat your wok.
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2
While the wok is heating up, you can cut up the tofu. If you can find it, use extra firm tofu. The actual shape of the tofu isn't that important, but for a chinese or thai style cut it in long pieces as pictured here. The thinner it is, the more crispy it's going to be. A medium thickness like this will ensure it's crunchy on the outside, and fluffy on the inside.
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3
Many use vegetable oil when frying tofu. One of the few unique characteristics of tofu is that it absorbs flavor, so I prefer to use butter instead of oil. Cut 1 TBSP of butter and melt it in the pod.
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4
When the butter is almost melted, put the tofu in the wok. Be careful to place it in gently, or that hot butter will fly out of the pan and attack you.
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5
Stir your tofu around for a few minutes. As the butter is doing it's magic, and a little bit of kosher salt. Once the tofu is about the color pictured here, it's time to move on to the next step.
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6
Add a bit of soy sauce. While the tofu will most likely go in a teraki or other flavor stir fry, soy sauce is what will set the tofu apart in taste. Adding the soy sauce this late in the cooking process will make sure that it's not over powering, but just enough that we can tell the tofu apart from the other elements of the stir fry. Cook the tofu long enough to make it a golden brown. Feel free to snatch a piece out of wok to taste it, but use a utensil of some sort so you don't light yourself on fire.
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7
When the tofu's done, take it out of the wok to drain. If this is the same wok you're going to use for the rest of your stirfry, let it cool down and clean it before you cook the rest of your food in it. We don't want the soy taste sneaking into any of the other vegetables. As you're cooking your stirfy, add the tofu in last to help preserve it's unique flavor.
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Tips & Warnings
Depending on your taste and results, it may be necessary to add another 1/2 TBSP of butter. You can do this during step 5.
Store your extra uncooked tofu in a sealed container full of water.
The butter really does get hot, so don't burn yourself. If you decide to use oil instead, there's an even higher risk of long term damage if it flys up onto your face or into your eyes.
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Comments
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Arathi
Apr 17, 2009
Excellent step by step! I never seem to get my tofu crispy enough, will try this method. Thanks!
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knowball
Apr 16, 2009
I always wondered how to do this!
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woodsusa
Apr 14, 2009
This looks so tasty...I've never tried tofu but this looks easy enough for even me to cook!
