How To Make Crispy Tofu
You Will Need…
Tofu (firm works best)
Tofu Press OR some heavy books/pans to press the tofu
Baking Sheet
Parchment Paper
Oil for greasing
Soya Sauce, garlic powder, (or seasonings of your choice)
For the longest time I didn’t like tofu. It seemed to be really bland and rubbery. BUT anytime I had it at a restaurant I loved it. It was crispy or seasoned so nicely. One of my favourite Vegan dishes in Dublin is the Pad Thai Jay from Neon and their tofu is soooo good. But I could never make it the same at home.
Until recently. I’ve found that using baking paper/silicone baking mat is the secret. It adds that crispiness to it. As well as using baking paper, draining your tofu is super important. When it’s drained it will absorb whatever seasoning you add to it.
Unfortunately I don’t have a tofu press. I desperately need one but I just haven’t got around to just buying one yet. So, when I need to press my tofu I just find a collection of heavy items and make a tower of them on top of my tofu LOL. Usually I will use a big pan, then a few cartons of rice milk, some tinned beans and a few heavy books. This tower almost always comes crashing down and scares me, so I really do need to get that tofu press. ANYWAYS lmao .. Press your tofu, for like an hour.
After pressing your tofu, cut it into cubes and get your seasonings. I use Soya Sauce and Garlic Powder. You can add whatever you want. But don’t just use dry seasonings - use a liquid too so the tofu can absorb it. You can let it marinate if you want but usually I just move straight onto the next step.
I grab a baking sheet and line it with parchment paper, then I take a little bit of oil (like a tiny bit) and just barely coat the paper. Next I will throw all of my tofu onto the baking sheet and line them up nicely so none of them are touching. Then I throw them in the oven until the tops are nice a crispy, then I will rotate them to get the bottoms crispy. It is a little tedious rotating them one by one but I don’t mind.
Once they are crispy all over, they are done! Recently I have been enjoying mine in Ramen or with Rice and Veg. They are really good, chewy and crispy.
Let me know if you try out this recipe or what your favourite seasonings for tofu are in the comments below! Scroll through the photos below to see the progress.
