Tofu, you either love it or hate it. I personally love it. Tofu is made out of soy beans and when you know how to prepare it, you will find yourself craving it more often. Most people who say they don't like tofu, haven't had proper marinated tofu. Raw or unseasoned tofu definitely doesn't taste good in my opinion.
There are many opinions about the health benefits of tofu. It contains a lot of protein, but is also high in estrogen. Some also say that tofu is made from GMO soy, but as far as I know, GMO soy is mostly used to feed livestock. I prefer to use organic tofu, this feels to me like the safest option. There's a lot to say about any type of food. Fish contains microplastics, strawberries contain lots of pesticides etc etc. Just make sure you vary enough with what you eat and focus on whole foods. If you're doing that, eating tofu every now and then won't cause much trouble. (I'm no doctor, but that's just what I think)
You can purchase tofu in most supermarkets or Asian stores. Tofu is sold in plastic containers filled with water. The tofu absorbs the water and when you want to marinate it, it won't soak up any of the marinade. That is why you want to press the tofu before cutting it into cubes. You can use a tofu press for this or place the tofu between towels or cutting boards and press it with something heavy, like cookbooks. I prefer to press the tofu for at least 60 minutes before adding it to the marinade, to ensure that most water is pressed out of the tofu.
We use it in sushi, spring rolls, Asian dishes, salads and wraps. I mostly use the same marinade.
This is what you'll need:
- Organic tofu
- Tamari (gluten free soy sauce)
- Sriracha sauce
- Potato starch
- Sesame oil
- Garlic powder
- Smoked paprika powder
- White pepper
- Ginger powder
The secret to crispy tofu is potato starch. If you add this to your marinade, it will create a crispy layer around the tofu. The preparation method also has a big influence on the crispiness. When baking the tofu in the oven, it won't become super crispy. Using an airfryer on the other hand, will make the outside super crispy. However, using the airfryer on a very high temperature makes the tofu dry on the inside. You can also bake the tofu in a skillet with some oil, this will give it a good crunch as well.
Ingredients
- 500 grams tofu
- 2 heaping tsp potato starch
- 5 tbsp tamari
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp sriracha
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp ginger powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika powder
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
Instructions
Rinse the tofu under running water and press the tofu using a tofu press or other method. Preferably 30 to 60 minutes. Drain the water and cut the tofu into cubes.
Put the tofu in a container that has a lid, so you can later on shake it all together with the marinade. Put all the ingredients for the marinade in the container and mix well with a spoon. I personally add the starch to the marinade, but for the ultimate crispy tofu you can choose to coat each marinated tofu piece with the starch, before baking it. Add the tofu to the marinade and leave for at least an hour. You can marinade tofu for up to a day in advance, to get the ultimate flavour. The longer you marinade, the better.
Fry the tofu in a skillet or use an airfryer. Make sure every side of the tofu cubes are fried evenly. The tofu is ready when it looks and feels crunchy and is golden brown.
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