Useful Tips for Cooking Tofu

I love tofu and have been eating it quite some time. Here are some really useful tips that are good to know when using tofu. 

Did you know that it is essential to remove as much water as possible from it before marinating it? And never to marinate it with oil.

Store Tofu in a Fridge
If you open a pack and do not use it all, then drain, rinse, and submerge in fresh cool water in a clean container. Store in the fridge for no more than a few days.

What is the right amount

Tofu is a concentrated protein and should be eaten in small quantities, combined with grains and veggies. You do not need it as much as meat. A couple of smaller slices will usually do.

Choose the right type of Tofu 

Tofu comes in a wide variety of forms, from extra soft to extra firm. Some types are better for particular cooking method. Soft tofu may be scrambled like eggs while firmer tofu is better suited for frying.

Press the Tofu
Because tofu is full of water you should press out the old water so you can get new water with flavours in.

First drain the water that it's packaged in and cover in a clean paper towel. Weigh down the dish towel with a kilogram weight to remove any excess water that's left. This should take around 15 minutes. If you slice it first you can speed up the process.

Marinating tips

Marinating tofu is popular way of giving it a flavour of your taste. If you are marinating for less than one hour, it can be done at room temperature with tofu covered. Check tofu recipes here.

Tofu hates marinades containing oil
Tofu has a lot of water in it, even after you press it. Since oil and water don't mix stay away from oil in your tofu marinade. Using oil will actually create an oil slick on the tofu and the flavors will have a hard time to get in. 

How to Cook Tofu
Tofu may acts like a sponge. If you removed the water from your tofu be careful if you put it in any liquid since it will absorb that taste.
In a soup or stew, you can preserve the the flavor of a marinated tofu by first frying it on a little oil. If this process is skipped, the tofu's flavors will mix with the soup or stew broth.

Barbecue it for 4-5 minutes on each side.

Bake it. Slice pressed and drained firm tofu blocks into thin slices and bake on a cookie sheet (sprayed with non-stick spray) at 350-400 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Saute cubes or thin triangles of pressed and drained firm tofu in coconut oil until golden brown.

Deep fry it. Fry thin slices of pressed and drained firm tofu in your deep fryer until light brown and crispy.

Add it to chili or stew. After firm tofu is drained and pressed, it can be crumbled into pieces that are much like ground turkey or ground beef. Add crumbled firm tofu to chili or stew and cook through for at least 15 minutes at medium heat. If you marinated it, fry it on oil to lock in marinated taste inside.

Or you can just stir-fry the tofu

Read entire article with important tips to cook tofu.

What do you think about tofu cooking tips?