Tofu is a plant-based protein made from soybeans that have been soaked, ground, and cooked. The liquid soy milk is then condensed to form tofu.
As an affordable, easy-to-eat, and versatile food, tofu is loved by many. Tofu can be eaten as is, fried, grilled, sautéed, or combined with various ingredients to create delicious dishes. One of the most popular methods of preparing tofu is frying.
Fried tofu is simple and uncomplicated, but when dipped in soy sauce or spicy-sour fish sauce, it becomes a irresistible, flavorful dish. Each piece of fried tofu has a crispy golden crust and a soft, moist, creamy interior, complemented by a perfectly balanced dipping sauce. It tastes amazing even when eaten with plain rice.
Fried tofu is a familiar dish, but many people still don’t know how to fry tofu properly, ending up with broken, sticking, or not crispy tofu.
According to a chef’s secret, the mistake is that many people tend to put the cut tofu directly into the pan, resulting in the tofu sticking to the pan. To fry delicious tofu, don’t immediately put it in the pan, but follow these 2 additional steps.
Specifically, you can follow the steps below:
First, choose good quality tofu. If you pay attention, when buying tofu, you will notice that some are very soft, while others are slightly harder. For fried tofu, it’s best to choose firmer tofu (older tofu) for cooking. Older tofu will not break when frying and will have a more flavorful taste.
Note that if you cannot find older tofu, you can soak the tofu in a mild saltwater solution for 15 minutes. The saltwater helps remove excess moisture from the inside of the tofu, preventing it from breaking when fried.
2 steps to make the tofu crispy and prevent it from sticking to the pan:
– The first step is to dry the tofu:
After purchasing the tofu, rinse it thoroughly. After rinsing, use a dry, absorbent cloth to pat-dry the surface of the tofu, then cut it into bite-sized pieces. This helps to reduce splattering during frying and prevents the tofu from sticking to the pan. Additionally, dry tofu will also be crispier.
– Rub ginger on the frying pan
Many people don’t know the significance of this step. In reality, rubbing ginger on the pan will make the tofu less likely to stick during frying, resulting in intact tofu when flipped.
Here is the step-by-step guide for frying tofu:
Rinse the tofu thoroughly and cut it into bite-sized pieces. Note that the tofu should not be cut too thin, as it will become too soft and not retain its full flavor after frying.
Rub the bottom of the pan with a slice of ginger.
If you are using a regular non-stick pan, heat the pan before adding oil (in fact, rubbing ginger is unnecessary when using a non-stick pan). If you are using a non-stick pan, add oil to the pan before heating it, as heating it without oil will damage the non-stick coating.
Now pour oil into the pan and heat it. When the oil is hot enough, add the tofu. Many people have the habit of continuously flipping or moving the tofu in the pan as soon as it is added. However, doing so easily breaks the tofu. Wait for the tofu to slightly brown on one side before gently shaking the pan to evenly heat the tofu.
When the bottom of the tofu is truly golden, flip it. When both sides of the tofu are golden and cooked, remove the tofu from the pan and transfer it to a dish. The golden color of the tofu depends on your preference. You can prefer well-cooked and golden fried tofu or lightly browned ones as you like.
Additionally, to fry tofu without it sticking, you can sprinkle a little salt in the pan.
After adding oil to the pan, don’t immediately add the tofu for frying. Sprinkle a bit of salt in the oil and then proceed with frying, so the tofu won’t break and won’t stick to the pan.
Another tip is to ensure that the frying oil is hot and the tofu is fully submerged in the oil. To achieve a crispy golden crust and a soft interior, sufficient oil is required for frying. If you use less oil, the tofu will take longer to cook, and furthermore, when using less oil, the oil will seep into the inside of the tofu and it won’t taste as good.
In addition, you can read the tips where you can heat the pan, add a handful of salt, and stir it evenly in the pan before adding oil and frying as usual. Apart from preventing oil splatters, salt also helps neutralize toxins produced when oil is heated at high temperatures.
Another note is that you need to control the heat properly to ensure delicious fried tofu. If the heat is too high or too low, the fried tofu will not turn out as good. Therefore, when frying tofu, choose medium heat. This not only quickly crisps the surface of the tofu but also helps retain moisture inside the tofu, making it soft on the inside and crispy on the outside.
Furthermore, to enhance the flavor, you can season the tofu with your favorite spices or marinate it beforehand. This will infuse the tofu with additional flavors and aromas.
According to Xe và thể thao (Cars and Sports)
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