30 Plant-based recipes: fried tofu
Servings: 4 people
- 10 ounces (250 - 280 grams) tofu firm or extra firm
- 3 tablespoons (20 grams) cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ⅛ teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 twists black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin
- Take 14 – 16 ounces tofu out of the package, drain the liquid, and break it apart with your hands into bite-size chunks.Tip: don't pat dry and don't press the tofu.
- To a medium-sized dish, add the cornstarch, garlic powder, chili powder, paprika, salt and pepper. Mix with a fork till the ingredients are well combined.Toss the tofu cubes into the dish with the seasoning. Shake the dish left and right till the tofu is fully coated in the seasoning.
- Warm up the olive oil on medium heat in a nonstick pan. Add the tofu onto the pan and fry for about 12 minutes on medium heat.Flip the tofu around with a fork every 2 to 3 minutes. Your fried tofu is ready when it's cripsy and golden-brown on the outside.
SUBSTITUTIONS
- Extra virgin olive oil: sub with avocado oil, coconut butter, canola oil, sunflower oil, or regular olive oil.
- Spices: you can use most spices such as curry, turmeric, dried herbs, cumin, coriander, onion powder, and more.
- Cornstarch: we haven't tried replacing the cornstarch but some readers had success with arrowroot powder.
VARIATIONS
- Curry fried tofu: sub 1 teaspoon of curry powder, 1 teaspoon turmeric powder, and ½ ground cumin for paprika and chili powder.
- Italian fried tofu: sub 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, and 1 teaspoon dried rosemary for paprika and chili powder.
- Turmeric-black pepper fried tofu: sub 2 tsps of turmeric and ½ teaspoon black pepper for paprika, garlic, and chili powder.
MAKE AHEAD & STORAGE
- Make ahead: this is not the best recipe to make ahead because the tofu loses its outer crispiness. However, if you'd like to make it in advance, you can certainly do so, and we often do this, especially when we do meal prep for a few days. The tofu is still tasty, just not as crisp. A trick that helps is to reheat it on a non-stick pan with a bit of oil for a couple of minutes.
- Refrigerator: store pan-fried tofu leftovers in a bowl, covered with a plate, or in an airtight container, for up to 3 days. Remember that the coating absorbs moisture as it sits in the fridge and will lose its crispness.
- Freezer: we don't recommend freezing fried tofu because the coating won't thaw and reheat well.
- Reheat: you can warm leftovers in the microwave for 2 minutes or on a non-stick skillet or cast iron pan with a tablespoon of olive oil on medium-high heat for 4 to 5 minutes.
