My new favourite way to make crispy tofu

I used to cherish this book on 101 ways to make tofu. It was the late 1990s and as a new vegetarian, I was soaking up all the tips I could get about plant nutrition. These were the days when everyone was worried about protein deficiencies from just eating plants.

Thus I began my love affair with tofu.

I can’t remember the exact title of the book. I lent the book to someone and it was never returned. When you have been eating tofu as long as I have, things can get a little status quo. Recently I came across a recipe on YouTube (see below) where it is baked into a crispy texture. I love a crispy texture so I decided to give it a go despite its unfortunate title.

These days I watch a lot of YouTube so I am happy when I come across a recipe that isn’t complicated and doesn’t require a bunch of ingredients that I don’t have in my pantry. Call me basic.

A word of note: the recipe calls for silken tofu – not the firm kind. Silken hasn’t been pressed and it has more of a spongy texture than firm or medium pressed. I used medium firm silken and it worked fine.

Freeze your tofu for the best results. I have always stuck mine in the freezer after I come home from the store. This improves the texture and soaks up some of the water.

I made this recipe twice in one week. Both times I was impressed with the texture and flavour. I adjusted the cooking time though because the tofu was a little too crispy for my liking. I added it to my salads and made a wrap with it. Great addition! Next time I am going to try this with my InstantPot AirFryer lid.

This is a perfect starting point for those who are interested in adding more planted based foods to their diet or need to simply shake up their dishes.

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CRISPY BAKED TOFU

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

1. Bowl and mixing spoon
2. Cookie tray
3. Parchment or silicone sheets
4. Oven

INGREDIENTS:

1. One package of silken tofu
2. Two teaspoons of paprika
3. A teaspoon of garlic
4. A drizzle of oil
5. 1/4 cup of corn starch
6. Two tablespoons of Tamari

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Freeze your silken tofu. Let it thaw. Do this two times
2. Squeeze the water out of the tofu. Tear into chunks. Set aside
3. Add oil and soy sauce to bowl
4. Add tofu
5. Add spices
6. Mix all together
7. Add corn starch
8. Add 1 teaspoon of paprika
9. Place tofu on lined cookie tray
10. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes. Watch so it doesn’t burn.

Is tofu a part of your diet? How do you prepare it? I would love to hear from you in the comments below.