Help with tofu?

rickyd88
rickyd88 Posts: 75 Member
edited October 6 in Recipes
I've just cooked brown rice with some tofu thrown in with some sweet chilli sauce, chopped garlic and onions, bay leaves etc. It TASTED delicious, but I couldn't finish the rest of the tofu because it had the texture of half cooked scrambled eggs. It was jelly-like and the texture put me off eating the rest of my meal. Even my dog turned his nose up at it!

It's the first time I've ever had tofu and I was wondering if it's meant to be like that? Is there a way I can overcome the texture, as taste wasn't really a problem. I tried to eat a mouthful with the rice so it wasn't as obvious, but in the end I've wasted half of my dinner and I'm now hungry and unsure if I can eat anything else without going over my calories.

Does anyone have any cooking tips, or even new recipes I can try out? Is there a particular way of cooking it?

Thanks in advance!

Replies

  • Brienparis
    Brienparis Posts: 3
    tofu comes in various varieties. It sounds like you had the "silken" type which is gelatin like. Try finding tofu marked "firm" or "extra firm".
  • bluepineapple
    bluepineapple Posts: 18
    i've found that if you brown the tofu in a skillet with some oil before adding it to anything it maintains its shape much better. also tofu comes in all different levels of firmness. I buy the firmest and it isn't really very jelly-like. Hope this helps
  • trijaco
    trijaco Posts: 1
    Agreed - I use extra firm to cook with because of the texture.
  • timingsands
    timingsands Posts: 83
    If you're not fond of the texture, best way is to brown it like bluepineapple said. Slice the tofu, pat dry with paper towels. Fry the tofu on medium heat with a bit of oil. Fry until both sides are golden brown, then use it in stir fry recipes.
  • tmarie2715
    tmarie2715 Posts: 1,111 Member
    Its also great in soup. If you get extra firm, some one posted a topic a while back about how to prepare as though it were going into a bento-- just pat dry and sprinkle with some soy sauce and sliced green onions. I feed it that way to my preschooler.
  • CouchSpud
    CouchSpud Posts: 557 Member
    Yeah I just managed to shop the wrong one again, had my stir fry with it anyway... there is a smoked one with nuts - almonds I believe it is awesome with rice and veg
  • hezzyfoofie
    hezzyfoofie Posts: 57 Member
    If you freeze firm or extra firm tofu, then thaw it, and squeeze the water out of it, it will completely change the texture and you may find you enjoy it more.
  • quixoticmantis
    quixoticmantis Posts: 297 Member
    I freeze my extra-firm tofu, thaw it, then press it to get the water it. Gives it a 'meatier' texture :)
  • caveats
    caveats Posts: 493 Member
    There's a TON of different types of tofu, so it may be that the tofu you used was too soft.

    In general, the soft or silken tofu is meant for soups (add to miso soup, egg drop soup, veggie soup, etc.) and it can also be chopped, pureed or blended for desserts. (There's a really simple tofu "pudding" that is basically honey syrup, ginger, silken tofu pieces and chopped peanuts ... delicious.)

    Medium tofu you can use like other similar textured veggies (potatoes, for example) in things like curries, but be careful of too much agitation (stirring, etc.) as it can still fall apart.

    Your best bet for stir-fry, saute or pan-frying is going to be firm or extra firm. Chop it up into blocks and add to your stir-fry as you would an ingredient like mushrooms or potatoes (tofu soaks up flavor really well). For something like fried tofu, dredge the chopped tofu blocks in a little bit of either cornstarch or flour before dropping it in the pan/fryer for a nice, crispy texture on the outside.

    Also, if you can find dried or super extra firm tofu (it would still be packaged and in the fridge section, but this will probably be more in a specialty or Asian store, and it would probably be more brown in color), the texture of that type of tofu is awesome for substitutions like mushrooms or meat since it retains shape through just about anything.

    In short, tofu is extremely versatile. You just need to experiment with different types/kinds for the food you're making to find the right tofu. :)
  • ariel419
    ariel419 Posts: 9
    I always buy the extra firm variety and that helps with texture. It's also good to drain as much of the liquid as you can. I usually place the tofu on paper towels and then place a plate with some sort of weight on top of it (a can of food works well) to get the liquid out. Also, cooking the tofu separately and then adding it to your dish helps it keep its form.
  • timingsands
    timingsands Posts: 83
    Oh, you could also try something like this: http://chowvegan.com/2008/06/06/chicken-fried-tofu/

    http://mobile.eatingwell.com/recipes/coconut_crusted_tofu_with_peach_lemongrass_salsa.html
  • sunkisses
    sunkisses Posts: 2,365 Member
    I get extra firm, drain it by placing something heavy on top of it, then slice it thinly. After that I brown it in a pan. Kinda like this recipe:
    http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/pan-crisped-tofu-with-greens-peanut-dressing-10000001918467/
  • irridia
    irridia Posts: 527 Member
    It does pretty much come out like scrambled eggs, texture wise. Though I have found the Firm versions unpalatable.
    Maybe try different firmnesses and brands. I like the soft the best and the sooner you eat it after buying, the more mild it's flavor. I eat min w/garlic salt and pepper right out of the box like eggs. good luck.
  • aekaya
    aekaya Posts: 163 Member
    I'd recommend looking for some tofu burger mix! You can get it at Asian food stores. You just mix it in with some smushed tofu, and then you can grill it to create a really delicious burger.
  • messyinthekitchen
    messyinthekitchen Posts: 662 Member
    I made that mistake when I first started out with it. Try extra firm next time.
  • LRConner
    LRConner Posts: 2 Member
    Wild Wood Organics makes a delicious and very firm baked tofu. It almost has the consistency of cheddar cheese. It's also very tasty and is available in several flavors. Enjoy!
  • vjrose
    vjrose Posts: 809 Member
    If you don't have to really watch your sodium the baked tofu's are superior as a meat replacement IMO. I have to watch the sodium so it's extra firm high protein from Trader's Joe's for me. In t he scrambled eggs in the morning or browned with some spices. Yum.
  • nessajk
    nessajk Posts: 32
    I GUARANTEE that this is your best option - place it between two towels, put a pan or cutting board on top, and then something heavy on top of that. I use my knife block. Let it press for half an hour. It will change your tofu-cooking life. Especially if you want to crumble it up like ground meat. MMMM.
  • melbellkid
    melbellkid Posts: 72
    A friend told me she used it cut into little cubes or sliced super thin after drying out a bit-the dip it in nutritional yeast and brown in a tiny bit of oil-I tried it that way and it was pretty good-she also says its really good with some scrambled eggs and avacado mixed together with a little salsa.
  • daffodilsoup
    daffodilsoup Posts: 1,972 Member
    If you freeze firm or extra firm tofu, then thaw it, and squeeze the water out of it, it will completely change the texture and you may find you enjoy it more.

    Came here to post this!
  • cmhickey616
    cmhickey616 Posts: 85 Member
    I GUARANTEE that this is your best option - place it between two towels, put a pan or cutting board on top, and then something heavy on top of that. I use my knife block. Let it press for half an hour. It will change your tofu-cooking life. Especially if you want to crumble it up like ground meat. MMMM.


    Yes this is what I was going to post...I love doing this and then crumbling it up with italian spices, nutritional yeast, and garlic salt and using it as my "ricotta cheese" in veggie lasagna with whole wheat noodles. soooo yummy!
  • StevLL
    StevLL Posts: 921 Member
    Extra firm and let it rest after taking it out of the package on some paper towels and it will lose some of it's excess water. Then saute it up in a smidgen of oil with whatever seasoning you want and then add it to whatever you are cooking. It does really well in a wok. Good stuff because it will take on almost any flavors.
  • stephanie_salvi
    stephanie_salvi Posts: 46
    I get extra firm, drain it by placing something heavy on top of it, then slice it thinly. After that I brown it in a pan.

    Same here. I hate gooey tofu.
  • bethvandenberg
    bethvandenberg Posts: 1,496 Member
    I try and hide tofu in a bunch of my kids food so that they get some extra protein as they don't really like too much meat. :) When they were little I would crumble it up in ramen....The other day I heard my oldest telling her friend that she liked it b/c it wasn't heavy like meat, and tasted like the sauce. Ok so she's 17 but it's cool.
  • SarahMorganP
    SarahMorganP Posts: 921 Member
    bump
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