PAN FRIED TOFU

PAN FRIED TOFU
Tofu is made from soybean curds. It is an excellent source of iron and calcium. Contains no cholesterol. It is naturally gluten-free and low in calories.

Tofu is an important source of protein, especially for vegans and vegetarians.

Tofu is used as an alternative to meat and used in many Chinese vegetarian dishes as Mock meat here in Singapore.

How is Tofu made?
Tofu is made by coagulating soymilk to create curds. The curds are then pressed and compacted into the gelatinous white blocks recognized as tofu.

To make Pan fried tofu you need to use Extra firm Tofu. 

Unfortunately, the extra firm tofu was out of stock so I had to buy the silken Tofu (It was slightly difficult to manoeuvre the tofu for this dish) but the end result was lip-smackingly delicious.

Pan-fried tofu is a dish that everyone at home will love. It can be served as starters/ finger foods in parties/ social events too. Even those who are not a big fan of Tofu will love this recipe.
Tofu is very versatile. You can flavour it with any sauce or curry powders.
You can add Pan-fried tofu to fried rice or noodles as well.
I have used very simple ingredients.
But if you want you can add curry powder, sauces etc while tossing the tofu.

Ingredients
Tofu – 1 block (Firm)
Corn flour – 2 tablespoons
All-purpose flour – 1 tablespoon
Red chilli crushed – 2 teaspoons
Coarse Pepper – ½ teaspoon
Soya sauce – 2 teaspoons (Optional)
Salt as per taste (Refer Tip)
Oil for frying
Coriander leaves for garnish
Toasted sesame seeds – 1 teaspoon

Method
Tofu comes with some whey (Curdled water), We need to remove all the extra water, so Press the tofu by placing paper towels on the top and bottom of the block and absorb the whey.
After this slice the tofu into ½ inch cubes.
In a small bowl, combine the tofu with the flours, salt, crushed chilli, soya sauce (Optional) and pepper.
Toss gently to coat the tofu well.
Take a frying pan or a large skillet, add oil, heat the oil, once hot, Add the coated tofu.
Cook, turning occasionally, until golden brown and lightly crispy. 

Serve it hot, garnished with finely chopped coriander leaves, some crushed chilly and toasted sesame seeds.

Tips

· Firm or extra-firm tofu is best for frying
· Adjust salt if adding Soya sauce else your dish will become very salty
· Pressing the tofu is very important as it allows the tofu to absorb more of the flavours otherwise it will become soggy.
· If you would like a firmer pan-fried tofu, freeze the tofu cubes for about 30 minutes.

· For firm Tofu, you can use less oil and shallow fry but the silken tofu needs oil for deep frying.

Variations

· You can add paprika, curry powder, turmeric for some colour and flavour