Hikari Beliveau

I'm looking for tofu ideas!

No, not those weird "replace meat with tofu" ones but just dishes with tofu as the main ingredient. Like ma po tofu (Chinese) or some of the Korean dishes with tofu.

All I've been doing is frying tofu and eating it with a Korean soysauce-spice mix and kind of getting bored with it.

Soooo ... anyone?

Aodhan McDunnough

Tofu Agedashi FTW
There's also this hot and spicy Chinese bean curd dish whose name always escapes me.

Definitely look up Chinese, Japanese, and Korean recipes. For us tofu is not a meat substitute it's a regular ingredient, and it's often in very delicious dishes.

I just fry my bean curd and have it plain with a little soy sauce (optionally with wasabi).

Hikari Beliveau

Any ideas that aren't East Asian?

This is the stuff I grew up on, and I'm trying to increase my palette with stuff not from my native area.

Aodhan McDunnough

First question: does anyone else get it right?

Hikari Beliveau

Not sure, that's why I'm asking, LOL.

Lily Joliat

tofu : Food Network

maybe there's something good in here that you like.

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Aodhan McDunnough

I don't know how difficult it is to make but there is the Philippine Taho. It's an awesome dessert.

eku Zhong

Mapo doufu... thats the one you want...


i am not sure what ingredients you have available.. its usually made with minced pork, broadbean or blackbean beanpast, chilis, soy sauce, garlic, ginger and green onions

using sesame oil to fry the mince, onions and garlic first makes it more tasty...
at the end a little cornstarch and or potato flour is mixed with a little water and then added to the dish to bind the sauce and give it that slight glutunous effect that a lot of chinese food has.

Mapo Tofu Recipe - Tofu Recipes - a Szechuan Mapo Tofu Recipe

I also like to eat very fine tofu (called kinukosi toufu here .. but i think you call it silk tofu?)
this is great eaten raw (you can boil it and chill it if you are worried) with a little soya sauce, a squeeze of lime (we use uzu but i dont know what that is in english) or a dash of grated ginger.. and a bunch of chopped green onions over the top.

tofu is great in miso soup. if you can get the reddish brown japanese bean curd (miso) then you can make all sorts of wonderful variations of the soup...

About Japanese Miso Soup - Making miso soup - Japanese food

the silk tofu is also good in a salad.. with a shisou (perilla.. i think) dressing.。thats one of my favorite ways to eat it..
but theres tons of ways for salads.. no limit really .. and great for summer

below.. marinated tomato and onions (italian dressing) over cold tofu on a bed of thinly slices cucumbers



below is with baby tomatoes, leftover ginger fried pork.. and a splash of mayo

Isabeau Imako

Here's one I enjoy - If you like curries, you may, too.
It's just a basic one, easy to make. You can always add different
ingredients to it like mushrooms, carrots, or sweet peppers, etc.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger (about 2 slices)
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1 onion
• 2 stalks fresh lemon grass (optional)
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• dash red pepper flakes (adjust amount to your heat level)
• 1 block tofu, drained and sliced into approx 1 inch squares
• 1 1/2 tbsp curry powder
• 14 oz coconut milk
• 1 cup water

Preparation:

In a blender or food processor, process the ginger, garlic, onion and lemon grass until smooth, adding a bit of olive oil if needed. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the blended garlic mixture. Sauté this mixture for 1-3 minutes, then add the tofu and red pepper flakes, stirring gently to mix the tofu with the garlic mixture for another 3-5 minutes, adding more olive oil if needed.
Reduce heat to medium low and add coconut, water, and curry, stirring well to combine. Cover the skillet and allow to simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.



Serve over rice.

eku Zhong

if you really want to go wild..
Brownie Points » Chocolate Peanut Butter Tofu Ice Cream

Lewis Luminos

I used to eat tofu a lot when I was still vegetarian. And not just asian style either. One of my favourites was to cut it into chunks or strips, cover it in flour and spices (cajun or southern-fried-chicken style) and fry it. To be honest I'd still rather have that than fried chicken.

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IsaDaft Trollop

Just say NO and go with Bacon. It's way tastier, no matter how you serve it.

for example, you can even put it on a maplebar:

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(from a 7.3)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cocoanut Koala If I had weed, a movie, and hot sex waiting for me, too, y'all would be dust in my rear view mirror.

Willow Matthews

You can scramble tofu too (kinda like eggs), with a little bit of honey and cumin. It's yummeh for breakfast. Just choose your favorite bread for toasting.

Chance Abattoir

Baked beancurd > tofu * infinity

A good, cheap brand at the Chinese markets here in LA is Kimbo. It's vacuum sealed in plastic and is in the refrigerated section. Runs about $1.50 a pack. It's pressed into little slabs and is brown in color. Tastes great out of the package or cooked in almost anything. Something similar might be available in your neck of the woods.

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IsaDaft Trollop

You disappoint me, Chance, being all serious in a TOFU thread.

__________________
Updated 2/15/09
I am giving you an 8.4 on the Official Trout Recreant Slutiness Measuring Device. Congratulations and shame on you!
(from a 7.3)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cocoanut Koala If I had weed, a movie, and hot sex waiting for me, too, y'all would be dust in my rear view mirror.

Chance Abattoir

I'm always serious, that's the scary part.

__________________
"Making food is just like science, with tools that blend and baste, and every fun appliance gives the food a different taste."
-Stephanie Meyer

"The mob requires regular doses of scandal, paranoia and dilemma to alleviate the boredom of a meaningless existence."
-Insane Ramblings, Anton LaVey

Willow Matthews

I priced a decent Tofu the other week here and it was like $8.50ish. Australians fork out for bean curd.

And yes Chance is serious. And a litte scary.

/me tentatively offers and curd.



On a nice plate in the doorway where there is room for Chance to back away slooowly.

Willow Matthews

Isa. Go to bed.

Aodhan McDunnough

You can also just experiment with it.

As long as one treats tofu as an ingredient and not a meat substitute, and factors in that tofu takes on its flavor from whatever it's cooked with ... win!

/me wishes he can eat taho anytime. My stomach reacts badly to soft/liquid soy (except soy sauce).

Isabeau Imako

I've never had bean curd, can it replace tofu in all recipes?

Chance Abattoir

Tofu is bean curd. If you mean can baked bean curd replace tofu in all recipes, you can't use it in anything like shakes or anything you'd use the extra soft tofu for. It's firmer than that, a little closer to a mcnugget than to egg.

__________________
"Making food is just like science, with tools that blend and baste, and every fun appliance gives the food a different taste."
-Stephanie Meyer

"The mob requires regular doses of scandal, paranoia and dilemma to alleviate the boredom of a meaningless existence."
-Insane Ramblings, Anton LaVey

Isabeau Imako

Oops. What I wrote didn't make sense .
Yes. I meant baked instead of regular brick.

Rose Alba Karuna

I often scramble Tofu like eggs (with an egg). I add things like tomatos and hot sauce and green peppers, onion and garlic. Depends on what I have laying around the house.

One of my favorite recipes though is Tofu and Eggplant.

Tofu and Eggplant

1 pound extra-firm tofu (not silken)
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp. water
1 TBLS toasted sesame oil
4 small eggplants, about 1-1/2 pounds total, peeled and sliced into strips 2-inches long, 1-inch wide, and 1/4-inch thick - you could use one large eggplant but the smaller ones are less spongy.
1/3 cup water
6-8 garlic cloves, minced--about 2 tbsp.
1-inch peeled fresh ginger, grated
3/4 cup vegetable broth or water
1 tbsp Hoisin sauce
3 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
1/2 tbsp dark sesame oil
1/2 tbsp sugar or other sweetener
1/2 - 1 tsp hot chili sauce
1 TBLS sesame seeds for topping

Cut the tofu into 1/2-inch slices and press them lightly between towels to get some of the moisture out. Combine the 3 tbsp. soy sauce with the 2 tbsp. water and 1/2 tsp. sesame oil. Dip each slice of tofu into the mixture and set on a plate.

Heat a sesame oiled, non-stick skillet until hot. Place the tofu slices in the skillet and cook until browned. Turn over and brown the other sides. When the tofu is completely browned on both sides, remove it from the skillet and place it on a cutting board. Cut each slice into 8-10 cubes. Set aside.

Heat a sesame oiled, non-stick wok and add the eggplant and 1/3 cup water. Cover and cook, stirring often, until eggplant begins to brown. Uncover and add the garlic and ginger and cook for 2 more minutes.

Add all remaining ingredients except the sesame seeds and tofu. Simmer uncovered until all the eggplant slices are completely cooked--they will be soft and start to fall apart. Add the tofu cubes and cook until heated through. Sprinkle the top with sesame seeds.

Serve over jasmine rice.

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Hikari Beliveau

A lot of this stuff sounds yummy, thanks for recipes and ideas.

Except for the ice cream one LOL. Maybe I'll try that one too though...

eku Zhong

tofu icecream is actually very nice.. like frozen yoghurt without the sour.