easy tofu stir fry?

[John Woods]

Last night I tried to do a tofu stir fry..... and I ended up tossing it in complete dismay. Any suggestions on a quick tofu stirfry?

[snowangel]

John, what was the problem with your stir fry?

[junehl]

I'm just taking a stab at a couple potential problems (texture and amount of time in pan). Hopefully it's helpful.

1. For an easy stirfry, use a firmer tofu and not the silken tofu. Firm tofus tend to have less of a chance to break up. Fried tofu is great because it also has a firm texture. If silken tofu is required you can dust the tofu pieces in flour, and pan fry it. It will give it a nice coating on the outside, and make it just a tad firmer.

2. Add tofu near the end, this will lower the amount of time it's in the pan and you won't jostle it as much and the tofu will have a better chance of staying together

3. If you're afraid of the tofu being cold since it's added at a later stage, you can dunk the tofu in boiling water or pan fry it ahead of time to warm up the tofu.

[Sony]

John, what was the problem with your stir fry?

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Yep, please let us know what was wrong and walk us through how you put it together....

[Khadija]

How you cook tofu depends on the kind of tofu and what you hope to achieve.

If you want a tofu that will have a "meaty" texture and absorb a lot of seasoning, and you are using a firm tofu, I sort of disagree about adding it to the stir-fry at the end. What you want is to rid the tofu of as much bland moisture (water) as possible (like drying out a sponge), and then rehydrate a bit with flavoured moisture. I've found that the best way to do this is to fry cubes, strips, or crumbled tofu until crispy and golden, in a generous amount of oil. Drain well and season with salt. Lots of people advocate draining the tofu by wrapping it in towels, putting under weights, etc., but I don't bother. If you want other stuff in your stir fry (vegetables), go ahead and start to stir-fry then, add the tofu and then add your sauce. If you want the tofu to be extremely flavourful, you might "soak" the fried tofu in some sauce prior to adding it to the pan. NOTE: I firmly believe that it is a total waste of time to attempt to marinate tofu before frying. There is simply too much water in the tofu, and the marinade will never penetrate very far beyond the surface. Also, marinated tofu will start to steam (and sometimes burn) as soon as it hits the pan this results in a rubbery texture.

If you do not want your tofu to have a "meaty" texture and absorb a lot of seasoning, then there are other things you can do. Let us know.

Edited September 11, 2007 by Khadija (log)

[Doodad]

I always wrap the tofu in paper towels and weight with a mortar. I think it helps in several ways.

My fav is Ma Po Tofu. Ground Pork browned with a few favorite veggies, tofu added, sauce added. Cover and simmer tofu in sauce for a few minutes. Uncover, thicken and add chopped green onions. Doesn't take 10 minutes of cooking.

[Beanie]

I always wrap the tofu in paper towels and weight with a mortar.  I think it helps in several ways.

My fav is Ma Po Tofu.  Ground Pork browned with a few favorite veggies, tofu added, sauce added.  Cover and simmer tofu in sauce for a few minutes.  Uncover, thicken and add chopped green onions.  Doesn't take 10 minutes of cooking.

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I love Ma Po Tufo. Here's a pictorial from the Chinese forum. It demonstrates the use of silken tofu in this dish. Tofu can be substituted in many of the stir fry dishes shown in the Chinese food pictorials. Try some. They're easy to make and delicious.

[Doodad]

I always wrap the tofu in paper towels and weight with a mortar.  I think it helps in several ways.

My fav is Ma Po Tofu.  Ground Pork browned with a few favorite veggies, tofu added, sauce added.  Cover and simmer tofu in sauce for a few minutes.  Uncover, thicken and add chopped green onions.   Doesn't take 10 minutes of cooking.

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I love Ma Po Tufo. Here's a pictorial from the Chinese forum. It demonstrates the use of silken tofu in this dish. Tofu can be substituted in many of the stir fry dishes shown in the Chinese food pictorials. Try some. They're easy to make and delicious.

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Ok Beanie, now I am starving and yes I would eat it for breakfast.

[BarbaraY]

I gently stir-fry firm tofu until it is lightly browned on most surfaces, then remove from the wok. Stir fry whatever vegetables with their seasonings and add the tofu back just to heat through.

It takes a gentle hand not to break it up but sliding the turner under instead of round and round helps.

I don't really care to have it deep fried before stir-frying as it sometimes gets rubbery.