The Best Broccoli Tofu Stir Fry Recipe - Build Your Bite (2024)

FAQs

What type of tofu is best for stir-fry? ›

Extra-Firm Tofu has the least amount of liquid. It's what I always recommend for stir fries, especially if it will be cubed like in this General Tso's Tofu Stir Fry. It still has enough liquid to where you will need to squeeze some of the liquid out.

Press the Tofu Before Stir-Frying

Young also advises pressing the tofu, even extra-firm tofu, between a few layers of paper towels and with something heavy to weigh it down. It's a few extra minutes of work, but there's a big payoff in the texture of the finished tofu.

Most seafood seasonings include celery seed, paprika, mustard powder, salt, and black pepper. Add lime juice to the tofu marinade to bring forward more of that classic seafood flavor. 5. Soy sauce: Marinating tofu in soy sauce helps the tofu absorb flavor quickly.

Marinate it: Tofu can be marinated in a variety of flavorful sauces or spices. You can use soy sauce, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, and other seasonings to make a simple marinade. Let the tofu marinate for at least 30 minutes (or up to a few hours) before cooking or grilling.

Key Steps for Crispy Tofu

Slice or cube the tofu after pressing. Coat the tofu in starch before frying. Arrowroot powder is a fine white powder, similar to cornstarch. It is gluten-free and a good choice if you are sensitive to corn-based products.

But at Chinese restaurants, the most commonly used tofu is silken tofu or egg tofu. They also use cornstarch or potato starch to lightly coat the tofu before putting it in the wok or fryer to fry.

Here's the thing: even though tofu might be labeled firm or extra-firm, it contains a lot of water. This excess water can cause the tofu to crumble when you cook it, and it will also have a hard time crisping up. But when you press tofu, you remove the excess moisture.

The minimum time to marinate small cubes, thin slices and grated or 'scrambled' tofu is 15 minutes. For the tastiest results, marinade the tofu overnight. Roll slices or cubes of marinated tofu in some rice flour, potato starch, corn flour or grated coconut before pan-frying for an extra-crispy crust.

And if tofu is vacuumed packed or firm already, you definitely don't need to press it. Here's why: moisture in tofu is a good thing. Tofu is over 80% water, and that moisture is what makes it such a succulent, juicy source of protein. Pressing it can make the tofu unnecessarily dry and strip it of its intended texture.

Combine brown sugar, paprika, chili powder, garam masala, oregano, garlic powder and salt. Dredge tofu in spice blend, covering all surfaces.

How to cook tofu for beginners? ›

Cut tofu into cubes. Step 2: Place those cubes in a bowl, and toss gently with 1-2 tablespoons of cornstarch. Step 3: Arrange tofu on a parchment-lined baking sheet and drizzle with some olive oil and salt. Step 4: Bake at 425 degrees for 25 minutes, or until as crispy as you'd like.

Tofu is perfect for so many Chinese dishes. It soaks up all the salty, spicy and savory flavors of tamari, hoisin sauce, garlic, ginger and chiles.

First, drain and press the tofu.

For the best texture, press the tofu using a tofu press or cast-iron skillet for 20 to 30 minutes. If you're short on time, just drain the tofu and gently press it in a kitchen towel or paper towels over the sink. The tofu won't be as firm this way, but it will still be delicious!

Not Using Enough Seasoning

"Coat tofu generously in herbs, spices, and sauces. You can marinate it before or after cooking, just make sure you use plenty of seasonings like ginger and garlic, soy sauce, sweet and sour sauce, green onions, vinegar, cajun seasoning, and other strong flavors," she says.

Traditional tofu-making coagulants include gypsum and nigari. But you can also make tofu with grocery store ingredients like lemon juice, vinegar and Epsom salts. What is this? Gypsum – aka calcium sulfate, a tasteless naturally occurring mineral salt traditionally used in tofu-making, especially Chinese tofu.

Extra-firm tofu has less water than firm tofu, which you notice in the difference in texture. The culinary possibilities of firm and extra-firm are almost the same, but extra-firm tofu doesn't absorb marinades as well. On the other hand, extra-firm is easier to pan-fry, stir-fry or deep-fry.

Firm/extra-firm: The firmer the tofu is, the less porous it will be, which means less flavor can absorb into it. It also means it has less water content, making this tofu great for stir-frying, pan cooking and grilling.

In general, I find that firm and extra-firm tofu are the most useful because they're versatile. They hit the tofu texture sweet spot—soft enough to absorb flavor but hardy enough to be cooked without risk of falling apart. Do note that some firm tofu, like House Foods', skews soft, more like medium-firm.

Extra-firm tofu: Consider extra-firm tofu the all-purpose tofu that holds its shape well and is excellent for slicing and cubing. It's an ideal choice for pan-frying, stir-frying, baking, grilling, and scrambling.