Let’s talk about protein. Do you get enough? Sprouted tofu is a great vegan option to get your daily protein… more than regular tofu. And it’s just as delicious. I make this Fried Asian Tofu dish for me and my husband at least once a week.
The trick to making tasty tofu? Drain it and dry it out as long as you can before frying. Firm tofu wrapped in a clean towel or layers of paper towels do the trick! Also, I use a cast iron pan to fry my tofu because the pan heats to a higher temperature. Both of these steps lead to crispier tofu.
You can marinate the sauce with the drained tofu for 30 minutes or just heat the sauce and serve it on the side as a dip. The tofu will get crispier if you cook it in oil without the sauce. If you’re like me and like the crispy, opt for making the sauce as a dip. Or, you can fry the tofu in oil until crispy and then baste the sauce on and sear the tofu again on each side before serving.
I serve this with peas or something green for color. And if I am splurging, I’ll add a little rice.
So good!
Fried Asian Tofu
Equipment
- Cast Iron Pan
Ingredients
- 2 packages sprouted tofu trader joes
- 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
- 4 tbsp soy sauce
- 5 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
- 1/4 cup green onions optional for garnish
Instructions
- Remove tofu from packaging. Set drained sprouted tofu over many layers of paper towels or a clean folded dish towel. Place more paper towels or another clean dish towel on top of the tofu and place the pan you're planning to use on top to weigh it down. Let tofu sit for up to 1 hour.
- In a small sauce pan, stir hoisin sauce, soy sauce, garlic and red pepper flakes.
- Heat the mixture over medium heat until heated through (about 5 minutes.) Turn off heat and let it rest.
- Cut tofu into thin slices, about 1/2 of an inch thick. The thinner the slices, the crispier your tofu will be!
- Heat olive oil in a cast iron pan over medium-high heat. Once the pan is heated (about 3 minutes) add tofu slices. Important! Heat the pan before adding tofu. Once they are seared on the bottom, flip. Do not move the tofu around while cooking. Leave it on one side, untouched for 3 minutes before checking for crispiness.
- When both sides are to your crispiness-liking, Drizzle with sesame oil, sprinkle sesame seeds and remove.
- Baste the sauce over the tofu slices and re-sear on both sides, or serve the slices plain, with sauce on the side for dipping!
- optional: garnish with green onions to serve
For other great recipes, visit my Meals section on the blog!
