This feels like a quick little recipe that I should just tack onto a social media post or something, but I intentionally want to let it live here on the blog.
Why? Because this is a method you’re going to want to reference all the time – especially when the family gets hooked on tofu. This is the gateway recipe that finally solidified my kid’s acceptance of tofu – so it’s a big deal!
For a good long while now we’ve been consciously trying to eat less meat and I’ve had to look elsewhere for our protein. No problem: we love lentils, embraced the year of the pulse, and eggs have always been a mainstay. Tofu was always an ingredient that I really enjoyed but no one else really got excited about – until now.
I developed this recipe for Sesame Stir-Fried Tofu while working on my last book, and I have to say, it was an instant hit. We toss it into fried rice, combine it with vegetables for a stir-fry, serve it up over noodles and add it to enormous Asian-style buddha bowls. It’s very versatile and I suggest you simply incorporate it into your meals however suits your fancy.
No matter how I am serving it, my eldest leans over the dish to scoop himself just a little extra tofu each time. And there’s never any leftovers.
I start with a firm, organic tofu and cut the block into four, as pictured above. I then place these smaller blocks on half of a clean tea towel and fold the other half over, so that it is covering the tofu. On top I set a heavy cast iron pan or solid wood cutting board to press out a bit more of the juices….and make way for the marinade that is coming.
After the tofu has been pressed for about 15 minutes, I cut the four pieces into 1/2 inch strips, as pictured above.They don’t have to be exact, we just want to have plenty of surface area for maximum crispy edges.
Now you could just salt the tofu and fry it up in a pan here and now, but I toss it with a simple marinade to give it an irresistible flavour. You can use what you have on hand – mirin, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, fish sauce, chili oil – anything to give it a little punch.
Once the tofu has marinated for about 10 minutes (more is fine too), I preheat a skillet and brush the bottom with oil. I find a preheated, well-oiled wok works well, as does a non-stick pan, or a seasoned cast iron skillet. Use what you have; the important part is to preheat the oil so that it sizzles when you add the tofu. This gives our little morsels crispy edges, a highly desirable trait in pressed bean curd!
Once the tofu is golden brown on both sides, it’s ready to be enjoyed. Stay tuned, because I’ve got a recipe for a big, bountiful vegetable and vermicelli salad bowl coming soon to the blog and it’s the perfect dish for showcasing a fresh batch of Sesame Stir-Fried Tofu.
Sesame Stir-Fried Tofu
A simple and versatile way to prepare tofu. Serve as a side to rice, noodles or stir-fried vegetables.
4.67 from 6 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Dishes
Cuisine: Vegetarian
Essential Ingredient: tofu
Prep Time: 20 minutesminutes
Cook Time: 5 minutesminutes
Total Time: 25 minutesminutes
Servings: 5people
Calories: 123kcal
Author: Aimee
Ingredients
1poundfirm organic tofu
1large limejuiced
2Tablespoonssoy sauce
1Tablespoonsesame oil
1/2teaspoonfine sea salt
2teaspoonscanola oil
Sesame seedsto garnish
Instructions
Cut the tofu into four pieces and lay flat on half of a clean tea towel. Cover with the other half of the towel. Place a heavy cutting board or cast iron pan on top and press the tofu for about 10-15 minutes, whatever you have time for.
Cut the tofu into strips about 1/2 inch thick and 1 inch long. In a medium bowl, stir together the lime juice, soy sauce and sesame oil. Add the pieces of tofu and toss gently to coat them in the marinade. Let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes, then drain.
Preheat a large non-stick pan over medium heat. Brush with a teaspoon of canola oil. Add about half of the tofu to the pan (it should sizzle with it hits the oil) and cook for 2 minutes. Turn each piece of tofu over and fry for an additional 2 minutes. Tofu should be golden brown on both sides.
Transfer to a bowl. Top with sesame seeds if desired and serve at once as a side to rice or noodles.
It is made from dried soybeans that are soaked in water and then crushed and boiled. Soy milk is separated from the solids. The soy milk is poured into molds to allow the carbohydrate-laden whey to drain off. This results in soft cakes of tofu that are cut into squares and stored under water.
Tofu is a minimally-processed, healthy food for babies and kids that offers plenty of nutrients. It's a fantastic source of plant-based protein, fiber, and many essential micronutrients including iron, zinc, and calcium. It's also a great source of antioxidants.
For brand new eaters, tofu is an ideal first food and can work well for baby-led weaning. Simply cut a block of tofu into long strips that your baby can practice picking up and feeding herself. Alternatively, you can crumble extra firm tofu or cut it into small cubes she can bite.
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.
So children eating a lot of tofu may not be good. But to overcome this shortcoming, pediatricians all encourage mothers and caregivers to give children tofu with meat, egg yolks as well as some other complex protein-containing foods when the baby is born.
Tofu is easy to prep and packed with important nutrients like protein, making it an ideal mealtime staple for both meat-eating and vegetarian families alike. And since it's simple to serve in finger food form, tofu is a particularly good choice for early eaters.
Frying tofu can give it a crispy texture, but comes at a cost – it can be high in calories, up to three times more than baked or air-fried tofu. This is because frying requires added oil as a heat conductor, which cooks the tofu evenly but also makes it absorb more oil, resulting in more fat and calories.
12 months old +: Offer bite-sized cubes of firm or extra-firm tofu and consider introducing trainer chopsticks or a fork to encourage utensil practice. You can also preload a spoon of silken tofu and rest it next to the food for the child to try to pick up.
Are they safe for my toddler? Soy milk does contain phytoestrogens (an estrogen-like hormone found in plants such as whole grains, potatoes, dried beans, and apples), but there's no scientific evidence to date that drinking soy milk is harmful to children or adults.
Soy foods such as tofu are renowned for their cholesterol-lowering effects. In fact, the evidence is so strong that regulators in the United States and Canada have approved health claims linking soy protein to a lower risk of heart disease ( 14 ).
Eat it raw: Tofu is completely safe to eat raw. Whether you press it or marinate it, you can use raw tofu in salads, smoothies, or have it as a protein-packed snack.
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.
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.
Pat the tofu chunks dry, then season well. Heat half the oil in a wok or large frying pan over a high heat. Fry the tofu for 5 mins until golden, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and ginger and fry for 1 min more.
Tofu is made from dried soybeans that are soaked in water, crushed, and boiled. The mixture is separated into solid pulp (okara) and soy “milk.” Salt coagulants, such as calcium and magnesium chlorides and sulfates, are added to the soy milk to separate the curds from the whey.
Tofu (豆腐), sometimes called doufu (usually used in Chinese recipes) or bean curd (literal translation), is a food made from soybeans. In fact, it is a very complex process. Tofu is made by coagulating soy milk into curds.
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