Clara's Cooking | Fried Tofu

I admit that it took me a few tries to get this right. I've learned that to be successful, I must have the following:

1. DRY tofu (absorb as much of the water as possible before cooking)
2. FIRM tofu (otherwise it falls apart)
3. PATIENCE 

Wait, why do I need patience? Because in cooking I feel the need to stir food every few minutes. But - NOPE! Don't do that when frying tofu! Just like with pan frying chicken, it'll get the best brown color if you leave it UNDISTURBED for at least 5-7 minutes. Trust me! 

FRIED TOFU RECIPE:

Ingredients:

1lb tofu (extra firm)
2-3 TBSP olive oil
Garlic powder (at least 1 tsp)
Onion powder (at least 1 tsp)
Salt & black pepper

Directions:

1. Drain the tofu and gently squeeze it with paper towels. 
2. With a sharp knife, cut into 1/2 slices. Gently pat again to soak away any remaining water.
3. Season both sides of tofu with garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
4. In a pan (I like the ceramic lined pans from Aldi), heat olive oil on medium-high.
5. Place tofu gently in pan, and space at least 1/3 inch apart (each slice needs sufficient airflow to evenly and to prevent from sticking to each other).
6. Let tofu cook, UNTOUCHED, for at least 5-7 minutes. You'll know it's time to flip them when you see a brown crust appear along the bottom edges.
7. Flip the tofu to cook the other side, leave untouched 4-6 minutes. The second side will take about 1-2 minutes less than it took the first side to cook. Enjoy!

Tips:

- Enjoy these in any kind of stir fry, or even in just a quick snack on their own! I sometimes like to eat these with a spicy chili sauce or coconut amigos (like soy sauce).

- Don't be afraid to experiment with spices! You could try curry powder, turmeric, nutmeg, etc.! Just go EASY on the spices at first, as tofu itself typically has a mild taste.


Enjoy!

love + light,
Clara