Tofu can be so great in a variety of dishes, and baking tofu this way or with any sort of marinade or sauce just makes it that much better. You can just bake it a little or bake it until it's quite dry and so there are even crunchy bits. Either way it makes such a fun, healthy and leaner protein addition to a soup, stir-fry, coconut curry or sauce-based curry dish. Even just as a snack - dipped in a thicker sauce or just soy sauce or Bragg's is a great way to enjoy this.
Kid's Stuff: I'd love to say this is a favourite of my one year old - but she hasn't yet acquired a liking for tofu. I'll keep trying though! If your baby or kids do like tofu you could make up a fun snack with toothpicks stuck into the chunks of baked tofu and a few different dips alongside.
For starters, if you have time, it's best to get some of that excess moisture out of your block of tofu. It should make the marinade/flavours absorb into the tofu better. I'll admit I've not done this on many occasions, but it is a good idea. I wrap the tofu with paper towel or a tea towel, place a plate or something with a bit of weight on top (cutting board with a heavy saucepan or book on top, for instance) and let it sit for a little while. Even 15 or 20 minutes will help. You can take it from there as to how you want to slice it or marinate it, but here's what I did this time!
Ingredients:
- 1 package of extra firm tofu
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml), approximately, soy sauce or Bragg's
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) olive oil or vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) Thai curry paste
Method:
Preheat oven to 375⁰ F (190⁰ C).
Mix ingredients (excluding tofu at this stage) in a bowl or measuring cup.
After wrapping and pressing out the excess moisture on the tofu, slice the tofu into cubes about 1 centimeter (1/2 inch) thick. Add to mixture or pour mixture over tofu and mix until tofu is well-coated.
Cover with plastic wrap or place in a container with a lid and put in the fridge for as long as you can - 10 minutes to an hour or more - whatever you can manage.
Remove cover or wrap and place in a baking dish that has been lightly greased. Place in the centre of the oven, uncovered. I have also done this in a basic roasting pan with the lid on and it worked out fine.
Bake for 15 minutes and then stir to turn the pieces over.
Bake for another 15 minutes (or more if you want a drier, even crispier result). I've almost 'overdone' this before and actually found the crispy bits great!
Serve in a dish on it's own or combine with some vegetables (and perhaps rice or noodles) or mix in with your favourite curry dish.
(Dinner, tea party and food photography - it's all happening here!)
I remember you saying the kids loved tofu. Scarlet likes it at our sushi place, but so far not when I serve it to her! Will keep trying! I'm sure you'll like it baked - it makes it even denser in texture - and drier, which I like.
Posted by: The Taste Traveller | 05/01/2010 at 02:34 PM
Mmmm. I'm going to try this one. We love tofu. I <3 the teapot. ;)
Posted by: michelle prins | 05/01/2010 at 12:41 PM