Fried Tofu

Tofu seasoned with turmeric, coriander powder, cumin powder, salt, chili powder, and a dash of olive oil.

Cooking with tofu may seem a bit intimidating at first but once you learn a few tricks on how to prepare  it, you’ll find that its an easy and flavorful addition to vegetable dishes.  Varying the spices in the tofu marinade can make it seem like a different dish each time.

We want to get a lot of the moisture out of the tofu so that it will absorb spices easily.The first thing is to take firm or extra firm tofu out of the package and drain it.  Then slice the tofu block into 1/2 to 3/4 inch slices, and lay it on a paper towel covered plate.  

Cover with another layer of paper towel and another dinner plate and let it sit for a minimum of 20 minutes.

Now you can add your spices.  This is seasoned with a dash of olive oil, turmeric, coriander powder, cumin powder, salt, and chili powder.  You can let it sit for a few minutes, but frying it immediately works fine too.

Add a few tablespoons of olive oil to a non-stick skillet  A non stick skillet is essential so that the tofu does not stick to the pan.  Fry on medium high heat for a few minutes.  Use a spatula to carefully turn the tofu and fry for several minutes on all the sides until the tofu is golden is crispy.

Yum!  Its as delicious as it looks!  It can be served by itself as a side dish, or mixed with other vegetable or rice dishes.  I like it as a finishing touch on soups as well.

For variations to your marinade, try the following:

For an Asian flair, use soy sauce, minced garlic and ginger, sesame oil in the marinade.  Fry as detailed above, and serve with a sprinkling of sesame seeds.

Mediterranean – dry or fresh oregano, rosemary, sweet basil, salt and olive oil.