How do you feel about tofu? I had a few years where I decided that I didn't like it, and never make anything with it. Then I went to a restaurant that knew how to prepare tofu, I cried, called and send a thousand apologies to tofu until it finally forgave me!
I put a lot of effort into learning how to properly prepare tofu, and I feel like I have finally mastered making peanut tofu noodles. But, I have tried countless of times to make crispy tofu, and it only ever works when tofu is deep-fried. Since I don't own a deep-fryer, and am not about to buy one, I had to try and experiment to finally figure out the crispy tofu secret!
So how did I make tofu crispy without using a deep-fryer? it's simple! I cheated and make a crust that is crispy. Ha! Take that tofu.
Crispy Tofu Bowl
Crispy tofu
400 gram extra firm tofu (drained and pressed)
2 cups vegetable stock
50 gram vegan mayo
2 tbsp sriracha
¼ cup cornstarch
1 cup bread crumbs
Add the vegetable stock to a bowl and add the tofu so it’s completely submerged. Let it sit in the fridge for at least two hours to incorporate the flavours. In a small bowl mix the mayo and sriracha. You will also need two separate bowls for the cornstarch and bread crumbs for dipping.
Take the tofu out of the fridge, drain and cut into 10 equal strips. Dip the tofu in the cornstarch, then the mayo mixture and lastly the bread crumbs. Add some oil to a pan, or use a non-stick skillet and bake the tofu strips for about 4 minutes on all sides.
Potato mash
5 medium sized potatoes, peeled and diced
2 tbsp vegan butter
60 ml (1/4 cup) plant milk
Place the potatoes in a large pot, cover with water and bring to a boil. Boil until soft (10 minutes), drain and return to the pot. Add the butter and milk and mash with a potato masher.
The bowl
Serve with mushroom gravy (we have a recipe here) and any veggies you like, I normally use leftover grilled veggies or simple greens like spinach.