Hi! Ok, so every time I try to imitate this specific style of tofu I am left disappointed. It is my most favorite and it seems I can only get it at restaurants. I’ve attached a couple of oddly zoomed in photos of some dishes I’ve gotten at restaurants, where you can kind of see what I mean. There’s kind of a “skin” on it but it doesn’t feel super like a breading? Also, its more like airy and has a different texture than how it always turns out at home. Any tips would be much appreciated! And sorry if this is a stupid question, I’ve just been trying to figure this out for awhile, haha!
by Assheadgirl
15 Comments
It’s just deep fried. You can buy it ready-made from Asian stores as Tofu puffs.
You can also make it at home by deep frying firm or “fresh” tofu. https://avegtastefromatoz.com/how-to-make-tofu-puffs/
It might be coated in corn starch before it’s crisped up with oil and heat
I thiiink it’s just plain tofu that’s been deep fried or it has a thin layer of cornstarch and then it’s pan fried? This is such a good question, I know it’s not battered and deep fried (also delicious), but when I order take out like this I’m also always curious how they get the tofu that texture
Coating in corn starch and frying in a pan with oil might work for this.
I believe serious eats has a recipe for corn starch coated tofu
I’d also check chinese cooking channels for techniques to try
Boil the tofu gently for 10 minutes in salty water (I use bouillon with ginger and garlic powder) and then let it drain / dry it carefully. This drives a lot of the moisture out of the tofu. Toss with a bit of corn starch. Pan fry in a little bit (maybe 1 tablespoon) of oil. Fry it longer than you think it needs, you want it pretty tan and crunchy.
Do you mean that almost goo like skin?
if you dont want to deep fry, seriously, a tiny bit of corn starch and pan fry in a good coat of oil on all sides for 4 minutes each. amazing and it comes out so crispy
This is deep fried, sometimes after a salt water bath
Your options are either to buy fried tofu at an Asian grocery (at places like 99 ranch or h mart you’ll find it in the fridge next to the regular tofu, usually pre-cut into triangles)
Or your best bet to make it at home with consumer tools would probably be to boil in salt water, let dry, then spray with oil and air fry. Don’t use cornstarch (I like crispy cornstarch tofu too but it’s very different)
The salt water changes it in a way I don’t understand
Air fryer! I’m not allowed a deep fat fryer for safety reasons…. AKA I will burn the house down drunk. an air fryer will give you that texture/skin without the extra hassle of frying in oil, no boiling no cornstarch none of that BS just cut or tear and toss in the air fryer.
There’s the tofu puffs. Ever tried the “lava” baojiang tofu? With reverse osmosis due to baking soda, that texture is miles above the freeze/thaw method, which also yields a chewy texture!
You should go to your local Asian grocery store and they have a refrigerated section (kind of similar to deli meat section in your local store) of tofu and noodles that are made by local companies catering to Asian customers (and sometimes imported from Canada, Korea and China and other countries as well) and you will find a variety of tofu called “Tofu Puffs”: they come in triangles or squares, some are small, but a lot of them are 2-3 inch triangles. They are just tofu pieces deep fried in oil to get this texture. I was taught by my Chinese coworker that you have to submerge these in hot water for 2 minutes to “deoil” the puffs and remove the oils sticking to them for a healthier version. You can drain the water off, then pat dry with a paper towel and use it in your cooking. I usually stuff it with a mushroom and cabbage mixture, but it is great in stir fries as well.
My go-to for crispy tofu as someone who makes it once a week is:
* Press the HELL out of it
* Toss in corn starch. I’ve tried potato starch but it makes a gooier (?!) less crispy coating and the pieces will stick together.
* Throw in air fryer and spray a few times with a Pam-type spray to get a crispy coating. Pause every few minutes to toss and add more spray.
OR
* Shallow fry in high-heat oil. Don’t babysit it as flipping too often will cause the coating to stick to the pan and not the tofu.
* Pour sauce over instead of tossing in sauce for extra crispiness
That’s literally it. Anyone who says you need to freeze and thaw it XYZ times or pre-boil it and then drain is doing too much.
I usually boil it in salt water for a few minutes before marinating, and then coat it in corn starch before frying. I don’t or barely press the tofu I buy from random supermarkets anymore. It looks pretty much like that and is chewier than just pressed and fried.
Fry with a cornstarch coating and then take out of the pan and clean it, then make your sauce and when it’s cooked down a bit, put the fried tofu back in.
Edited to add: use the method from this recipe, even if you use a different sauce (though this one is delicious)
https://www.rabbitandwolves.com/vegan-crispy-korean-bbq-tofu/