Fried tofu—crispy outside and soft inside—can be done in different ways, with different kinds of coating. Served with dipping sauce, they make good starters or side dishes. Here I’m serving it with a sweet and sour sauce in response to a Recipe Challenge requested by Stephanie Charouk for mushy, sweet and sour.
Before frying we want to remove as much moisture as possible from the tofu so that it is not wet when lowered into hot oil. Firm or medium tofu is easier to work with. I prefer soft tofu but it must be handled extra carefully. You can also use tofu that comes in cylindrical tubes so you can have the tofu in round shapes.
Tofu may be cut in square, triangular or rectangular pieces as long as they aren’t too big to handle. Small, 1-inch cubes of tofu are cute when fried. Cylindrical tofu may be cut in ¾ inch widths. Cut in similar shape and size so tofu pieces cook evenly.
To remove moisture lay tofu pieces on paper towels to drain. Also place paper towels on top to absorb water. Let the water seep out for 20-30 minutes, changing paper towels often. Drying tofu makes it safer for frying. Dusting tofu also helps.
You can douse the tofu with flour or cornstarch. If you look closely, the tofu pieces I cooked are slightly different because some were coated with cornstarch and some with flour. It made no marked difference in taste. I also fried some pieces without dousing it in anything and it looks cleaner, but made the oil sputter. I have also tried dusting it in flour, dipping in an egg bath, and dusting with flour, and think it’s not worth the trouble.
You can deep-fry or shallow-fry the tofu. The former is easier as you will not need to turn the tofu over. Transfer tofu into and out of oil in a slotted ladle, for safety reasons.
Fried tofu may also be stir fried with shrimp, snow peas and baby corn.
Deep Fried Tofu
Makes 4-6 servings as a starter
Preparation time: 30-40 minutes
Cooking time: 20-30 minutes
1 12- or 16-ounce package medium or firm tofu
¾ cup flour or cornstarch
1 tablespoon table salt
1 cup oil for frying
1 stalk spring onion, finely chopped
Drain and cut tofu crosswise in half and wrap each tightly in paper kitchen towel to absorb moisture. Dry for 3-4 minutes, changing towels if they get too wet. Then slice each half into 5 small squares and continue dry on kitchen towel. Press down with fresh towels to soak up moisture.
Meanwhile make Sweet and Sour Dipping Sauce, recipe below.
In a deep dish mix flour or cornstarch with salt and set aside. Cut tofu into cubes, dab dry and dredge tofu in the flour mixture so that it is well coated. Set tofu aside on paper towel. For best results, dredge just before frying.
Heat oil in a 1-quart saucepan. Oil is ready when it reaches 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Or to test Chinese style, dip a chopstick into oil. When bubbles form at the tip of a wooden chopstick oil is ready. Read about testing temperature with a chopstick here.
Shake off excess flour and carefully place tofu pieces into hot oil. Fry 5 or 6 cubes at a time for about 3-4 minutes until tofu is golden. Remove from oil with slotted ladle and drain on paper towel or rack. Repeat dredging and fry rest of tofu.
Plate tofu, garnish with spring onions and serve immediately with Sweet and Sour Dipping Sauce in a dipping bowl. Or plate tofu and dribble sauce over tofu and then garnish.
Sweet and Sour Dipping Sauce
Makes ½ cup
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes
3 tablespoons vinegar
1½ tablespoons soy sauce
3 teaspoons sugar
3 tablespoons water
Thickening sauce
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon water
In a 1-quart saucepan, add vinegar, soy sauce, sugar and water. Stir to melt sugar. Set aside.
In a small bowl blend cornstarch and water and set aside.
Heat saucepan with condiment until liquid starts to boil. Add cornstarch thickener–a little at a time–to the boiling liquid and stir well. Remove from heat as soon as sauce takes on a well blended thickness like the viscosity of maple syrup.
NOTES:
Variations
Plating
This dish can be plated in these different ways.
–Tofu may be served on a plate with Sweet and Sour Sauce offered in a dipping bowl, as featured above.
–Plate Deep Fried Tofu and dribble sauce over tofu. Garnish with chopped spring onion.
–Cut and fry tofu in squares and serve invidually.
Different seasoning
Add another teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon five spice powder to cornstarch or flour mixture before dusting tofu. This makes the tofu tasty and fried tofu may be served without a dipping sauce.
Other sauces to serve with Deep Fried Tofu:
Thai Sweet Chili Sauce
Lea and Perrins Worcestershire Sauce
