It does not looks tasty. Its scent and taste are neutral, bland even. Its consistency? Spongy. Bottom-line: tofu is dull. So why bother?
I used to think that way until I decided to adopt a plant-based diet and looked into the nutrition value of tofu. That changed my mind and I decided to look for ways to make this valuable ingredient more palatable. More on the virtues of tofu. First: how can you turn tofu into something delicious.
Today’s recipe is inspired by this Boerschappen’s Asian Wok recipe (in Dutch). Except: I substituted tempeh (which I still dislike) by tofu.
It’s really simple; chop an onion, garlic cloves, a red peper and mix that with grated ginger.
Dice your tofu and put those dices in a container in which you pour the marinade sauce. Experiment with your marinade. For instance use half Japanese or Chinese soy sauce and half Indonesian sweet ketjap. This results into a sweeter and stickier tofu when you heat it up in your pan later.
Put a lid on your container, shake it to mix the tofu with the ingredients and set that in your fridge for at least 15 minutes. I prefer to prepare this half a day in advance, e.g. in the morning to use at lunch time.
When it’s time to eat, put some water to boil to prepare rice noodles.
Chop an onion, a couple of egg plants and some mushrooms. Fry those in a wok pan at medium heat. Pour the liquid (soy sauce) part of the tofu marinade onto the egg plant-mushroom mix.
In a separate pan, heat up your tofu with the onion-garlic-ginger-peper mix. Let this cook for 8 or so minutes. Wait until the tofu looks brown and crispy.
When all ingredients are ready, put them on your plates: the rice noodles, the veggies and then the crispy tofu. If you want add a fried egg on top, to add extra silkiness and proteins to the dish.
Another way to accomodate this way of preparing tofu is in a lukewarm salad. In a bowl mix roman lettuce and broccoli with coriander. Add your crispy tofu and here you go: a delicious meal in no time!
While you enjoy this, allow me to share a few reasons why it’s a good idea to add tofu to your menu. You can find many sources on the Internet. I’m summarizing here the main facts from this article: “Tofu Nutrition Facts – Calories, Carbs and Health Benefits of Tofu.”
- Tofu is made from soybeans. It’s high in plant-based proteins, low in calories and carbs, dairy-free, gluten-free, cholesterol-free, and vegan. In addition, tofu is an excellent source of calcium and iron.
- On the downside, as its main ingredient is soy, beware! Soy is one of the top food allergens in children and adults. If you’re allergic to wheat, beans or milk you may also have an allergic reaction to soy.
Last piece of advice: check the label before you buy tofu. Prefer REAL tofu, made from local (in my case European) soy beans above tofu that has made many kilometers before ending on your plate. Also prefer organic tofu. Quoting Wikipedia: “Organic farming features practices that cycle resources, promote ecological balance, and conserve biodiversity.” In other words; it’s better for our environment and your body.
Hope this inspires you. Enjoy tofu!