Fried Potatoes Tofu Recipes

SOUTHERN FRIED TOFU WITH SWEET POTATOES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Toss the sweet potatoes with the vegetable oil, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper on a baking sheet. Bake, flipping halfway through, until lightly browned and tender, about 30 minutes.
• Whisk the buttermilk and hot sauce in a shallow dish. Add the tofu, turning to coat; marinate 10 minutes. Whisk the ketchup, brown sugar and vinegar in a bowl; set aside. Whisk the flour, the remaining 1 tablespoon paprika and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper in a large bowl; stir in 1 tablespoon of the marinade to make clumps.
• Heat 2 inches vegetable oil in a large pot over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350 degrees F. Dip the tofu in the flour mixture, turning to coat, dip back in the marinade, then re-dip in the flour to coat with the clumpy bits; transfer to a plate. Fry the tofu in two batches, flipping halfway through, until golden brown and crisp, 3 minutes. Transfer to a rack; season with salt. Serve with the sweet potatoes, coleslaw and ketchup sauce.

SHEET-PAN CRISP TOFU AND SWEET POTATOES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange tofu pieces, cut sides down, on a clean kitchen towel or paper towels. Cover with another kitchen towel, and place a flat cutting board on top. If your cutting board is lightweight, stack a few cans or a skillet on top to weigh it down. Let tofu drain for at least 10 minutes (and up to 30 minutes), then transfer to a cutting board. Cut strips into 3/4-inch pieces (1-inch thick), and transfer to a medium bowl.
• In a small bowl, whisk together oil, tamari, honey and 1 teaspoon vinegar. Toss half the mixture with the tofu, then toss in cornstarch. Arrange in a single layer on a rimmed sheet pan.
• On a separate rimmed sheet pan, toss together potato wedges, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Arrange in a single layer; do not crowd the pan. If they don't all fit, arrange extra wedges on the pan with the tofu.
• Bake tofu and potatoes until browned, 35 to 40 minutes, flipping them halfway through. If the tofu sticks (and this is likely), use a thin metal spatula to carefully loosen each one before flipping. A small offset spatula is perfect here.
• Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine scallions, 1 tablespoon vinegar and a large pinch each sugar and salt. Let sit while tofu and potatoes roast.
• To serve, toss tofu with some of the reserved tamari sauce, to taste. Serve with potato wedges, topped with scallions, cilantro and a drizzle of hot sesame chile oil or sprinkling of red-pepper flakes, and more tamari sauce. Sprinkle with peanuts if desired.

CRISPY FRIED TOFU

Steps:

• Wrap tofu in a clean towel and place onto a plate. Set another plate on top, and place a 3- to 5-pound weight on top. Press tofu for about 20 minutes; drain and discard the accumulated liquid.
• Cut tofu into 1-inch by 2-inch chunks. Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon salt onto one slide; flip over and sprinkle remaining 1/4 teaspoon on the other.
• Heat oil in a wok or large skillet. To test if the oil is ready, dip a chopstick or wooden spoon in it; if bubbles rise, it is ready. If the oil smokes, it is too hot.
• Gently place 5 to 8 pieces of tofu at a time in hot oil using metal tongs. Be very careful as oil may splatter; use a splatter guard if possible. Fry tofu until golden, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Drain tofu on a plate lined with several paper towels. Allow to cool slightly before serving.

FRIED POTATOES & TOFU

Steps:

• Combine marinade ingredients in small bowl and stir until mixed well. Dice tofu into fingernail-sized pieces and add to marinade. Set aside.
• Preheat a thin based frying pan and add oil. Once oil begins to smoke, lessen heat and add sugar. Stir until sugar is dissolved and add onions. Increase heat and fry onions until they begin to soften and caramelise.
• Once onions are soft, add potatoes. Stir until potatoes are completely coated in oil. Fry further until potatoes are soft to the touch - they should be browned.
• Add tofu and marinade. Cook until both potatoes and tofu are soft and brown. Remove from heat and serve extremely hot with a side of naan bread and chutney.

CRISPY TOFU WITH SWEET-AND-SOUR SAUCE

Steps:

• Press the tofu: Wrap the block of tofu in a clean tea towel, and place on a cutting board. Weigh down the tofu with a sheet pan topped with something heavy, such as a large skillet, cans or books, until the tea towel is soaked, about 30 minutes.
• While the tofu is pressed, prep the zucchini: Halve the zucchini crosswise, then cut each piece lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick planks. Finally, cut each plank lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick "fries." Place the zucchini fries in a large colander set over a medium bowl. Add 1 teaspoon salt, and toss until evenly coated. Set aside to drain.
• Meanwhile, make the sauce: In a measuring cup, stir together the apricot preserves, rice vinegar, soy sauce, red-pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon onion powder and 2 teaspoons water until smooth. Transfer to a small dish for dipping, and set aside.
• Slice the pressed tofu in half horizontally, and cut each of those halves into 8 rectangular pieces, creating 16 nuggets total. Directly on the cutting board, season the tofu with 1 teaspoon salt and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, smearing each piece around to catch all the seasonings.
• In a large bowl, toss to combine the potato starch and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Place the tofu in the starch, and gently toss with your hands until each piece is evenly coated.
• Fry the tofu: Heat a large skillet over medium-high, and add a thin layer of oil, enough to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the tofu in a single layer, and cook, flipping a couple of times, until lightly golden on both sides, about 10 minutes total. Transfer the cooked tofu to a towel-lined plate to drain, and season it with salt to taste.
• To serve, transfer the tofu and zucchini to a large platter, and serve alongside the dipping sauce.

THE BEST PAN-FRIED TOFU

Steps:

• Take your block of tofu and wrap it in several layers of paper towels.
• Gently press the tofu with your hands or against the counter top to release the liquid. This will take about a minute.
• Slice the tofu into pieces about 1/2 an inch thick.
• Set tofu aside.
• If you are using a non-stick pan heat it slightly on medium-high heat (about 30 seconds) before adding oil.
• If you are using a cast iron pan, please heat for about 1 minute to 1 1/2 minutes on medium-high heat. Cast iron is very thick and you want the pan to be heated evenly before adding the tofu.
• Add oil to heated pan.
• Gently spread oil over the entire surface of the pan.
• Set the tofu pieces in the pan, leaving ample room between them. They should sizzle when placed in the oil. Sprinkle the tops with salt and a little cayenne pepper.
• Now, the MOST IMPORTANT step is -- LEAVE THEM ALONE for about 6 or 7 minutes. Just gently shake them to make sure they don't stick to the pan. Do NOT turn them or agitate them in any other way. When you see a golden crust beginning to creep its way up the sides of the slices, turn them and spice the other side. Add more oil if the pan seems too dry.
• The second side will only take about 4 minutes to cook.
• When they are evenly browned take them out of the pan and place them on paper towels to drain.
• These are very simply seasoned and basic and can now be used any way you like. I like these with steamed broccoli and peanut sauce -- or in a sandwich with grilled peppers and mushrooms and aioli -- or just eaten with ketchup:-).