Crispy blackened tofu
I’m so glad that I’ve started cooking with tofu more often. I don’t really remember why it used to intimdate me – it’s so easy to cook. When I saw this recipe on The Daily Garnish, I knew I had to make it.
This dish really couldn’t be any easier to make – slap some of your favourite spices on a piece of tofu, and then cook it.
In fact, you’re not only allowed to burn this dish, but it’s actively encouraged. Not so much that all you can taste is carbon, but just enough so you get that lovely crumbly blackened crust that packs so much smoky flavour and really brings a boring slab of tofu to life.
See how the flavour is literally soaked up by the tofu? The middle remains soft, but the coating becomes rich and crispy.
This blackened tofu made a great companion for the courgette crisps I posted about yesterday – the soft tofu and crunchy courgette went perfectly together, and the smoky blackened spices were a nice contrast to the sweetness of the courgette.
Ever since I worked out how to cook with tofu I’ve been on the look out for new recipes to try with it – but this will be one I’ll come back to for sure.
(I had a terribly strong urge to write fo’ sho’ there).
Crispy blackened tofu
Recipe very slightly adapted from The Daily Garnish
Serves 1
200g firm tofu
4tbsp soy sauce
2tsp paprika
2tsp garlic granules
2tsp mild chilli powder
1tsp ground black pepper
1tsp cayenne pepper
1tsp dried thyme
3tbsp oil
Press the tofu to remove any excess water. If you don’t have a tofu press, just sandwich the slices of tofu between several sheets of kitchen paper or a clean tea towel, and place a heavy object on top. Leave it for at least 10 minutes.
Pour the soy sauce onto a plate, and add the tofu. Leave it to marinate for several minutes, turning it over halfway.
Meanwhile, mix the remaining ingredients (except the oil) to create your spice mix. When the tofu is ready, lay it in the spice mix and press the spices into both of the large faces of the piece of tofu to create the crust.
Heat the oil in a frying pan, and add the tofu. Cook over a high heat for 3-4 minutes each side, until the spices are blackened and the tofu is hot all the way through.
Thank you for the recipe! I find that using a tofu press really gets the water out better which allows the soy and spices to enhance the tofu. I use the Ez Tofu Press, it costs less money than the other brands, but get the job done.
I love tofu cooked like this… it brings me back to my macrobiotic days. Please share this on my foodie friday linky today. I am pining this also.
This looks delicious! I love to cook with tofu and a lot of the times no one knows it’s in the recipe! Thanks so much for sharing at Mix it up Monday :)
Looks really yummy! You have a lovely blog. Have a nice day!
Funny, I spent yesterday working on a chinese-style version. Yours looks really delicious, great colour!
YUM! I need to try this. I think it would be so good to slice up top salads!
Hi Becca,
Thanks for visiting my blog. I don’t eat tofu very often, primarily because I’m not too sure how to cook it, but yours looks amazing here. I’ll surely have to give it a try. :)
I’m always looking for new ways to cook tofu also! Usually I just toss it in stir fries but this sounds like such a tasty alternative!
Becca this looks fantastic. I need to get over my (irrational) fear of tofu and make this. You may have just lit the fire I needed.
Yeah for some reason I never cooked with it until a couple of months ago, despite having been a vegetarian for about 13 years! It’s so easy though, I don’t know why I didn’t try it sooner :)