Tofu Bath

September 23, 2009 10:00 AM

Give me your favorite, yet relatively simple (5 ingredients, at most) tofu marinades and cooking tips.

I have scavenged the internet and a few veg cookbooks, but most marinades are too complex or just not that appetizing. I need some experiential input! I am looking for good ways to prep tofu before pan searing, but I am open to other methods as well. I love to cook but I am trying to keep the prep relatively simple due to budget restraints rather than laziness.

Thank you!

posted by shrimpsmalls to food & drink (31 comments total)

Annie's brand Goddess salad dressing. Dunk tofu cubes in it then fry 'um up in a skillet (there's enough oil in the dressing that you won't need to add any more). THE BEST TOFU EVER.
posted by genmonster at 10:04 AM on September 23 [1 favorite]

Have you tried just using tamari or plain old soy sauce? That's all most marinades are. Everything else is just gravy. Metaphorically speaking, of course.
posted by chairface at 10:04 AM on September 23

Sesame oil & tamari makes a great tofu marinade.
posted by torquemaniac at 10:05 AM on September 23 [1 favorite]

Hot Sesame Oil, Soy and scallions.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 10:10 AM on September 23 [1 favorite]

I cook my tofu in with my chorizo. Mmmm....
posted by unixrat at 10:12 AM on September 23

Hot Sesame Oil, Soy and scallions.

Add some minced garlic and ginger, and you've got some serious deliciousness. Reserve the marinade and use it as a dipping sauce when the tofu is cooked.
posted by dersins at 10:14 AM on September 23 [1 favorite]

I'm actually not a big fan of tofu marinades because they caramelize at weird rates and make my tofu stick to the pan.

On the other hand, I lovelovelove tofu just cut in slab, lightly salted, and pressed dry, then slowly pan-seared (flip a couple of times till it's golden brown both sides, a very light spray of oil helps for color but is totally not a requirement). Then cut these slabs into chunks, and toss with sauces afterwards. Sauces in question are usually whatever sauce is going on the stir fry or pad thai or whatever we're cooking. I've also enjoyed just dipping these squares in peanut sauce or sweet-hot sauce like the restaurant "fried tofu appetizer" things.

As the other answers indicate, a bottle of sauce is way easier than trying to mix your own special marinade, but pretty much any sauce will do.
posted by aimedwander at 10:14 AM on September 23 [1 favorite]

A departure from the Asian paradigm: marinate the tofu in lemon juice, oil, chopped rosemary, and soy/tamari for saltiness (it won't taste weird with the soy if you don't overdo it). Works whether baked or fried.
posted by Knicke at 10:17 AM on September 23

I cube up a block of extra firm and throw it in tupperware with soy sauce, sesame oil, minced garlic and chili pepper and let it marinate over night and then bake it in the oven until crispy. Best thing ever.
posted by zennoshinjou at 10:20 AM on September 23 [1 favorite]

At our house, we typically eat cold (soft) tofu with grated ginger and chopped green onion, plus some soy sauce.

Pan-frying firm tofu also works really well, too. You can also add it to hotpot with Chinese cabbage, sliced carrots, mushrooms and udon noodles.

Ponzu sauce makes a great dipping sauce for hot pot.

I guess what I'm trying to say it, why bother marinading it? Tofu tastes pretty good on its own, or with minimal seasoning.
posted by KokuRyu at 10:20 AM on September 23

Almost whenever tofu is asked about in an AskMe, I always pop in to mention this tip: try freezing extra-firm tofu, defrosting it, then squeezing out all the liquid. You're left with a sponge that soaks up flavors and has an excellent texture. I should note: you mention searing as your favorite cooking method; this is more geared towards stews and soups. I wouldn't recommend it at all for frying tofu, actually.
posted by Deathalicious at 10:29 AM on September 23 [1 favorite]

Soy, garlic, ginger, and sesame oil (with a little bit of honey optional) for stir fries. Barbecue sauce with some Dijon mustard if you're planning to grill it. It also helps to dry-fry the tofu before marinating.
posted by hilaritas at 10:32 AM on September 23

1. 4 Tsp. of either red or green Thai curry paste.
2. 1/2 can coconut milk.
3. 3 Tsp. of sesame oil, toasted or not.
4. 4 Tsp. soy sauce.

Cube a pound of tofu and let marinate for several hours. If there is tofu sticking up out of the marinade, add more of the above ingredients until it is all covered. Refrigerate.

Heat peanut oil very hot and then (carefully) dump the tofu and marinade in and stir frequently until cooked (10 or 15 minutes) adding 3 or 4 chopped scallions right before you serve it from the pan.
posted by Danf at 10:33 AM on September 23

In Korean cooking tofu typically is not marinated. The prep work prior to pan searing consists of pressing out the water from the tofu slices - I put the the tofu slices on a slightly tilted cutting board, then put a put a plate or another cutting board weighted with something heavy like a large pot on top of the slices. After searing I drizzle sauce on the tofu, as tofu absorbs flavors quite readily.

When I am in the mood for Japanese flavors, the sauce is a mixture of soy sauce, mirin, rice vinegar, a bit of sesame oil and sometimes a bit of grated ginger. When I'm going for more Korean flavors I mix soy sauce, sesame oil, toasted sesame seeds, dried red pepper flakes, chopped scallions, a dash of rice vinegar and a tiny bit of sugar.
posted by needled at 10:48 AM on September 23

Or just dip your slices of pan seared tofu in a mixture of soy sauce and vinegar when eating.
posted by needled at 10:50 AM on September 23

I don't actually eat this (I'm not too into tofu) but I make it and various tofu eaters have said they liked it:

1. Take the block of tofu and put it on a plate and put another plate on top of that and then put something heavy on that plate. Come back about an hour later and pour off the water in the plate.
2. Cut the tofu into kind of beefy sized cubes.
3. Into the plastic bag, put watered down lime juice, salt, olive oil, red pepper flakes, and bits of onion or garlic or onion powder or garlic powder or both onion and garlic type things or powders. Mush it around until it's kind of milky looking. Add the tofu blocks to the bag.
4. Wait a good while, say half an hour or so. Put the tofu blocks on the skewer. Put the skewer over the fire. (Alternately: drain off the fliud then dump the blocks into a perhaps unreasonably hot pan. Turn occasionally using those clampy tongs things.)
posted by majick at 10:52 AM on September 23

OJ, white wine vinegar, olive oil, minced garlic (or garlic powder), and ginger.

Also, no marinade involved, but I did want to share one of my favorite ways to cook tofu:

1. drain a package of extra firm tofu, use paper towels to press out as much water as possible, and cut into 1/2" cubes
2. in small bowl, lightly beat 1-2 eggs with a fork (feel free to skip this step if you don't eat eggs - it adds flavor and texture but isn't necessary)
3. in 2nd small bowl, put 1/4-1/2 c cornstarch (and, optionally, dried spices - I typically add garlic powder and crushed red pepper)
4. dip individual cubes into the egg, then into the cornstarch, then place on cornstarch-dusted cookie sheet
5. bake for 20-30 min at 450 degrees

It takes a bit longer than pan frying, but it's healthier (no oil!) and the egg/cornstarch mixture creates a nice crunchy breading (similar to Kung Pao or Orange Chicken) for the tofu. A lot of times I'll mix with any kind of homemade or store-bought sauce and call it good, but when I'm feeling more adventurous or feeding others, I throw in some cooked veggies and eat the whole thing over rice.
posted by perpetual lurker at 11:21 AM on September 23 [2 favorites]

Sesame oil + tamari/soy sauce + louisiana hot sauce.
posted by thedanimal at 11:24 AM on September 23

I'm not so much into tofu, but I have some vegetarian friends and friends who keep kosher, so I accomodate whenever possible. The one I like is a knock-off Thai Peanut. (knock-off because it's really not very Thai at all.)

It's ingredient-heavy but super super super easy to make, and works for just about any protein. Chicken, beef, fish, mushrooms, tofu, whatever.

It's very easy to make vegan as well if you watch the ingredients on the peanut butter, etc.

1. Soy sauce, sesame oil and whatever spicy flavoring you like. This is really to taste. I start with a healthy amount of soy sauce, a few teaspoons of sesame oil and maybe half a teaspoon of siracha.
2. 4-5 heaping tablespoons of creamy peanut butter. (Crunchy works, but my whisk HATES it.)
3. 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 clove crushed garlic, 1 teaspoon ginger. (All optional, all really 'to taste'. I love garlic, some people don't, you get the idea.)

Whisk together until mixed. It won't blend for a while, and when it does start to blend, it'll go from seperated to blended very quickly. Which is kinda cool to watch.
posted by FritoKAL at 11:25 AM on September 23 [1 favorite]

equal parts hoisin sauce, soy sauce and stock, half part of chili/garlic sauce.
posted by gaspode at 12:01 PM on September 23

I go the (toasted) sesame oil, soy sauce, mirin route, and sometimes add miso.
posted by cestmoi15 at 12:04 PM on September 23

Last week I made sesame fried tofu, which was pretty bitching.

1. Cube tofu, soak in an Asian marinade (people have covered every variation in this thread, it seems like, but I used hoisin, soy sauce, chili-garlic sauce, and sesame oil). Reserve some of the marinade as a dipping sauce.

2. Lift cube out of marinade and drop into a bowl that has mostly sesame seeds with a few tablespoons of cornstarch.

3. Deep fry; if you're chintzy on oil you can do what I do and fry it in a shallow pan of oil, but you have to make sure to flip it onto all six sides. Don't stick too many tofu cubes into your pan at a time.

I served them over rice and broccoli drizzled with the marinade mix.
posted by Juliet Banana at 12:41 PM on September 23

Firm tofu - press out some water, if you have time. Cut into cubes. Marinate for a couple hours or overnight in:

Soy sauce
Garlic
Ginger
Lime juice (fresh squeezed!)
Sesame oil

Pan-fry - I usually just use nonstick spray, but a lightly oiled pan would work well. I usually stir-fry some vegetables, and toss with the the leftover marinade when they're almost finished cooking. You can mix a little cornstarch into the marinade before you add it to the pan if you'd like a thicker sauce, but I don't do this. Serve over rice.
posted by insectosaurus at 12:50 PM on September 23

Seconding Knicke with some specific measurements, slightly adapted from Moosewood Restaurant New Classics: 1/4 c. lemon juice, 2 Tbsp soy sauce, 2 Tbsp oil, 1 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary or 1 tsp crumbled dried, lots of black pepper, one block of tofu, bake for 45 min at 400 F. Not only is it delicious alone or in sandwiches or wraps or on top of couscous, it makes the whole house smell delicious.
posted by nonane at 3:18 PM on September 23 [1 favorite]

Honey and soy sauce, with an optional dash of sesame oil as it's cooking. It's salty-sweet and very lazy, and I have yet to meet a tofu hater who isn't converted by it.
posted by carbide at 3:28 PM on September 23

Here's my go-to recipe (tweaked over six years), and it has fewer than 5 ingredients:

1. soy sauce, 1/4 cup
2. molasses, 1/4 cup
3. rice wine vinegar or regular vinegar, 1 tablespoon
4. water, 2 tablespoons

I marinade a pound of sliced tofu in a rectangular, shallow container. Use the low-moisture super-pressed tofu blocks (a better value, too).

Make enough marinade so that it covers the tops of the tofu so you don't have to flip them halfway through. Otherwise, allow each side to marinade for at least four hours.

Then I bake it at 400 degrees on a greased baking pan. 20 min for the first side, 15 min on the second side.

Play around with the recipe to fit your tastes. The molasses is key to balance out the saltiness of the soy sauce, as well as to get a crispy crust on the outside. Good luck!
posted by Pocahontas at 4:51 PM on September 23 [2 favorites]

I've been making a tofu stir fry almost weekly for a while now. I change up the marinades and veg/starch combos for variety, but here's my most recent.

• 4 c. (aprox) green beans. Cleaned and stem ends snapped off
• 1 lbs. extra firm tofu
• 1/2 lbs. Soba noodles
• canola and sesame oil for cooking
• 1 batch marinade:
• 1/4 c. soy sauce, 1/4 c. mirin, 2 cloves garlic, 1-2 serrano peppers, half a bunch cilantro. Put it all in a blender. This serves as your marinade, later you'll strain it, and make it a stir fry sauce.

1. Take your tofu blocks, and slice them into deck-of-cards sized pieces. Drain water out by placing on a tea towel (or paper towels) in a pie pan /plate, then placing another dish on top and weigh down. I use a pot full of water. After an hour (or how much time you have), it's ready to be cubed and put in the marinade. Marinate as long as possible. Several hours at least.


2. Boil a big pot of water (maybe the one squishin' that tofu?) and blanch green beans in salted water for 3(ish) min. Fish the beans out of the water with a slotted spoon/spider, and plunge in ice water.


3. In the same water, boil your soba noodles, according to package instructions. When done, drain in a colander, and let them hang out.


4. Heat up your wok. Don't be afraid of high temperatures. When heated, pour in 3 tbs canola oil, and a splash of toasted sesame oil. Toss in drained tofu. Fry and stir for several minutes until all sides are browned. Remove from wok. Toss in more oil, if needed, and soba noodles. Fry for a minute, then toss in the strained marinade. Toss everybody else back in, and coat well with sauce. Be careful not to break up your tofu.

Other marinade combos: grated ginger, garlic, soy, mirin, siracha. Try this with broccoli and brown rice, or snow peas and rice noodles. Best part is this 4 serving dinner costs about $3-4 total.
posted by fontophilic at 4:59 PM on September 23 [1 favorite]

Forgot to mention, if the prices of specialty sauces are putting you off, look to asian markets, vs whole foods/wegmans/gourmet food stores. You can get a gallon of soy for the price of a pint from Whole Foods.

Also, fresh ginger freezes well
posted by fontophilic at 5:06 PM on September 23

We eat a lot of tofu at our house. The most recent sauce has been peach-poblano jam + soy sauce. It's got a great sweet-hot-salty thing going on. You could probably approximate the jam with peach jam plus a bit of green tobasco. We generally do the dry-frying mentioned upthread, and then just pour the sauce over, let it cook for a minute, and then eat.
posted by MeghanC at 9:25 PM on September 23

Slice into medium-thin slices. Roll in nutritional yeast then lightly dash to taste with a paprika-salt spice blend and a little pepper. Cook it in a very lightly oiled pan until super crispy, being careful to flip often to avoid having the nutritional yeast skin stick to the pan. So good!

I recently tried a sample of this (http://store.valueweb.com/servlet/cuisinem/-strse-52/Moroccan-Tofu/Detail) Moroccan tofu and it was mind bogglingly good.
posted by Skwirl at 12:58 AM on September 24

fresh garlic
fresh ginger
soy sauce
cumin
lime
cayenne powder (very small amount)

the lime and cayenne bring a nice cool/hot balance
posted by Jason and Laszlo at 9:38 AM on September 24