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Fried tofu (tofu puffs)

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Fried tofu (tofu puffs)

Postby Stokey Sue » Mon Nov 25, 2019 4:27 pm

I bought a pack of these in Chinatown, because every time I flick through an SE Asian cookbook looking for tofu recipes it seems that many of the most interesting recipes require the bought deep fried tofu cubes

But now I have some, of course I can’t find a recipe ( pie suspect poor indexing that just lists everything possible as tofu

Suggestions?

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Re: Fried tofu (tofu puffs)

Postby Badger's Mate » Mon Nov 25, 2019 5:14 pm

I use them. Braised with mushrooms, ginger, spring onions and oyster sauce, or with leeks, peppers, black beans and chilli. They take up the sauce without falling apart.

Obviously the texture isn't right for ma po, but they work OK for those braised dishes.

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Re: Fried tofu (tofu puffs)

Postby Binky » Mon Nov 25, 2019 5:24 pm

I have a library copy of Fuschia Dunlop's 'Every Grain of Rice' and disappointingly she doesn't have many recipes for tofu puffs. They're all for block tofu or silken tofu. All I could find was a suggestion on page 78 that tofu puffs may be served with fish-fragrant sauce. Use in place of aubergines she says.

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Re: Fried tofu (tofu puffs)

Postby Sakkarin » Mon Nov 25, 2019 5:49 pm

I still keep some puffy tofu in the freezer for Laksa (and something else I can't for the life of me remember), however this Wildfood thread back in 2011 has some Sunflowery ideas. This was my Stuffed Puffy Tofu from back then...
http://www.wildfood.info/viewtopic.php? ... 91#p122691

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Re: Fried tofu (tofu puffs)

Postby jeral » Mon Nov 25, 2019 6:26 pm

I've never had the tofu puffs. A vegan friend panfried some battered ordinary tofu (as bought) in a smattering of oil and I spit my taster of half a cube out, soggy tasteless thing that it was and lousy mouthfeel to boot. I'm thinking deep frying might be preferable if not essential.,

However, these links look delicious: Two recipes found whereby the cubes are halved and turned inside out (wooden spoon handle I think) exposing the aeration, then stuffed and deep fried to crispy bites. Somehow the sticky filling does stay in(!?!) As they're a touch time consuming, I'd probably see how one piece turned out first.

https://wendyinkk.blogspot.com/2017/05/ ... puffs.html

https://en.petitchef.com/recipes/other/ ... fid-873241

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Re: Fried tofu (tofu puffs)

Postby Stokey Sue » Mon Nov 25, 2019 11:59 pm

Thanks
I’ll follow the links tomorrow when my eyes aren’t full of atropine (been to the ophthalmologist, sort of good news)
I think it was laksa at the back of my mind but braised sounds good too

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Re: Fried tofu (tofu puffs)

Postby Binky » Tue Nov 26, 2019 12:26 pm

I found this recipe for tofu tempura. Tofu puffs could easily be substituted so you can miss out the frying stage if you're using fresh block tofu. It looks easy too.


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Re: Fried tofu (tofu puffs)

Postby Sakkarin » Tue Nov 26, 2019 12:41 pm

That's normal tofu, not ready deep-fried tofu, I don't think it would work, you would end up with an extremely chewy battery thing. Here's some I bought before that I've got a poic of, the pack in my freezer is square blocks as in that stuffed dish.

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Re: Fried tofu (tofu puffs)

Postby Binky » Tue Nov 26, 2019 12:48 pm

Are we at cross-purposes? If it's deep fried tofu/tofu puffs (i.e. already cooked) then all you need do is warm it up and dip in the traditional sauces. I certainly wouldn't fry it a second time.


(memo to self: need to investigate this type of puffed tofu at next visit to the Chinese supermarket).

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Re: Fried tofu (tofu puffs)

Postby Stokey Sue » Tue Nov 26, 2019 1:19 pm

I've followed the links now, thanks

I see Sunflower says you can heat them in an oven until crisp, and add to salads etc

I think we are slightly at cross-purposes, as I was looking for recipes that classically use the puffs as an ingredients, not just intending to eat them straight from the packet.

The texture of ordinary tofu battered and fried would be quite different; when these are described as "puffs" it should be taken literally, they are puffed up, airy, ight and spongy, like a marshmallow or a very light doughnut. I think the reason they are quite widely sold is that it is difficult to replicate that distinctive texture at home.

'm thinking laksa and braised with mushrooms or peppers and black beans

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Re: Fried tofu (tofu puffs)

Postby Badger's Mate » Tue Nov 26, 2019 2:55 pm

It occurred to me that they'd be nice in a Pad Thai

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Re: Fried tofu (tofu puffs)

Postby Sakkarin » Tue Nov 26, 2019 3:09 pm

On the tofu subject, I just had some work done on my car, and brought my HsaBa Burmese cookbook to while away the hour's wait while they did it.

I found a recipe in it for home made tofu using chick pea flour which I might give a try!

Googled a bit and it's described as "Burmese Tofu", there's quite a few youtubes on the subject. It's new to me I have to stress. The recipe I have is different to this video, it involves what seems to be a fermentation process that I think is more akin to proper tofu.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfNI7uF2VWs


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Re: Fried tofu (tofu puffs)

Postby Binky » Tue Nov 26, 2019 3:35 pm

That's panisse, not tofu.

(getting my own back for you saying my waffle was a pancake).

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Re: Fried tofu (tofu puffs)

Postby Sakkarin » Tue Nov 26, 2019 8:40 pm

:crying1

I was just watching an Indian (Hindi) cookery programme on Sky Channel "FoodXP", and the dish they were making included a pile of "ready made dhokla" (and grated cauliflower and finely chopped cabbage).

I had no idea what dhokla was, but on googling, I found that it is a fermented batter made from chick peas! What a coincidence as I've only just discovered that fermented chick pea imitation tofu!

I've recorded a few of those cookery programmes, I have a feeling they're all vegetarian, so may be of interest to you veggies out there. I'll double check on that.

UPDATE: FoodXP: Sky channel 712, it does look like they're all vegetarian cookery programmes. In Hindi, but give English ingredients lists on screen. A recipe for waffles in the programme that's on at 9.00! Apparently it only started broadcasting in August.

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Re: Fried tofu (tofu puffs)

Postby smitch » Tue Nov 26, 2019 9:52 pm

I’ve used tofu puffs to make pad thai. Also for salt & pepper tofu but can’t remember what recipe I used :roll:

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Re: Fried tofu (tofu puffs)

Postby Stokey Sue » Tue Nov 26, 2019 10:45 pm

Sakkarin wrote:On the tofu subject, I just had some work done on my car, and brought my HsaBa Burmese cookbook to while away the hour's wait while they did it.

I found a recipe in it for home made tofu using chick pea flour which I might give a try!

Googled a bit and it's described as "Burmese Tofu", there's quite a few youtubes on the subject. It's new to me I have to stress. The recipe I have is different to this video, it involves what seems to be a fermentation process that I think is more akin to proper tofu.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfNI7uF2VWs


Also known as Shan tofu, MiMi Aye has recipes for it in Mandalay which are here
https://pearnuallak.com/food/2019/06/22/what-ive-cooked-from-mandalay-by-mimi-aye/

I had similar fritters in Myanmar, nice

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Re: Fried tofu (tofu puffs)

Postby Sakkarin » Tue Nov 26, 2019 10:57 pm

My first go at Dhokla. A whole tablespoonful of citric acid in the mix (had some in my cupboard), very obvious in the final taste! A couple of hiccups in the process, it clearly isn't as fluffy as it should be, will amend that next time. In fact probably not a million miles from that Burmese stuff.

This is the recipe I used, 135g of besan and 180ml of water, will add a bit more water next time, the batter may have been a bit too thick.

https://food.ndtv.com/recipe-steamed-dhokla-273208

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Re: Fried tofu (tofu puffs)

Postby Stokey Sue » Wed Nov 27, 2019 12:16 am

They look good but, yes a tbs of citric acid seems a lot

I’ve got quite a lot of it too, I descale the kettle and coffee machine with it ( but I think the coffee machine has died)

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Khandvi, Chickpea flour "pasta" rolls

Postby Sakkarin » Wed Aug 26, 2020 4:29 pm

Plonked here because it is in the same ball park as the Dhokla I made last year, last post but one, and I intend giving it a try...

A chickpea flour "pasta" featured in yesterday's Masterchef Australia programme reminded me of a dish that I'm sure I've had, but I cannot for the life of me pinpoint where, I've tracked the dish down as Khandvi, and am going to give it a bash, although there are a hundred different variants online. Lots are pressure cook versions, but they all give timings in "whistles" and there seems to be no agreement on what a "whistle" is for those of us without whistling pressure cookers (apparently all Indian pressure cookers whistle).

The dish I can remember may have been a side dish in the lunchtime curry boxes I used to get from a local Sri Lankan restaurant, long since closed. I can even picture myself eating it...

Here's Sanjeev Kapoor's version:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3D6TKok6gr0

And an indian lady's...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eO0mbEfUb8

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Re: Fried tofu (tofu puffs)

Postby Stokey Sue » Wed Aug 26, 2020 5:15 pm

I've definitely never seen those, though they look interesting

What I am planning to make are Shan tofu fritters, which are more similar to the fired tofu puffs, but are made from gram flour not soy

Here's MiMi's recipe from Manadalay, which is the version I will make

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/bur ... s-tohu-jaw

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