How Frozen Tofu Can Make A Difference

Frozen Tofu Recipe to Make it Tastier and Firmer

I first thought tofu was like an overly-processed kind of food that contains no nutrients at all. Little did I know, tofu is a nutritious byproduct of soybeans or soy milk that is best known as an alternative to meat. There is actually more that we can do out of tofu. Frozen tofu, for example, is such a promising version of it, to have a tastier and spongier ingredient on our hotpots, stir-fried veggies and more.

Tofu can easily adopt the taste of the dish it is cooked with, or even when solely cooked alone. 

Frozen tofu can transform your ordinary dish into something new you haven’t tried before. Here’s how frozen tofu can make a difference and how to freeze it the right way, plus a frozen tofu recipe you can try at home.

Tofu:

Mori-Nu Silken Tofu Extra Firm

• How to Make Tofu Firmer and Tastier
  • How to Make Frozen Tofu Correctly
    • Directly freezing it.
    • Cooking before freezing it.
• How Frozen Tofu Can Make a Difference
• A Frozen Tofu Recipe
  • Key Details of the Recipe
  • Ingredients
  • Instructions
  • Notes
  • Nutritional Value
• Wrapping It All Up

How to Make Tofu Firmer and Tastier 

Freeze it. It’s the best and easiest way to make your tofu spongier, firmer and taste way better. Frozen tofu will bear no resemblance at all to the fresh one but as soon as you start cooking it, you will come to realize that waiting for your fresh tofu to be completely frozen overnight, is all so worth it.

How to Make Frozen Tofu Correctly

There are two versions of making frozen tofu. One is just by placing it directly in the freezer, or by cooking it first before freezing. More details are below:

1. Directly freezing it.
   Easy to do in three quick steps:
   • Slice your tofu into cubes or according to your preferred sizes so that you can easily cook them by portion.
   • You can store them separately in containers with servings just enough for every dish you will be cooking.
   • Store in your freezer overnight for 4-6 hours.
2. Cooking before freezing it.
   While freezing raw tofu is the easiest way to yield frozen tofu, it usually crumbles more easily. Cooking it before freezing will make the texture better and more ideal in any dish.
   • Cut your tofu into blocks or cubes or in any shape you like.
   • Prepare your steamer by putting enough water depending on how much tofu you have.
   • Place them on top of a strainer layer of your steamer and let the water boil to cook the tofu.
   • Once cooked, remove from the steamer and let cool
   • Divide them into portions and store them properly in a freezer-safe container.
   • Freeze overnight for 4-6 hours

How Frozen Tofu Can Make a Difference

Frozen tofu is a game-changer in your vegan or ordinary meals. Here are more reasons why you would want to start freezing your freshly bought tofu tonight!

1. It becomes so spongy when cooked which allows it to soak up more sauce and even the aroma.
2. It will also possess a more chewy texture that resembles the taste of meat even more.
3. Freezing tofu results in a firmer texture which makes it become less delicate and doesn’t fall apart easily, especially when being exposed to heat. A great ingredient for hot pots indeed!
4. It takes a sponge-like texture making it more chewy and bouncier.
5. It holds its shape better when cooked.
6. Frozen tofu yields itself denser with a pleasant bite, just like a lump of meat.

A Frozen Tofu Recipe

There are many ways to cook your frozen tofu. As it becomes firmer and denser when frozen, it is indeed best eaten in a hotpot, deep-fried, or stir-fried together with some crunchy veggies. To exactly help you out, here is a frozen tofu recipe you can try after tonight: Frozen Tofu Braised in Soy Sauce

Tofu sauce:

Wang Spicy Mabo Tofu Sauce

Key Details of the Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 block of regular tofu
• 2 cups stock: meat, dashi, or vegetable
• 1/4 cup dark soy sauce
• 1/4 cup sake or rice wine
• 1/4 cup mirin or 2 tablespoons sugar
• Thinly sliced green onions, to garnish

Instructions:

Let’s suppose you’ve done freezing your tofu (as per the above instructions) so we’ll jump on the cooking steps directly.

1. Thaw your frozen tofu by running it under hot water first.
2. Bring water to boil in a large pot and drop your tofu cubes in. Let it boil for 15 minutes or until tofu is soft.
3. Drain the water from the pot, leaving the tofu.
4. In a separate pot or saucepan, heat your broth and bring it to a boil.
5. Put the rest of the ingredients (soy sauce, sake, and mirin).
6. Simmer for at least 25 minutes, or until the tofu has fully absorbed all but 1 tablespoon of the liquid.
7. Add seasoning and adjust the flavor as per your preference.

Notes:

If you are braising cubes of meat in a soy sauce dish, toss the cubes of tofu into the pot during the last half hour of braising.

    Nutritional Value:

    Per serving of this dish provides 178 calories, 7g fat, 10g carbs, and 15g protein.

Wrapping It All Up

Did you know that tofu is composed of 86% water? So when it freezes, its waters turn into ice crystals which expand and push the protein network. During the thawing process, the water drains away, leaving the tofu spongier and giving it the capability to be more absorbent. This gives the tofu a crispier crust especially when deep-fried.

Freezing tofu makes this soybean product a stand-out main star in our dishes. Frozen tofu does a lot more in transforming its tastes, texture, and flavor, making it a more ideal option if you’re trying to refrain from eating meat starting today.