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Baked Tofu
August 15, 2007 | 35 Comments
The soybean is one of the most versatile things that comes in a pod. Eat it in the form of shelled bean, tofu, tempeh, granules, milk, yogurt….. (more on soy HERE). Marinating and baking is one of our favorite ways to cook tofu. You can experiment with the marinade and realize totally different flavors.
BAKED TOFU
Ingredients
16 oz (453 g) extra firm tofu
1/8 cup soy sauce (we use low sodium tamari)
1 Tbsp Dijon-style mustard
2 Tbsp sweet chili-garlic sauce
1 Tbsp dark sesame oil
Method
1. Drain the water from the tofu packet and squeeze out as much fluid as you can without dismembering the slab. (Put paper towels/tea towels on the top and the bottom and keep a weight on it for 10-15 minutes. Like THIS)
2. Cut the tofu in 1/4″ thick slices.
3. Line aluminum foil on a baking sheet and slightly curl the edges.
4. Lay the tofu slices on the aluminum foil and prick each piece several times with a fork (again being careful not to shred the tofu to pieces).
5. Pour the tamari, Dijon mustard, chili-garlic sauce and sesame oil in a small bowl and whisk together until its a colloid.
6. Baste half the marinade on one side of the tofu slabs and let it sit for half an hour and then flip the slabs over and do the same. We have found no appreciable difference in taste if you simply pour all the marinade on the tofu and wait for a few minutes and turn over the tofu slabs. Basting in this case is wasting your time. Although remember to curl the edges of the aluminum foil to prevent the marinade slipping over to the baking sheet. The longer you marinade the better the result.
7. Preheat the oven to 375 deg F and bake for 18 minutes or till the edges start turning dark brown. Turn over and bake for another 18 minutes.
Throw it in a sandwich, eat it as a snack, chop it up and add it to rice, roll it up in a burrito, do whatever floats your boat.
Drop us a note if you try an interesting marinade combination. This recipe is very forgiving. If you prefer it a bit more salty, increase the soy sauce and reduce the chili-garlic sauce. If you want to reduce the spice, simply drop the mustard (IMHO – the mustard is awesome with this).
More tofu tricks from
Vivacious Vegan,
Fatfree Vegan and
Alton Brown.
- Jai
We never use products labelled commercially as ‘soy sauce’. We prefer low-sodium shoyu or tamari that are naturally fermented. Products simply labelled ‘soy sauce’ are mostly fermented using chemical additives.
From msnbc.com
Shoyu is made from soybeans with roasted wheat, sea salt and koji (aspergillus orzae), a mold spore that contributes to the fermentation process. The koji enzymes break down the protein into amino acids and carbohydrates, then simple sugar. It should taste toasty, a little edge of caramel, and have complex flavors that are clean, vivid and not overpowering. Shoyu is best used for stir frying or seasoning vegetables because it does not overpower foods.
Tamari was originally the thick brown liquid that settled in the bottom of the casks where soybean miso is fermented. For centuries, this unique tamari soy sauce was a delicacy and very expensive. Today, however, tamari is readily available, and is brewed from whole soybeans, sea salt, water and koji (aspergillus hacho). It has no wheat, so it is an excellent condiment for those with wheat allergies. It should have a distinct savory taste, round and smooth without the bite of cheaper brands. Although the salt flavor is there, it appears more as a background taste than an overpowering one on the tongue. Tamari, which is naturally strong in taste, is better used in baked dishes, soups and stews.
Commercial soy sauces are made from soybeans that have been defatted with a petroleum derivative called hexane, and the fermentation is speeded up artificially. The sauces may even include genetically-engineered enzymes or hydrochloric acid-treated soy isolate, sugar and additional salt. Some light versions contain alcohol for freshness (Yamasa lite) or sugar and/or corn syrup to balance the lack of sodium (La Choy).
Look for the words “traditionally brewed” or natural or organic. Careful manufacturers tend to age the sauces for up to two years in cedar casks. Check the Asian and organic food sections for the best-quality tamari and shoyu soy sauces. Make sure that you store both opened and unopened bottles in a cool dark cupboard. There is no need to refrigerate them.
Filed Under: baked-tofu, condiment, homemade-mustard, mustard, shoyu, snack, soy-sauce, Soy/Tofu/Tempeh, tamari, Tofu, vegan recipes, vegetarian recipes
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35 Comments
You guys are blog world’s Alton Brown and much more ! Will make it a point to look for naturally brewed soy sauce this time…
Thanks Bee for your comments. Just wanted to check, what is a food blog roll? Sorry as you can see, I am still a novice at this … Kamini
Bee, thanks a lot… Means a lot to me. May I add your link too as a favorite?
sure. – b.
:yes:
U guys rock.. been a lurker too long.. am showing myself now..
-madhu
I love tofu and once I tried baking it using the same masala as Tandoori Paneer but it didn’t turn out all that good. I have to try your marinade and method.
Thank you for the post on tofu! I love to use the “atsu-age” type of tofu as it’s already fried, and has lost a lot of the moisture. I take the cake of tofu from the package, and soak in boiling water for 5-10 minutes, then squeeze out as if it were a sponge, in order to wash out most of the oil.
:dance:
The marinade we use is the same as yours, with the exception of the dijon mustard: here, it’s peanut butter or sesame paste; and often, a sugar-free fruit preserve in place of the sweet-chili garlic sauce.
Tofu=yummy!
Of course, there is always chilis in the marinade here
ooh, give me tofu over paneer any day (sacrilege i know :tongue:). Great tofu recipe, must give it a try!
Thx for the info on Soy sauce. I never knew this till date. I have tried tamari. Will look for shoyu now!
:yes:
Bee and Jai, I bought a slab of paneer last night. Would like to try this on it. More fat but rarely its permitted
I’m not a fan of soya in any form
Except that I add some soya flour to regular chappati atta. I think I should give tofu another try. Will a paneer tikka marinade work? Or some mint-coriander-chilli ?
haven’t tried that – but why not? Maybe you have to watch out for the spices burning (esp mint-coriander) and making it bitter. But we have used these as pizza bases and they have turned out fine. –jai
Nice info abt Soy.. and nice recipe too!!
Suddenly the local brands of tofu are not available here… I get some imported expensive brands and as a result, have gone off tofu for the time being.
But this recipe seems yummy… will book mark it and make it when I have access to tofu again.
whenever i have tofu, and the nutty taste comes thru, i start comparing it to paneer… i shud try it with your marinade… chilli garlic sauce sounds like a great addition
Although I am not a fan of Tofu,Trisha LOVES it, so I buy and make it for her. Photo looks fabulous.
You can try my Adobo marinade, tastes wonderful after marinating overnight.You might have to cook Tofu separately than the sauce,Tofu is delicate compared to Chicken.Enjoy. See you on Tuesday!
Thanks Asha. Will try it. – Jai
your info on soy sauce is very useful for me. I always land buying the wrong one. Your information on all the ingredients is very helpful. thank you.
I have chemicals in my soy sauce?! Now, I have to ask sis to get this too?!
Thanks for the info about tamari, shall look out for those
A vegetarian’s delight!
I love to browse through your non-Indian cuisine recipes since they always come with a nice Indian perspective!! Thanks for all the details.
A long time ago I used to use the regular soy sauce until I switched to Tamari and what a difference it made!
at first glance i thot it was baked suran ;;)
hopefully one day i’ll re-attempt tofu baking session
I have never tried marinating & baking tofu.
I used to buy tofu and add it in curries/gravies but it always tasted like nothing! So that was the end of that.
Doing it your way sounds good.
o.k. now I have to throw out my soya sauce & go buy that, some tofu & sesame oil! Oh lord! The list never ends!
Looks yum. This post just triggered an idea! Watch out….in a few months (I have just been so bad at updating my blog now-a–days). BTW, if you like sweet & sour stuff, soy + orange marmalade + vinegar + hot sauce + your choice of seasoning makes a great marinade
Thats very good to know. Pratik and I have recently felt bad stomach aches after eating Chinese food even at home. This probably explains why! I have check my bottle of soy sauce to see which one I am using.
I like the paneer tikka marinade on tofu..yogurt, crushed mint and cilantro, ginger and green chillies, roasted and powdered cumin, salt, cayenne..however, tofu does not pick up flavors as well as paneer; I usually have to marinade it for a few hours at least. I even tried a teriyaki-ginger-orange marinade once, but it hardly permeated the tofu. Thanks for the soy sauce tips!
p.s. the coriander-mint do not burn if they’ve soaked in enough yogurt!
I bet it tastes great with some vegetable fried rice.
never baked tofu,always had tofu with bell pepper for some reason they do gel well.
another cool dipping sauce to go with baked tofu would be
r.chilles paste+ chunky peanut butter+ lemon +salt (if needed)
guys never paid any attention to soy sause while buying its an eye opener to see what goes in into making these. thanks for the info
Looks fabulous and nice piece of info on Soy…I fell like giving an award for foodblog encyclopedia….what do ya say! :hmm:
Bee and Jai, I once tried a marinade from Whole Foods cookbook that turned out really tasty – let me see if I can find the recipe – will post it here. It had these ingredients: ketchup, tamarind paste, tamari, cayenne, garam masala, corn starch, brown sugar. The ingredients were whisked together and heated till slightly thickened.
I made the baked tofu as a filling for sandwich but they were so good they never made it to the sandwich stage.
Nupur has this recipe for barbecue tofu http://onehotstove.blogspot.com/2007/01/grub-for-thought.html
Love the recipe, have tried it once in a restaurant and we loved it. Didnt know the method . thanks for that! Neither did I know abt hexane in soy sauce.. will keep in mind next time when I shop for them
Baked Tofu looks good. Thanx for the info on soya sauce :yes: :tongue: :embarrass
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