Asian-style baked tofu, toddler approved

May 22, 2016 at 9:46 pm (Alma's faves, B plus (3.5 stars, like a lot), Baked tofu, Chinese, Derek's faves, Tofu) (toddler-approved)

I finally got a chance to try an easier version of the crisp marinated and baked tofu. I skipped the pressing and the cornstarch dredging steps and simply poured the marinade directly onto the tofu and baked it. It was a hit, both with Derek and with Alma. And I didn’t miss the cornstarch or pressing steps at all. I think the texture turned out just fine.

• 2 pound firm tofu
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
• 2 tablespoons rice wine or sherry (I used sherry)
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar or cider vinegar
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
• 4 teaspoons peeled minced fresh ginger
• 4 tablespoons water
• 2 teaspoon Sriracha or Asian chili paste (I used a storebought sambal olek I think. But maybe I cut the amount down? I’m not sure.)
• optional: 1 teaspoon sea salt (I think I left this out, but I’m not 100% sure)

I cut the tofu into large cubes and baked the tofu until the marinade was mostly absorbed. I don’t remember how long it took or what the temperature was.

Later I tried this ginger tofu recipe from Weelicious. The ingredient list is pretty similar, but it doesn’t use any chili paste and has honey added (not for kids under 1  year old!):

• 1.5 pounds firm or extra firm tofu, drained (I might have used a bit more tofu—I filled my largest pyrex baking pan)
• 3 tablespoons sesame oil (on a second try I used only 2 Tbsp., and it tasted just fine)
• 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce (I used regular soy sauce, and it came out quite salty)
• 6 tablespoons mirin
• 6 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1.5 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
• 3 tablespoons honey
• sesame seeds, for garnish (I forgot this!)

For this I cut the tofu into slices (as shown in the picture) and baked the tofu at 350 F (with the fan on) for 45 minutes, until the marinade was mostly (but not entirely) absorbed. Again, it was a hit. Definitely sweet and salty. I will cut down on the soy sauce next time. This recipe has a lot more sauce than the recipe above. It has more of all the sauce ingredients, but only calls for 3/4 of the tofu. I think the amount of tofu can be increased or the amount of sauce reduced. I think next time I might try some combination of the two recipes–with some chili paste and a little honey as well.