There’s a secret to making great popcorn tofu… you have to freeze the tofu and then defrost it before you marinate it in order to get the right texture. I’m not sure what the exact science behind this technique is, I just know from experience that it does indeed make a difference. At first, I was a little skeptical that the freezing wouldn’t really matter all that much, but as soon as I compared the frozen/defrosted tofu to ordinary tofu, it was obvious that there was a big difference in the texture. Freezing it makes it chewier and more like chicken, and since this recipe is mimicking popcorn chicken, it makes perfect sense to go about it that way. That being said, if you’re impatient, you can just go ahead and fry the tofu as is and it will still taste great.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiFxb0-_6XM
Crispy, battered tofu seasoned and fried to golden-brown perfection. Perfect for snacking on or turning into a complete meal.
Ingredients
- 1 block tofu
- 1/3 cup flour
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup hot sauce
- 1 Tbsp oil
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 Tbsp yellow mustard
- 1/4 cup water
Instructions
- Freeze the tofu in the package for a few hours and then thaw, drain and press before using. Freezing is optional but strongly recommended for best results.
- Break the tofu into bite size pieces.
- Stir half the soy sauce, hot sauce, oil, garlic and half of the spices together and add the tofu. Toss to coat tofu and marinate for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, stir together flour, nutritional yeast, the rest of the spices, other half of soy sauce, mustard and water (a little bit at a time) to form a batter.
- Coat tofu pieces individually in batter.
- Gently drop pieces of tofu in hot oil over medium-high heat and fry until golden brown and floating. I haven't tried this in the oven yet, but I'd imagine that it works if you bake it at a high temperature on parchment paper.
- Drain on a paper towel to remove excess oil.
Notes
I did not include the freezing time in the prep/cook time.
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