Everything you need to know about cooking with tofu

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If you’re unfamiliar with tofu, then let’s get you up to speed. Tofu is essentially soybean curd. It hails from East Asia and features in many dishes from that region. It’s made by draining soybean curds until all the excess liquid is removed and a spongy block is formed.

Tofu often gets a bad rep for being bland. To that, we say, you have not been preparing it correctly. The key to making delicious and memorable tofu dishes (that rival any meaty main) is to choose the right tofu for your recipe. Morinaga Mori-nu silken tofu (sold at Woolworths) is available in both firm and extra-firm variants. Firm tofu is softer and crumbly; it's perfect for making dishes like tofu scramble and miso soup, while extra-firm tofu is a brilliant meat alternative, add it to stir-fries, skewer it or deep-fry it.

The most important tip is to drain the tofu before cooking as it is usually packaged in brine. Naturally, due to its spongey texture, the tofu soaks up a lot of moisture. Before cooking, press the tofu between two plates and weigh it down with something heavy (a heavy pot will do). Once all the moisture has been drained, it’s ready to be used.

The key thing to remember is that tofu soaks up flavour. If you’re cooking with extra-firm tofu it's best to marinate it before cooking, just like you would with steak or chicken. Silken and firm tofu can be added to dishes straight from the packaging. Due to its texture, there is no need to drain the moisture from firm tofu – this will prevent it from crumbling.

Now that you’re all clued up on all things tofu, what to make? Here are two recipes:

Morinaga Mori-nu silken extra-firm tofu: tofu gnocchi

This genius way of making gnocchi has been taking social media by storm! Replace mashed potatoes with mashed tofu to make soft, pillowy dumplings you can serve with roast tomatoes, peppers and basil pesto. This gnocchi is still light and chewy without being dense. Feel free to play around with flavour pairings and seasonal vegetables (roast butternut and sage, anyone?).

Get the recipe for tofu gnocchi here.

Morinaga Mori-nu silken firm tofu: satay tofu skewers

Satay is a popular south-east Asian dish of marinated pieces of meat skewered, grilled over fire, and served with a peanut dipping sauce. It's spicy and nutty and the addition of lime adds some much-needed acidity. To pack the most flavour into your tofu, marinate it for at least 30 minutes before grilling. For the best results, marinate overnight in the coconut-and-chilli marinade.

Get the recipe for satay tofu skewers here.

Morinaga Mori-nu Tofu is a low-fat, heart-healthy vegetable protein that is made with non-GMO soybeans, and packaged in unique aseptic packaging that protects fresh tofu from light and bacteria. Add it to stir-fries, soups, deep-fry it, braise it... the options are endless! Find it on Woolworths shelves, in firm and extra-firm varieties. 

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