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Love is in my Tummy

Plant-based flavor

August 12, 2016 By Tina Dawson 12 Comments

Pressing Tofu like a PRO!

Pressing Tofu like a PRO

If you love, LOVE having Tofu in restaurants – crispy fried, with so much flavour and bite to it, but when you try to replicate it at home, the results are so much more disappointing, I am pretty sure it’s because you forgot to ‘press’ your Tofu. Here’s all you need to know about Pressing Tofu like a PRO!

Properly pressing tofu ensures two things: 1. Springy, firm tofu that fries to a crispy crust 2. Getting all the water out lets the Tofu absorb any flavour/marinade you put it in, giving you a much more delicious result.

There are Tofu presses in the market in so many price ranges. Here’s one I found with good reviews – Simple Tofu Press. But if Tofu isn’t a part of your regular diet, then this method works just as good with just a few things you can find in your home.

You will need:

  1. Firm Tofu
  2. Kitchen towels / paper napkins
  3. Wire rack
  4. Weights – books, wooden blocks, anything that is heavy and can distribute weight equally.

Pressing Tofu

Cut open the Tofu packaging and drain out the liquid within. Cut up the Tofu block in half then in half again. This will speed up the draining process. Wrap the slices in the kitchen towel. If using paper towels, you’ll need to use a lot of them.

Pressing Tofu

Move the wrapped tofu on the wire rack and place a chopping board on the wrapped tofu to distribute the weight. Add books (or whatever heavy things you have around) on top of the board.

Pressing Tofu

Let it drain this way for at least 30 minutes or longer. When the towel is too damp to soak any more liquid, replace with a fresh towel. The point is to keep draining as much liquid as you can.

You know you’re done when you press a cube between your fingers and you don’t feel any water inside.

That’s it! You’ve now learned all about Pressing Tofu like a PRO! Once all the water is out, the tofu will act like a sponge and absorb any flavour you want to throw at it!

With this freshly pressed tofu, let’s get cooking!

This marinade consists of 1tbsp of Sesame Oil, 1tsp Soy sauce, 1/2 tsp fried red chilli flakes, 1 tsp ‘This is Sparta’ Meditteranean Mix from Legion of Spice and Salt to taste. Just toss it with 1 cup of pressed tofu and let it marinate for about an hour.

Tofu Marinade

Bake at 350°F/180°C for 30 minutes on a foil lined baking tray to get a crisp skin and a perfectly baked tofu – as healthy as healthy can be!

Mediterranean Tofu Wrap

Mediterranean Tofu Wrap 2

Mediterranean Tofu Wrap 3

Pressing Tofu Pin

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Filed Under: All Recipes, Kitchen Wisdom, Vegan Tagged With: baked tofu, Mediterranean wrap, pressing tofu, tips, Tofu, tortilla

Previous Post: « Glutenfree Chickpea pancakes
Next Post: Baked Patatas Bravas »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Amy says

    August 16, 2016 at 9:18 am

    I”m a huge tofu fan and will definitely try this method. Thanks Tina!!

    Reply
    • Tina Dawson says

      August 16, 2016 at 10:28 am

      Yaay Amy! Enjoy your crispy tofu!

      Reply
  2. Marilyn says

    August 12, 2016 at 8:22 pm

    I’ve never seen the process of pressing tofu before!!! It looks delicious!!

    Reply
    • Tina Dawson says

      August 13, 2016 at 8:52 am

      It is the best way to enjoy Tofu Marilyn!

      Reply
  3. Anjali says

    August 12, 2016 at 7:42 pm

    LOVE tofu, and always press out as much water as I can! need to try this method next time instead of soaking up in paper towels with my hand!

    Reply
    • Tina Dawson says

      August 13, 2016 at 8:52 am

      So true Anjali, almost 1/3rd of the kitchen roll is wasted on the Tofu dabbing. Instead I use kitchen towels, rinse them in the sink later and dry them out. So much more efficient.

      Reply
  4. Shelma says

    August 12, 2016 at 6:34 pm

    Love this! Such great tips. And such beautiful photos! Thanks fo sharing 🙂

    Reply
    • Tina Dawson says

      August 12, 2016 at 7:22 pm

      Thanks a lot Shelma! I am so glad you found it useful!

      Reply
  5. Sophia | Veggies Don't Bite says

    August 12, 2016 at 6:25 pm

    YUM, I love a nice crispy tofu! Great post on how to press it, love all the books on top!!

    Reply
    • Tina Dawson says

      August 12, 2016 at 6:52 pm

      Thanks a lot Sophia!

      Reply
  6. Lisa | Garlic + Zest says

    August 12, 2016 at 6:23 pm

    That is a brilliant tutorial! I don’t make tofu often at home because it never comes out crispy for me. I’m going to give this a try! Yours looks delicious!

    Reply
    • Tina Dawson says

      August 12, 2016 at 6:52 pm

      Then this simple step would fix your Tofu problems Lisa! Hope you find this useful!

      Reply

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Hi! I'm Tina - the human behind all the content you see on this blog. Welcome to my little corner of the internet where I create flavorful and unique plant-based recipes.

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