There are so many ways to put tofu at the center of the plate: stews and curries, crisp-fried cutlets, stir-fries, and burgers to name a few. If you’re in a rut, these tofu recipes will breathe fresh life into your meatless Monday.
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RecipeTofu Saag
A creamy yogurt-spinach sauce surrounds spiced, crisped cubes of tofu in this aromatic, satisfying dish. If you like hot foods, leave the serrano chile seeds in. Serve with rice or naan.
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RecipeRed-Cooked Tofu
Red-cooking is a traditional Chinese braising technique that uses soy sauce, sugar, and rice wine to flavor the food and give it a dark red color. If you're not a big tofu fan, this easy, aromatic stew might change your mind.
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RecipeBlack Pepper Tofu
Tofu’s proponents have tried to get us to see all the ways to improve its texture—freezing or pressing or boiling to rid it of spare water, broiling or roasting to crisp it up. These are all effective at making tofu friendlier to cook with, but nothing is as guaranteed to seduce a skeptic as dredging tofu in cornstarch and pan-frying it to a shiny crisp, while the inner bits go soft and custardy. The just-fried nubs are almost too crunchy to eat, which is why it’s a good idea to add them to a pan of shallots, chiles, ginger, and garlic that have stewed in butter and soy and heaps of black pepper. In the sauce, the fried cubes will relax just enough, but maintain all the integrity you’ve fried into them.
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RecipeCrispy Tofu with Sesame Asparagus and Dipping Sauce
A coating of panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) is the secret to these ultracrisp tofu triangles. Hoisin sauce does double duty, adding flavor to the tofu’s coating and serving as a sweet-tangy dipping sauce.
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RecipeMapo Tofu
This searingly spicy tofu dish is quintessentially Sichuan with its mala (spicy hot and numbing) flavors. This recipe is a very spicy version of the dish, close to the original, but the heat level can be adjusted downward by reducing the amount of red chile powder.
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RecipeThai Red Curry with Tofu & Vegetables
This fragrant quick curry uses canned or jarred curry paste; if you want this curry to be truly vegetarian, be sure to check the label, as some curry pastes contain shrimp paste.
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RecipeTofu and Sweet Potato Lettuce Wrap
This refreshing vegetarian wrap channels sushi-bar flavors of wasabi, soy, and rice vinegar, with sweet potatoes for balance.
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RecipeSeared Tofu with Spicy Cabbage Saute
Packed with flavor, this combo of tofu and cabbage makes for an easy meatless weekday option. It’s also vegan and gluten-free. If you like a crunchy component, crumble salted sesame rice crackers over the top. -
RecipeVegetables and Tofu with Spicy Peanut Sauce
On the Indonesian island of Java, this hearty, main-course salad—known as gado-gado—is sold by street vendors, who carry the ingredients on yoke-like poles, assembling each serving to order. It’s surprisingly easy to make.
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RecipeSpicy Thai Tofu Burgers
Don’t hide this pretty, veggie-packed patty in a bun; serve it on a Thai-inspired salad of chopped lettuce tossed with bean sprouts, grated carrot, and chopped fresh mint and cilantro. Thin some Miso Mayonnaise with a little water and lime juice and drizzle it over all, or use your own favorite Asian dressing.
