Crispy fried tofu on a sandwich

Ingredients for 6 servings:

• 400 g tofu, firm, drained
• 350 ml cucumber juice
• 1 tbsp chili sauce or chipotle sauce
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp chili flakes
• 2 tbsp grape seed oil or another
• 150 g Dijon mustard
• 250 g flour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp paprika powder, smoked or sweet or hot
• ½ tsp onion powder
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 500 ml oil for frying
• 12 slice(s) sandwich toast or 6 rolls
• e.g. mayonnaise
• e.g. chili sauce
• e.g. lettuce or white cabbage
• n. B. Pickled gherkin(s)

Instructions

Working time approx. 15 minutes; Rest time approx. 4 hours; Cooking/baking time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 4 hours 45 minutes

Crispy fried tofu – also available as a vegetarian or vegan hamburger

Cut the tofu into 1 cm thick slices. Place them on kitchen paper and cover with kitchen paper. Allow the liquid to drain from the slices for about 30 minutes. Small weights (e.g., glasses filled with water) on top will speed up the process. Mix the cucumber juice, hot sauce, mustard, and chili flakes in a large bowl. This makes the marinade. Heat the oil in a non-stick pan and fry the tofu slices in batches until golden brown, about 3 minutes on each side. Do not touch them except to turn them over; this will help them caramelize better. Immediately add the fried slices to the bowl with the marinade. Let them marinate in the refrigerator for several hours, or overnight if desired. For deep-frying: Mix the mustard with a little water in a shallow bowl until thick and creamy. In a second shallow bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper well and evenly. Remove the tofu slices from the marinade and pat dry. Dip them in the mustard sauce, ensuring all sides are covered, and coat them in the flour and spice mixture. Then dip them in the mustard sauce a second time and coat them in the flour a second time. This creates a great deep-fried crust. Fill a deep-fryer with oil (at least 3 cm deep) and heat the oil to approximately 180°C. Gently fry the tofu slices until they are golden brown and crispy on the outside. This takes about 5 minutes. Turn them over halfway through if necessary. Drain on kitchen paper and let cool. Cut the lettuce into thin strips. Slice the gherkins thinly. Toast the sandwich slices, spread with mayonnaise and, optionally, a little hot sauce. Top with lettuce, gherkins, and fried tofu and eat immediately. This whole thing is reminiscent of a vegetarian hamburger. We’ve also used hamburger buns instead of the sandwich slices. Also very tasty. And we always vary the toppings, too. For example, with tomato slices. Of course, you can also make it a vegan treat by modifying the mayonnaise.