Paul Keller
There are countless recipes with tofu that are particularly popular with vegetarians and vegans in this country. We present three delicious soybean dishes that you can easily cook at home.
Tofu Recipes – 1. Map Tofu
Tofu is a popular and widely used ingredient – especially in various Asian cuisines. In Asia, however, it is only used to a limited extent as a meat substitute but is rather seen as another ingredient that is also added to the dish to refine its taste. One of them, for example, is Mapo Tofu. For this you need: 400 g firm tofu, 100 g minced or soy mince, 2 spring onions, 2 tbsp chili bean sauce (Doubanjiang), 1 tbsp black bean sauce, 1 tsp sugar, 1/2 tsp chili oil, 2 tbsp light soy sauce, 1/2 tsp Szechuan peppercorns, 1 tbsp starch, and 100 ml chicken broth.
- Cut the tofu into roughly 2 cm cubes. Then clean the spring onions and cut them into small rings.
- Heat a wok or frying pan over high heat and add 2 tbsp oil. Fry the mince until it is lightly browned but not crumbly.
- Turn the heat down to medium and add the chili bean sauce. Mix the ingredients until the oil turns red. Now add the black bean sauce and the chili oil to the pan.
- Add the chicken broth to the pan before adding the tofu cubes. Mix the ingredients and season with soy sauce. Now let it simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Now add the spring onions to the pan. Then mix the starch with 2 tablespoons of water and add the mixture so that the sauce thickens a little. The dish should now be coated with a shiny layer.
Sprinkle the mapo tofu with the Szechuan pepper and serve it with jasmine rice. Finished!
2. Spaghetti with Tofu Bolognese
Even if tofu was not originally used as a meat substitute in Asia, it is a good alternative, especially for vegetarians, to give food a texture reminiscent of meat. For spaghetti with a tofu bolognese sauce you need: 250 g spaghetti, 250 g tofu, 400 g diced tomatoes, 1/2 onion, 1 clove of garlic, 1/4 tsp paprika powder, 1 tbsp oregano, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 teaspoon chili flakes, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, and salt and pepper.
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix the olive oil, soy sauce, chili flakes, paprika, and garlic powder.
- Squeeze the liquid out of the tofu for about 10 minutes and then crumble it into the spice mixture. Mix everything well.
- Then spread the seasoned tofu cubes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and let them roast in the oven for 40 minutes. Then put salted water in a pot and prepare the spaghetti according to the package instructions.
- In the meantime, peel and chop the garlic and onions. Put the ingredients in a pan and fry until translucent. Add tomatoes, oregano, salt, and pepper.
- Stir the toasted tofu crumbs into the tomato sauce in the pan. Divide the pasta between two plates and serve with the tofu bolognese sauce. Finished!
3. Tofu Schnitzel
For a tofu schnitzel with mango honey dip you need: 350 g tofu, 4 garlic cloves, 60 g breadcrumbs, 2 tbsp tomato paste, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp water, 1 tbsp Dijon mustard, 1 tbsp maple syrup and 1/4 tsp pepper. For the dip, you need 1 mango, 30 ml honey, 1 clove of garlic, 2 spring onions, 1 tbsp white wine vinegar, 1/2 tsp lime, 1/4 tsp cumin, and 1 tsp chili flakes.
- Halve the tofu lengthways and squeeze with a kitchen towel to squeeze out the liquid. Peel and chop the garlic cloves.
- Then mix the garlic with the tomato paste, water, soy sauce, mustard, maple syrup, and pepper in a bowl.
- Dip the tofu in it until it is covered with the marinade and let it sit for at least 30 minutes – preferably 2 hours.
- Peel and core the mango, then cut it into cubes. Peel and chop the garlic, squeeze the lime, and cut the spring onions into strips.
- Then blend the mango, garlic, spring onions, honey, white wine vinegar, lime juice, cumin, and chili flakes until you have a creamy dip.
- Roll the tofu in breadcrumbs and heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan. Fry the schnitzel on both sides until crispy. Cut the schnitzel into strips, put it on a plate, and serve with the dip. Finished!
