I recently found myself in need of deep-fried tofu, also called yellow tofu or fried bean curd. While it is easy to find in Asian countries, it is not in Europe or in the US, so I decided to make my own.

WHY USE DEEP-FRY TOFU?

Once fried, tofu develops a thin yellow skin that not only makes it easier to cut but also prevents it from crumbling, which is perfect for some types of recipes. It also makes the tofu more appealing with a golden brown color. I also found fried tofu to absorb more flavor, especially in soups like Bún Bò Huế or this Lemongrass soup.

IS DEEP-FRIED TOFU HEALTHY?

Calories wise, deep-fried tofu is not as rich as you may believe. Per 100g, it contains around 190 calories with 12g of protein and around 11g of fat. To compare, white tofu contains around 140 calories, 14g of protein, and around 8g of fat. These numbers are just estimates and will depend on the brand of tofu used.

While it is deep-fried, very little oil actually goes inside the tofu, so it doesn’t have a greasy mouthfeel.

HOW TO MAKE IT?

Frying tofu is actually very easy but requires to follow a few steps. First, you want to rinse and drain your firm tofu. There is no need to press it for a long time, just pat it dry and slightly press between a few sheets of kitchen towel.

I used one big block of tofu that I had to cut into 4 smaller rectangles. If using regular tofu you can skip this step.

Once this is done, heat about 2 cups of neutral oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Time to fry!

There are a couple of things to pay attention when frying tofu:

The oil must be hot enough. It should sizzle when you put the tofu in. You can test if the oil is hot enough by dipping a wooden spatula or spoon. If you see bubbles forming around it, the oil is hot.
You do not want to fry too long. As soon as the tofu has a light yellow color, remove from the oil and place on a plate lined with kitchen paper towel to remove excess oil. If you fry too long, the skin will become hard and get a bitter flavor. I found 3 minutes to be the perfect time for the tofu to develop a nice yellow color on the outside while remaining soft inside.
Flip it. To get a uniform skin, use a wooden spoon or spatula to flip it at least once halfway through frying.
Drain. Once the tofu is yellow, immediately remove from the oil and transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper towel to remove excess oil.

HOW TO USE?

Fried tofu can be used in many dishes:

Stir-fries: Simply add it to the skillet once the vegetables are almost cooked, and then sautée for a couple more minutes.
Noodle soups: Cut it into thick slices, season with salt, pepper, and some sugar. Stir to coat and sautée in a little bit of oil for 2-3 minutes. Then add it to the soup.
Curries: Perfect to add texture, color, and more protein.
Sandwiches or wraps: Cut the tofu into small strips, then marinate in soy sauce, maple syrup, garlic, and ginger. Sautée for a couple of minutes and use in your wrap or sandwich.

I hope you will enjoy this little guide on frying tofu! This deep-fried tofu is chewy on the outside, and soft and juicy on the inside. It will soak up everything from marinades to soups, and is perfect if you are bored of plain white tofu.

Let me know in the comments if you try this recipe!