What is tofu that's crispy outside and fluffy inside called?
I sometime eat asian dishes having tofu cubes. The tofu looks a bit fried, it is a bit crispy on the outside but quite soft and fluffy inside. I love this texture combo, I would eat a whole wok of it! Unfortunately I know neither how this kind of tofu preparation is called nor how it is made. What is the name of this preparation style so I can learn how to make it myself?
Best Answer
Traditionally, it's first dropped into boiling water & allowed to sit as the water cools for 15 minutes before drying off & deep frying.
There's a 'cheat' method, though.
Press to dry, sprinkle with a little cornflour & shallow fry, on its own. Add to the dish when cooked. Dress with anything you fancy - chilli, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar...
It's not quite the same as deep fried, but it's a whole lot quicker & easier.
Start with firm tofu; otherwise you'll have to give it the 15 mins in boiled water to firm it up.
Edit: The question changed direction slightly after I'd posted this - as to what it's called; other than 'deep fried' or 'crispy' tofu, I really don't know.
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How do you make tofu crispy outside and soft inside?
Toss tofu in cornstarch or rice flour to make it crispy. Both rice flour and cornstarch are gluten free. Tossing the tofu in cornstarch or rice flour not only creates a crisp outside, but keeps the moisture inside the tofu, so each bite is soft and tender.What is crispy tofu called?
Agedashi Tofu (\u63da\u3052\u51fa\u3057\u8c46\u8150) is soft tofu coated with potato starch and deep-fried so that the outer shell is crispy.What is the spongy tofu called?
What are Tofu Puffs. Tofu puffs (tow-hu tawt in Thai) are deep-fried tofu cubes (or triangles) very chewy and absorbent, perfect for saucy dishes like stews and broths. Their airy and spongy texture with a crispy outside makes them also very good for stuffing, but also amazing in stir fries.What is Tofu?
More answers regarding what is tofu that's crispy outside and fluffy inside called?
Answer 2
This sounds like fried tofu puffs.
Answer 3
My understanding from watching it being cooked is that it's fried hot and fast in a lot of oil. The tofu itself seems to be a firm variety and the outside dries and crisps from the hot oil. As the inside heats up some steam will be formed, and I think this is what makes it fluffy.
I've never managed to replicate it myself except for a few test pieces - I suspect I'm being mean with the oil and my wok isn't really hot enough to start with (domestic wok rings aren't as powerful as commercial ones), so adding a lot of tofu drops the temperature too much. Deep frying might work but the rest of a typical dish would need stir frying and I'm not set up for deep frying so I've never tried it.
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