Anyone tried the Red-curried tofu (Mar 01)

[SClementson]

Luv to Cook, I'm going to be making it tonight, too! I'll post my review sometime tomorrow and let you know what I think.

Sarah

[sundropdlc]

I did make this although I used, ahem..Chicken instead of tofu. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

I really liked it. My husband gave it a
7/10 rating. I think it'll definitely be a repeater for us. I used chicken because there's no way on God's green earth that he would've eaten tofu!

[Pix]

I made it for dinner tonight and we really liked it. The only substitution I made was red bell peppers instead of yellow, and I doubled the amount of peppers and red onion because we really like veggies.

[Luv to Cook]

Just wondering if anyone has tried the red-curried tofu in the March 2001 issue. Thinking of trying it tonite.

Thanks!

[hlao23]

We made this last nite substituting green peppers for yellow because we thought the color combo would be more attractive (weird, huh? http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif). The flavor was wonderful. The gooshy, wiggly tofu was not. If we make this again I will probably press the tofu between paper towels first to make it firmer and maybe brown it before I add it to the mix.

[lsdesign]

I have found that if you freeze firm tofu and then defrost before using that it has a more meaty texture. Any one else concur?

[BeckyM]

I made this, and my husband actually ate the tofu, though he said he definitely would prefer it with chicken! I thought the flavor was really good, so I might make it again. I may have to substitute chicken next time though, just to make hubby happy.

[hlao23]

Originally posted by lsdesign:
I have found that if you freeze firm tofu and then defrost before using that it has a more meaty texture. Any one else concur?


Ooh! Thanks. I'll give it a try.

[emilycat]

lsdesign,

I haven't done this myself, but have read it from several sources, including some of my cookbooks and this BB.

And I'm looking forward to this recipe...after great success with two of the other curry recipes, I'm eager to try this one! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[aggie94]

I make ma po tofu all the time and have never had a problem with my tofu being squishy or soggy, although I hear about it alot with tofu dishes. I have noticed that different brands of tofu, all labeled "firm", have different degrees of firmness and different textures. One thing that the recipe calls for that I think helps is to braise the tofu before stir-frying it into the rest of the dish -- cut into bite-size pieces and boil for 2-3 minutes, then drain. I've never had to drain tofu on paper towels before using it.

[Peeps]

aggie94-
What is ma po tofu? I'm always looking for good tofu recipes...

[laughsandlaughs]

I always freeze and then thaw my tofu...it does give a chewier texture. There is actually some word for it in Chinese that means tofu left outside overnight, meaning outside in the cold to freeze... I do prefer the texture. Try it!

[JillC]

I made this a few days ago and thought it was rather bland. I had to add more spices. Once I doctored it up it was fine, but there are so many great curry recipes out there that I probably won't make this one again.
Jill

[Luv to Cook]

Thanks everyone! We made it also and really liked it. I drained the tofu by placing some weights on top for a few hours before cooking. Definitely removed the squish factor!

[LRuben]

I do not like frozen and defrosted tofu although a lot of people I know prefer it this way. The texture is wierd, kind of dry and...I don't know, wierd. I only use extra firm and I like to brown it a little bit before it goes into the recipe. Although I do like silken in smoothies and a killer lemon-lime cheesecake from the '99 ( I think ) annual.--Lisa

[aggie94]

Peeps:

Sorry for the delay in responding - I haven't been on the board in a few days. Ma po tofu is a spicy Chinese stir-fry dish. I posted my recipe for it before, at http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/Forum1/HTML/004931.html if you want to check it out.

[Sara Emily]

I am a great FAN of tofu (!!! - There ARE a few of us out there!!!), and ALWAYS freeze my firm tofu before using it in a recipe where it will serve a meat like function or be dropped into an Oriental soup. It does give it a more RECOGNIZABLE texture!

I am planning on trying this recipe this week, and will add more spices as suggested. I ALWAYS enjoy these food reviews!

[Grace]

Sara Emily:

This board has gotten me to try so many new things that I was missing out on before. This has given me the courage to venture into tofu! I just bought a block of extra firm tofu, the kind sitting in water. I would like to try freezing it first, but do I need to drain it before I freeze it? If not, after it thaws, does it still need to have all the water pressed out of it? Any specific instructions would be appreciated! Thanks.

[misstapioca]

moving this up to the top as i am very curious about freezing the type of tofu that is sitting in h20.

[Terrytx]

I made this last night and we thought it excellent. I repeater for sure. And I also freeze to tofu (drained) then press between paper towels. My kids wouldn't eat it until I tried that little trick. Now there are no complaints.

[laughsandlaughs]

My advice on what I do for freezing tofu is in this thread...
http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/Forum1/HTML/005713.html

[Sara Emily]

I always freeze my tofu in its original packaging, water and all, wrapped in an additional layer of foil or put in a plastic bag - just for the extra protection. When thawed, I almost never find the need to press it, but do dry it thoroughly with paper towels.

Remember to store any leftover tofu that you are not going to use right away in water in your refrig., and then CHANGE that water about every second day.

In addition to being GREAT GOOD EATING, tofu and other soy foods also have helped ease the NASTY symptoms of peri-menopause! That is pretty close to a MIRACLE in my book!

[arielbird]

Does anyone know where to find *fresh* tofu in Los Angeles? Not the stuff swimming in a bit of water in its own package - stuff made that's still in an en-masse bucket.

[laughsandlaughs]

Asian markets usually have fresh tofu and sometimes I've seen it at Whole Foods stores.

[misstapioca]

i found a recipe for homemade tofu in a russian?!!? cookbook my mother gave me. Anyone interested? if so i will post it!