mia52•9d ago

The great tofu debate: pan fry first or just toss it in the sauce?

I used to always cube up a block of tofu and throw it straight into whatever stir fry or curry I was making. It was fine, kind of soft and bland but it worked. Then about 6 months ago I started pressing it for 20 minutes then pan frying the cubes in a little oil until they were golden and crispy on all sides before adding sauce. The difference was huge - the texture went from mushy to chewy and it soaked up way more flavor. Total cost difference is basically zero since you just need a little extra oil, maybe 20 cents worth. But now I'm wondering if the extra time and dirty pan is really worth it for a cheap weeknight meal. Do you all bother with the extra step or are you team just-toss-it-in?

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the_jessica9d ago

Pressing and pan frying makes a huge difference, no doubt. The extra ten minutes of pressing is worth it for the texture alone, but you can cut the pan time by just searing the tofu on two sides instead of all four. I press mine in a clean towel with a heavy skillet on top, then slice it into slabs and pan fry just until brown on both sides. That's enough to get a good crust without babysitting four sides.