The Secret To Better Stir-Fried Tofu

Since tofu is a neutral vessel for flavor infusion, texture is what makes it stand out in a stir-fry. And a crispy exterior and meaty, chewy interior is the ideal textural contrast for stir-fried tofu. We consulted Priyanka Naik, chef, author and TV host of "Make It Vegan," on the secret to better stir-fried tofu. She gives us two prepping methods to achieve tofu with the desired texture before even adding it to a stir-fry.

"The most important thing to keep in mind is the tofu prep before stir-frying," says Naik. "To achieve a crispy texture you can either follow the freeze and thaw method or press extra firm tofu, coat in cornstarch, flash fry, remove and cool (to retain the crispy texture) and then saute with your aromatics. Technique is key when cooking with tofu!"

True to its name, the freeze and thaw method refers to freezing a whole or sliced block of tofu completely before thawing it and draining the residual liquid. Freezing and thawing tofu creates larger pockets for flavor absorption, extracts more moisture, and gives it a more meat-like substance. This method will create a texture similar to fried chicken when it hits the frying pan. Flash-frying is basically searing the tofu on all sides in a hefty amount of super-hot oil. The cornstarch coating will crisp up beautifully while the flash-fry won't oversaturate the tofu with oil as it's done quickly, so it can then absorb the flavors from the aromatics in your stir fry.

Stir fried veggies may be a one-wok recipe, but for a protein and veggie mix, it can be best to cook ingredients separately. Tofu's flat, straight sides can benefit from a flat surface and not a rounded wok for evenly crispy edges. You might even need to cook different vegetables separately. For example, mushrooms can be browned in a dry saute to ensure their meaty chew before incorporating them into the stir-fry along with the tofu. If you stir-fry mushrooms in a wok with other vegetables, it can become waterlogged and mushy.

Another tip for a perfectly executed stir-fry is to cut your veggies into similar sized pieces so they'll cook at the same rate. You can also start sauteing vegetables that take longer to cook first, stir-frying them for a few minutes and adding quicker cooking veggies for the remainder of the time. Stir-fry recipes also develop the sauces separately, starting with your aromatic ingredients. It's best to saute diced garlic and ginger for a minute to make a flavorful foundation for various liquid ingredients like soy sauce, citrus, sesame oil, and rice vinegar.

After the proteins and veggies have been combined in the stir-fry pan or wok, then you can add the stir-fry sauce to coat everything in a flavorful liquid. Stir-fry sauces like this soy, honey, and sesame one have thickening agents like arrowroot powder or corn starch which will take mere minutes to bubble into a thick, syrupy consistency.