- March 11,2023
Cook frozen tofu, don't put it in fridge right away! Take it one step further, honeycomb teeth are tasty and springy, fresh and not brittle
Many people like to eat hot, especially in cold weather. After eating a spicy hot pot, whole body will warm up and you will no longer worry about catching a cold. Hot pot is a kind of delicacy that everyone loves. It can be eaten at regular times and during Chinese New Year. There are many ingredients, including meat and vegetables, that are rich in nutrients such as tofu.
It can be said that tofu is versatile and can be processed into various ingredients such as fried tofu, moldy tofu, stinky tofu, frozen tofu, etc. When it comes to shabu shabu, I think everyone loves most frozen food. tofu.
There are many holes in frozen tofu, and it is especially delicious after eating soup, and texture is very elastic, very tasty. In a hot pot restaurant, a plate of frozen tofu costs 8 yuan, and tofu kittens are only 2 yuan and 5 yuan, it's better to cook it yourself.
How to cook frozen tofu? Just put it in freezer? This method is most commonly used by everyone, but you will find that it is not as good as frozen tofu at a hot pot restaurant because cooking method is different! If you want frozen tofu with more honeycombs, a firmer texture, and less crumbly, you have to add an extra step, i.e. "steam it".
Why do I need to steam to make frozen tofu?
We all know that frozen tofu uses low temperature to freeze water and increase its volume, creating many honeycomb holes inside. In fact, steaming also has same principle. The temperature of steamer is over 100 ° C, and tofu is rich in water. The internal water evaporates at high temperature, and more pores appear, which are smooth and tender.
At same time, steaming can also remove irritating smell of beans, and structure becomes more compact, elastic and not brittle, so frozen tofu is delicious.
Let me share with you a recipe for frozen tofu. Friends who love to eat can learn it and eat it during Chinese New Year.
【Homemade frozen tofu】
1. Prepare some old tofu. There are several types of tofu with different water content. The water content of tender tofu and lactone tofu is too high, so it is not suitable for making frozen tofu. The taste is bad and easy to break. The water content of old tofu is moderate, and texture of frozen tofu is soft and springy. It is not easy to break and is very resistant to cooking. Don't choose wrong one.
2. Wash old tofu, cut it into small cubes, not too thin and not too thick, about 2 cm is fine, and also size of a hot pot, so honeycombs can appear.
3. Put tofu cubes into steamer, cover with water, boil and cook over high heat for 10 minutes, after turning off, do not rush to open lid and keep heating for a while so that honeycombs are rich and even. If you open lid in a hurry, temperature will drop and honeycomb holes will shrink.
After 4 or 5 minutes, remove tofu cubes, let them cool naturally, place on a plate, do not place next to each other, and refrigerate to freeze for 1 hour. After tofu is very cold, put it in a fresh storage bag and then put it in refrigerator to freeze. You can take it with meals without sticking, and each one is different.
Besides shabu-shabu, frozen tofu can also be fried or stewed. Today I will share a simple recipe with you. It is very flavorful and a very good side dish.
[Frozen Green Onion Tofu]
Prepare 300g frozen tofu, 2 shallots, 2 dried chilies, 4 garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon pepper, salt, light soy sauce, starch and vegetable oil.
1. Take out frozen tofu, leave for several hours at room temperature, after thawing, squeeze out water. Wash and cut green onion into slices, cut dried pepper into slices, and chop garlic cloves.
2. Heat oil in a frying pan, add peppercorns, fry until fragrant, add green onion, minced garlic and dried chili pepper and fry until fragrant, pour in frozen tofu and stir-fry for 2 minutes, add light soy sauce and salt. Pour in appropriate amount of boiling water to taste, cook for 10 minutes over low heat.
3. After frozen tofu tastes good, add water starch to thicken it, sprinkle with green onion leaves and fry evenly.
【Skill Overview】
When preparing frozen tofu, do not freeze it directly. An additional step is steaming it, which creates more honeycomb-like holes, it is smooth and tender, and taste is elastic and not easy to break. Frozen tofu is not ready until tofu is completely yellow and freezing for 1-2 hours is not enough.
