Miso Tofu
Serves: 6-8 | Prep Time: 20 Minutes | Cooking Time: 15 Minutes
Ingredients
2 tofu blocks (drained and patted dry)
1 tbs oil
2 tbs soy sauce or amino acids
2 tbs miso paste
2 tbs rice vinegar
1 tbs Korean red chili powder or gochugaru
2 tbs coconut sugar or brown sugar
Directions
Drain and press tofu
In a small mixing bow, mix the rest of the ingredients for your batter.
Cut tofu into rectangular cubes and dip each one in the sauce to marinate. Wait at least 15 minutes if not marinating overnight.
Set up oven to 450°F or to broil.
Take a tray and line it with foil and place the marinated tofu in the lined tray.
If broiling, make sure there’s at least a 5 inch gap between tray and the flame. If baking, I like to put in the middle rack. Cook for 12-15 minutes, turning halfway through. The miso burns quickly, so be careful. I find that baking makes the tofu slightly crispier.
I try to keep cooked tofu in the fridge. It’s something I can eat all the time. I eat it with rice with a side of soy sauce and lemon and I’m good. This miso tofu recipe can either be broiled or baked. It won’t have the same crispiness as tofu marinated in soy sauce or plain tofu, pan fried, but it gets a nice smokey taste. The miso cooks fast, so you can’t leave it in the oven for too long.
The key to cooking firm tofu is to squeeze and pat dry. I can’t emphasize this enough. Your world will change if you take this seriously. I know, dramatic, but this is how I learned to love tofu. I have a tofu press and the process makes it more convenient, but yo don't need one. Before buying a tofu press, I place the tofu on a flat strainer, sandwich the tofu between two plates, and balance a marble mortar and pestle on top. It works, but the tofu presses takes away some of this preparation. Note that I still need to pat dry it even with the press.
You can marinate the tofu overnight or just wait at least 15 minutes.
In the video below, I made a lunch bowl with coconut rice, miso tofu, peanut sauce, and a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds.