Breaded, Fried, Softly Spiced Tofu

This tofu recipe is completely gorgeous. A former roommate introduced me to some basics with tofu, and over the past few years, I've settled on this ratio of spices and other breading ingredients. The crust on the tofu sticks is tasty and the texture is really wonderful. Serve with a relish or a dip of some sort (I love this with plain yogurt mixed with eggplant brinjal). I usually make this with a cumin-scented rice dish and a garlicky broccoli side.

• Preparation Time: 15 mins
• Cooking Time: 15 mins
• Total Time: 30 mins
• Calories: 285 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon sage
• 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1 (16 ounce) package extra-firm tofu, drained and pressed

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Warm oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Step 2

Cut pressed tofu into 1/2-inch thick slices; then cut again into 1/2-inch wide sticks. Place tofu in a bowl, and pour broth over the top. Set aside to soak.

Step 3

In a separate bowl, stir together flour, yeast, salt, pepper, sage, and cayenne.

Step 4

Remove tofu sticks from broth, and squeeze most (but not all) of the liquid from them. Roll sticks in breading. (You may have to roll sticks twice to end up with a fairly dry outer layer of breading.) Place tofu in hot oil; fry until crisp and browned on all sides. Add more oil if necessary.