My baked hot and crispy tofu is going to be your new best friend just like it became mine! These low-calorie high-protein crispy tofu bites will solve all your snacks dilemma!
Attention all tofu lovers! I have got something for you which will make you fall for tofu all over again! And if you are not a tofu lover yet, these hot and crispy tofu bites will make you one today!
This hot and crispy tofu is a delicious snack recipe which you can devour guilt-free! I can assure you that you will hopelessly fall in love with this low-calorie high-protein tofu quick bite and your healthy eating habit will also not get disrupted!
Being baked, this hot and crispy tofu is very low in calories as there is barely any oil used – just 2 tablespoons of olive oil for a serving of more than 4 portions.
This is also a perfect crowd-pleaser recipe – you can keep the tofu coated with spices and just shove them into the oven in batches when your friends and guests demand for more!
What is hot and crispy tofu?
My delicious hot and crispy tofu is a baked tofu recipe which tastes exactly like its name – hot and crispy! The combination of crispy outer coating with succulent texture inside makes a killer tofu recipe that you will make on repeats!
Tofu is a fantastic source of protein and can be your best friend in your fitness journey! But some think that tofu lacks flavor which I don’t completely disagree with!
That’s why I am here to help! With this recipe of hot and crispy tofu, I can guarantee that you will never repel this healthy food anymore!
The best part of this hot and crispy tofu recipe is that it is ready in a jiffy! This is one of those savior recipes, which you can make on the fly!
Just cut the block of tofu, toss them in spices and push them inside a preheated oven! That’s all there is to it!
This is just the perfect recipe for times when you feel suddenly hungry or your friends drop in unannounced! Trust me, everyone will love it from the very first bite!
Ingredients for vegan hot and crispy tofu
Firm Tofu: The star of this show is none other than the protein-booster tofu! Tofu is every fitness enthusiast’s best friend and rightfully so! It is not only rich in protein, but also seriously less in calories! So you get the best of both worlds!
Tofu is often compared with our good old paneer because of the similarity in look & feel of the two. But I feel each has their own goodness and they both are good for us!
Tofu is a perfect alternative to paneer if you are lactose intolerant or if you follow a vegan diet. And with this recipe of hot and crispy tofu, you will love tofu even more!
Pro tip: Use firm tofu for this recipe; silken tofu will not work in this recipe.
Light soy sauce: This condiment seasons the tofu beautifully; plus adds a depth of flavor which would not become evident if you season your tofu only with salt. And using light soy sauce will ensure that the color of the final dish is not altered.
Garlic powder: As usual garlic imparts wonderful flavors to all the dishes that it is added to and this tofu recipe is no exception too! The apparently bland tofu becomes extremely tempting as garlic adds its magical flavors when mixed with other spices!
Olive oil: Couple of tablespoons of olive is what you need to coat the tofu pieces so that all the aromatics, seasoning and spices stick to the tofu cubes.
Cornflour: A light dusting of cornflour (a.k.a. cornstarch) helps to create a thin crispy outer coating on each tofu cubes. This combination of crispy coating outside and tender tofu inside makes it irresistible.
Red chilli powder: The hot element of this hot and crispy tofu comes from this red chilli powder. You can freely adjust the amount of chilli powder as per your liking – make it sizzling hot if you like it fiery or just a mild hint of kick otherwise!
Pepper: A dash of freshly crushed black pepper rounds things up; so do not skip it. You may also sprinkle the black pepper over your hot and crispy tofu before serving.
Salt: Season your tofu well with salt.
How to make Vegan Hot and crispy tofu?
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 200 C / 390 F and place the wire rack at the middle of the oven.
Step 2: Unpack the firm tofu and drain out any excess water from it. Place it on a chopping board and cut it into cubes of 1-inch length.
Step 3: Take the tofu cubes in a mixing bowl and add all the other ingredients to the bowl – light soy sauce, garlic powder, red chilli powder, cornflour (a.k.a. cornstarch), salt, pepper and olive oil.
Step 4: Now cover the bowl with a plate and shake the bowl but with a light hand. If you shake too strongly, tofu pieces may break. Shaking will distribute all the spices and aromatics evenly and coat each tofu on all sides.
Alternatively, you can stir the tofu with a rubber spatula while making sure the tofu pieces do not break.
Step 5: Leave the tofu at room temperature for 15 minutes to allow them to absorb all the flavors.
Step 6: Meanwhile, line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a grilling rack on top of the lined baking sheet. Brush the grilling rack with olive oil to avoid sticking.
Step 7: After about 15 minutes, arrange the tofu pieces one by one on the grilling rack in a single layer.
Pro tip: If your grilling rack is small, do it in two batches without overcrowding the rack; otherwise the tofu will not turn out crispy. You need to leave a certain gap between 2 tofu pieces to allow the hot air to circulate around it and make each one hot & crispy!
Step 8: Bake the marinated tofu in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Then take them out, flip each tofu over and bake for another 12 minutes.
Step 9: Your hot and crispy tofu is ready! Serve and enjoy them immediately with your favorite dip like tomato ketchup or mayo!
Pro tip: You can use any leftover crispy tofu bites to make various other dishes to serve in the main course! Stay tuned for recipes!
More delicious tofu recipes from Flavor Quotient
- Firm Tofu - 400 gm
- Light soy sauce - 1 tbsp
- Garlic powder - ½ tsp
- Olive oil - 2 tbsp
- Cornflour - 1 tbsp
- Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
- Blacker pepper powder - ¼ tsp
- Salt - ½ tsp
- Preheat your oven to 200 C / 390 F and place the wire rack at the middle of the oven.
- Unpack the firm tofu and drain out any excess water from it. Place it on a chopping board and cut it into cubes of 1-inch length.
- Take the tofu cubes in a mixing bowl and add all the other ingredients to the bowl - light soy sauce, garlic powder, red chilli powder, cornflour (a.k.a. cornstarch), salt, pepper and olive oil.
- Now cover the bowl with a plate and shake the bowl but with a light hand. If you shake too strongly, tofu pieces may break. Shaking will distribute all the spices and aromatics evenly and coat each tofu on all sides.
- Alternatively, you can stir the tofu with a rubber spatula while making sure the tofu pieces do not break.
- Leave the tofu at room temperature for 15 minutes to allow them to absorb all the flavors.
- Meanwhile, line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a grilling rack on top of the lined baking sheet. Brush the grilling rack with olive oil to avoid sticking.
- After about 15 minutes, arrange the tofu pieces one by one on the grilling rack in a single layer.
- Bake the marinated tofu in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Then take them out, flip each tofu over and bake for another 12 minutes.
- Your hot and crispy tofu is ready! Serve and enjoy them immediately with your favorite dip like tomato ketchup or mayo! Enjoy!
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