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Preparation
30 minutes
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Difficulty
Easy
If you have eaten vegetarian food, you are probably familiar with fermented tofu, a multifunctional dish that can be used as a dip with vegetables and also serves as an essential fermented dish for seasoning when cooking broths for vegetarian dishes. So what are you waiting for? Let’s join TasteVN in the kitchen to make this vegetarian dish right away!
Ingredients for Fermented Tofu – Temple Tofu For 3 pieces of tofu
Fresh tofu 3 pieces (hot) Rice water 150 ml White wine 1 teaspoon Salt 2 teaspoons Pepper 1/2 teaspoon
How to choose good fresh tofu
- For this dish, you should buy freshly made hot tofu as it will be delicious and fatty, while tofu that has cooled for too long cannot be processed into fermented tofu.
- Good tofu pieces that do not contain gypsum typically have a creamy white color similar to soybeans; avoid choosing yellowish pieces as they may have been stored for too long or contain a lot of gypsum.
- You should select pieces that are light in hand, have elasticity and smoothness, not hard and dry, and easily crumble; these are the good tofu pieces.
- In terms of smell and taste, fresh and pure tofu will have a fragrant smell and the characteristic fatty flavor of soybeans. Meanwhile, tofu containing impurities will have a faint lime smell, and when eaten, it will taste bland, dry, and crumbly.
How to make Stinky Tofu – Temple Tofu
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Prepare and ferment the tofu
After buying, while the tofu is still hot, cut it into strips and then into small cubes; you should cut each large piece of tofu into 10 smaller pieces.
Take a basket, then lay a cheesecloth at the bottom of the basket and arrange the tofu around the bottom surface, minimizing stacking on top of each other.
Cut a round piece of paper to fit the top of the basket and cover it tightly over the tofu, then place a lid on the basket.
Place the basket of tofu on a plate, keep it in a dry, cool place away from animals and insects, and ferment for 2 days at room temperature.
Note:- After 2 days of fermentation, the tofu will turn slightly yellow and have a slimy texture around the tofu pieces, which indicates success.
- If after 2 days you see black mold appearing, then the tofu has spoiled and should not be used to make stinky tofu. To avoid this situation, you should buy hot tofu, ensure that all fermentation tools are very clean, and cover them properly during fermentation to prevent bacteria and insects from spoiling the tofu.
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Salt-marinated tofu
You prepare a clean glass jar, rinse it briefly with hot water, and then dry it thoroughly with a clean cloth.
Next, you put 2 teaspoons of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper on a plate and mix them well.
Using chopsticks, gently roll the tofu in the salt mixture and then place it into the jar, repeating this for each piece until you finish the tofu.
Note: During the rolling process, to make the marinated tofu look beautiful, you should handle it gently and place the tofu softly into the jar to keep the final product intact.
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Cook rice water
You start by cooking a pot of rice with the usual amount of rice your family consumes, but add more water than usual. When the rice water boils, use a ladle to scoop out 3 ladles of rice water into a bowl and let it cool completely.
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Ferment the tofu
You add 1 teaspoon of white wine to the jar, then pour in the cooled rice water, cover it, and place it in the refrigerator to ferment for 1 day before it is ready to eat!
Tip:- When pouring the rice water into the jar, you should use a sieve to filter it so that no rice gets mixed in with the water for the jar.
- You can also chop some chili and add it to the jar to give the tofu a beautiful color and fragrance if you like it spicy!
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Final Product
Stinky tofu has a strong aroma as soon as you open the lid, and when eaten, it has a rich, naturally delicious taste that is completely different from store-bought tofu!
You can use the tofu for dipping with fresh vegetables, or you can mix it with a little sugar, squeeze in some lime, and add chili to create a delicious dipping sauce! Stinky tofu can also be used to season various vegetarian broths, enhancing the flavor and richness of the dishes.
So you have immediately got the how to make stinky tofu – temple tofu that is delicious and creamy but really simple, right? TasteVN wishes you success!
