I tried every way to make Crispy Tofu. This is the best one.

4 methods to making fantastic crispy tofu!
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IN THIS VIDEO
Air fryer: amzn.to/3wZaGs9
Sheet pans: amzn.to/4d9NmbD
🔪 MY KITCHEN ESSENTIALS
Knives: kankitchen.com/meet-the-knives/ (get $5 off using code "nisha")
Large Cutting Board: amzn.to/3spsW60
All Clad saucepan: amzn.to/3RsGJZx
All Clad sauté pan: amzn.to/3rq9XgV
Dutch oven: amzn.to/35SLfa6
Cast iron pan: amzn.to/3fYOvcM
Vitamix professional-grade blender: amzn.to/406rabM
Vitamix 32-ounce container: amzn.to/3RbGRdw
Food processor: amzn.to/38L8Aub
Digital scale: amzn.to/3TSHVng
🔑 KEY MOMENTS
00:00 Introduction
00:19 Four Factors for Crispy Tofu
01:05 Pan-Fried Tofu
04:09 Baked Tofu
06:44 Deep-Fried Tofu
10:19 Air-Fried Tofu
12:14 My Favorite Method

[@RainbowPlantLife]

If you’re looking for seriously stellar tofu recipes, check out my new cookbook Big Vegan Flavor! Available for preorder at bigveganflavor.com/

[@elainebradley8213]

Ordered. Can't wait.

[@Daydreamer52811]

I love your recipes so much - my husband and I are currently subscribed to your meal plan and have eaten some of our favorite meals from them, the only downside is most of your recipes are really high carb and for someone trying to keep their carb intake low due to health reasons, there’s a lot of recipes I sadly can’t make - would love if you could add some low carb options or recipes in the mix - thanks for all you do!

[@artistlovepeace]

Fantastic message and lesson. Thank you for producing and sharing. All of this is true.

[@pieperson444]

i really like the video but i noticed there's a ton of dislikes on this (i have an extension that shows me dislikes). I think it's because in asian cooking there's a notion of respecting tofu by not crumbling it, so people are probably mad about that. it was really shocking to me when you started crumbling the tofu.

[@hieuluu2]

My mother can make fried Crispy crunchy tofu like no other. She owned a restaurant for more than 30 years and she sold hundreds of plates of crispy salt and pepper silken tofu every day. Yes, silken soft tofu, I remembered as a child, the delivery truck every day delivering silken tofu. My sister and I, I was our favorite dish growing up, and other restaurants tried to copy her, but it wasn't crunchy. Somehow, my mom figured out the right flour mixture, she gently rolled cubes of silken tofu in the flour, then right into the deep fryer, then she will tossed it in a wok with green scallions, garlic, butter, and her secret salt and pepper mixture. It was crunchy on the outside, soft and silken on the inside, ying and yang. My mother passed away last year, as children, we never asked her about her recipe, my sister and I tried duplicating her recipe from our memories, it wasn't even close, the outside was too soft, and when we did get it crispy, it doesn't stay crispy long. Watching you make tofu reminds me of my mother.

[@RainbowPlantLife]

I didn’t think I was gonna tear up reading a comment 😭 she sounds like she was an amazing mom and chef. Thank you for sharing this ❤❤

[@user-np1fz9tk6z]

Try raising the heat of your oil and put fewer pieces of coated tofu in to fry so they don't lower the oil temp quickly. Heat and flash frying may help to idea the crunching. Good luck. Keep trying!🎉

[@Nanancay]

They make crispy silken tofu at this Chinese food place I go to and it's SO GOOD, I have absolutely no idea how they do that 😭 It's fried in scallions, salt, pepper and chilis and it's so good. I hope you find out your mum's recipe and are able to make it!

[@religion-free]

butter is not Vegan unless it's Vegan

[@bcRockstar]

@@religion-freethe OP didn’t say vegan. Non-vegans have been eating it for centuries.

[@ilessthan3bees]

This isn't a video, it's an encyclopedia entry. So much good information!

[@mariaoviedo5881]

i feel grateful for all the testing that went into making this video! 34 blocks of totu, wow! thanks for testing all the different options ! i cant imagine how much work went into the cookbook

[@RainbowPlantLife]

you're very welcome! and SO much went into the cookbook - over 2,000 recipe tests😅I am so excited for it!

[@rudyvel]

I LOVE your channel and recipes! My granddaughter just turned vegan and I got her a watch and am preparing a box with vegan things like staples and cookbooks. I'm going to order two of your cookbooks, one for me and one for her. ❤️

[@aggressivepineapple8018]

You sound like such a lovely grandparent! What a thoughtful gift!

[@garbageflowers]

[@RainbowPlantLife]

How sweet is that! What a lovely and thoughtful present ❤ hope you will both enjoy my cookbook!

[@rudyvel]

@@aggressivepineapple8018 thank you, I'm so happy for her choice to be vegan. She's been making meals for a few months now.

[@rudyvel]

@@garbageflowers thank you, we did a lot of baking together but I don't live close by anymore.

[@theukyankee]

Neither my husband nor I are vegan and we're trying to eat less meat (but not there yet). We both love watching your videos. He's first gen British from an Indian family, so we eat a lot of what you cook. Love learning more recipes and yours are fabulous!

[@RainbowPlantLife]

That makes me happy to hear! So glad you’re both enjoying my recipes on your journey to eating less meat.

[@arvindmohan202]

Really appreciate the table at the end. I tend to forget certain details about the different methods so having one large table for comparison is super helpful

[@donhorak9417]

After freezing, thawing and pressing extra firm tofu, marinade will soak in like sponge. Great eay to add more flavor.

[@KingfisherTalkingPictures]

We just started doing that, and we love it!

[@pbrubin1]

I've always baked or air fried tofu. I just made the pan fried version. OMG so deliecious. My favorite method going forward. I also threw some chickpeas in the cornstarch mix and added to the tofu when frying. - Game changer.

[@RainbowPlantLife]

So happy you loved the pan-fried tofu! Thanks for sharing!

[@Psysium]

I've tried the saltwater method and I prefer that over pressing by a long shot. The inside gets seasoned and tastes just that little bit better. Great vid, Nisha! Can't wait to get my hands on your new cookbook 🤓

[@FireFloink]

How long do you keep the tofu in the saltwater? :)

[@RainbowPlantLife]

Yes exactly! And thank you - I hope you’ll love my cookbook!

[@RainbowPlantLife]

@@FireFloink10 minutes!

[@georgekalantzis2414]

@@RainbowPlantLife And then you just dry it with a towel? No pressing at all?

[@FireFloink]

@@RainbowPlantLife Thank you!

[@tanyawarner3126]

I’ve been vegan for 2 years and I have never heard the salted boiling water trick for tofu. I’m going to try this tonight! Thanks for the tip! I love your channel by the way. 🤍

[@RainbowPlantLife]

☺️ I’m so glad to hear it! Glad this technique was useful for you :)

[@disky01]

I needed this so badly. My tofu game sucks. Thank you!

[@lorraineyanez4301]

Freezing it also helps.

[@sharonknorr1106]

Wish I had seen a video like this when I was first starting to use tofu. It took me years to hear about all the different ways to cook tofu and I use freezing/boiling water a lot. I find that tofu that has been frozen or boiled also takes up marinade much better. I also now use rice flour when frying anything - learned that from a chef, asked the waitress to find out how they got their stuff so crispy and she came back and said rice flour, so that's been my goto since then. Can't wait until September - your book is my birthday present to myself.

[@avinashtyagi2]

I've found air frying super firm tofu in the air fryer with no oil leads to a chewy, and slightly crispy consistency, very tasty with some hot sauce (my go to is a mix of yellowbird habanero and ghost pepper organic sauces)

[@brendan6645]

Same ☺️

[@jennamakesbugs]

I have a pretty small air fryer, so I have a trick for air frying more breaded tofu (or eggplant or okra) at one time. Crowding can prevent browning or make the coating crumble off, but if you 'set' the coating first, it's a lot more forgiving. I do this by cooking in a dry pan for just a minute on each side. Then you transfer to the air fryer to finish cooking (until tender or until golden as needed) and since the coating is 'set' it tolerates being shaken and stirred around to make sure everything cooks evenly.

[@NoFearCooking]

What a smart idea to have it in the pan first I will try to chicken. I do eat meat, but I love all these recipes on this channel. Good comment. Thank you for sharing with the world.🥰🐝🐝🐝

[@jennamakesbugs]

@@NoFearCooking I do not know how meat cooks in an air fryer. I have not had a victim on my plate in almost 15 years. GL.

[@jazzkardasz8576]

Great hint ...find it doesn't need a coating ...just soak in marinades etc

[@jennamakesbugs]

@@jazzkardasz8576 options are nice for variety's sake. 9/10 I just sprinkle it with nooch and spices and air fry.

[@mylargirl]

I love it when you do your recipe testing and share the results. The amount of effort and thought you put into finding the best possible way to cook everything is amazing, and in a world full of a zillion different viral recipes for the same thing every time there's a new food trend, it's kind of a relief when someone explains the method and reasoning behind what they're doing.

[@RainbowPlantLife]

I so appreciate this! I want folks to learn how to become better cooks and to truly enjoy cooking plant based recipes, whether or not it’s trending :)

[@damenache5406]

I shouldn't watch this while I'm hungry 😭😭😭

[@LelaHolliday]

Take heart, at least you're not grocery shopping hungry. Silver lining. 🙂

[@damenache5406]

True! Sending my man to the grocery store rn so we can eat some Tofu 😅

[@py16667]

These are the perfect vids to watch while hungry in my opinion, get me craving healthy meals instead of junk food

[@kflecha1]

I like to watch this videos when I’m hungry. I’m not vegan at all I can’t. But they’re very entertaining for me.

[@kindlekindlefire5774]

😂😂😂. Couldn’t agree more.

[@mrsnulch]

Wow this came out at the perfect time, I've just been experimenting with tofu like a madman the past month and I agree with these findings! I used to chop my tofu into blocks but I find gently tearing it gives it that nice jagged edge that gets crispy and somehow makes the whole thing taste way better haha

[@johntousseau9380]

The hot slat water method is such an awesome hack! I can't wait to try it.

[@cybransloyalist4943]

I love those videos in which you do a practical and thorough analysis of some topic. I mean, I love most of your videos, but those really stand out, make this channel special, and my cooking better. Thanks!

[@tik3197]

I love this! been making tofu for many years but learnt some really nice techniques here. big thanks :) can't wait to try it out

[@Mulderfactoring]

This is perfect timing. New to fully plant-based eating. And tofu's been on my current list of learning best methods. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

[@feelzyfeelz]

The amount of time and research this must've taken! I really appreciate how you presented it as well. Clear, concise, and the graphic at the end was the cherry on top! Great video! 🥘

[@princenocturnal2583]

I rarely ever comment on videos but I hope this helps you in reaching more people. I love your videos so much! They are easy, laid-back, not overly long and a nice dopamine kick for my inner chef whenever I need a quick fix and some inspiration. Thanks and keep up the great work. Thinking about pre-ordering that cookbook of yours 🤔🤔🤔

[@sandrineboutin5852]

Cant wait for your book to come out! I started cooking vegan since watching your videos two years ago. My health is thanking you, it changed my life. Absolutely loved every reciepe i tried! ♥

[@lolthien]

The trick with boiling salty water is great and something I've never heard before! Thanks for the tip!

[@LauraBriquet]

You've always been the greatest cooking tofu!!!! Thanks for this video 👩🏽‍🍳

[@clotildenet]

Nisha, you have changed my cooking life yet again! I followed your instructions for pan-frying the tofu and it was amazing. I didn’t have cornstarch so I used a mix of potato starch (despite your warning!) and panko breadcrumbs, cooked the tofu in coconut oil and it was just 👌. Thank you!

[@ashleyj0]

Thank you!!!! I love tofu so much & can't wait to try this!

[@matthewmiller3392]

One of my favorite meals is sesame tofu and I thought I had the recipe down. But you just leveled me up significantly!

[@RoxanneRichardson]

I appreciate this so much! I have struggled to get crispy tofu from the oven, and I've been using corn starch. I will definitely try the stove top method, and also the salt water soak!

[@daily_tries]

I love crispy tofu too, but adding a side note that Tofu doesn’t always need to be crispy! In the English speaking online world, drying tofu out can sometime feel like the only way to eat tofu. Truth is tofu is an incredibly complex ingredient used in many Asian cuisines for millennia long before the west took it as a “meat substitute.” Artisans sometimes go through incredible processes to *keep* water in soft tofu. The same way we wouldn’t say all cheese need to be hard and dry like a block of Parmesan, tofu can be deliciously soft and creamy like a fresh mozzarella.

[@RainbowPlantLife]

I agree 💯 and thanks for sharing. I love soft tofu, I love silken tofu raw, I love chewy braised tofu, I pretty much love all tofu in any way! I recommend trying my Chinese braised tofu - probably my favorite tofu recipe ever. rainbowplantlife.com/braised-tofu/

[@SheilaEnglish2]

That was so helpful. I look forward to trying your pan fry and air fryer methods.

[@gregclark8700]

I stumbled on this video and wow. I’ve been eating Tofu for the protein but never really enjoyed it. But after trying your panfried recipe I’m loving it. Great quick easy tasty healthy snack. Thank you so much

[@UnitedCuisines]

The enlightening tofu video I was waiting for!

[@Amy.Vvvvvv]

The new go-to guide for tofu making! Thanks!

[@sandrabraga7269]

Can't wait to get your new book! Pre-ordered 😊

[@JoandIvan777]

thanks for the video and the recipes!!

[@JEEROFUKU]

Awesome tutorial, Nisha😋Thank U very much🪴

[@tomithot261]

Thanks for doing all of the "food work" and making our world so much better. Great video ... good info ... I am a fan!

[@NoFearCooking]

What a nice compliment to give to the chef who deserve it she’s very good at explaining and why it happens. What happens when we cook tofu, never work with Sophu, but I will try definitely after this video.🥰🐝🐝🐝

[@japsowinkaur525]

Your content is incredible! So useful and well researched. Absolutely love it❤

[@RainbowPlantLife]

☺️ that’s so nice! Thank you thank you!

[@krystleyoung5328]

Thank you for sharing! I will try the deep-fried method some day

[@debbiebridges8807]

Thank you I can’t wait to to get your book I love try different vegan recipes

[@theresam5388]

Thank you so much for this very informative video 🤗. I am so appreciative of the lengths you went through to compile not only different methods but the different starches and outcomes. You are as always a joy to watch 💚. I learn so much following you and can't wait to get your next cookbook 💚🌱

[@balentay]

This video was so interesting to watch! I really appreciate the amount of effort, research and TOFU that went into this video. One thing I would have been curious to hear is how each method held up to refrigeration and reheating. I imagine that you'd want to try and eat all the deep fried tofu fresh for instance since deep fried foods get soft and soggy fast but the air fryer tofu would probably be fine if you tossed it into the air fryer for a couple minutes

[@sai211reddy]

Exactly what I needed. Thank you very much 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@tdbright1894]

I just preordered you book can’t wait to get it

[@mildredamanda9098]

I appreciate this video so much, I've recently gone vegetarian and have been struggling with how to cook tofu in a way that I enjoy.

[@RainbowPlantLife]

Hope these methods will help you out in your journey!❤

[@richandglorious]

Super helpful video!!

[@el-bov8034]

Thanks for the deep dive :)

[@rosemcguinn5301]

Because of your channel, I've been able to expand my vegan recipe options. Thank you! And I tried your pan fried crispy tofu recipe and it turned out great!

[@violet6450]

This video is gold! So complete and easy to understand! Thank you so much!

[@legsnhipsnbawdy]

What excellent timing, I was looking for a way to cook some tofu I have!

[@Dogsnark]

This was so helpful for me! Thank you. My usual method has been pan frying the tofu, but it never worked very well. I’m eager to try it using your instructions.

[@chillynight201]

Super useful, thank you!

[@DebbieSher-gh3rv]

Love your recipes! I just pre-ordered my copy of your book. :)

[@FoolproofLiving]

You are such a good teacher Nisha. I am not a big fan of tofu but after watching this I feel so inspired to give it another go.

[@pujasuri1336]

Amazing video & pre ordered !

[@sukanyakonar6556]

nisha's cookbook releases on my birthday!!! congratulations nisha ❤

[@Ramyapad19]

Thanks for this i just subscribed to the guide and i will be buying your cookbook before my birthday in September

[@RainbowPlantLife]

🥰 thank you Ramya!

[@dee4435]

I preordered your book! Woo hoo!

[@halcyon-cg2eb]

I love to eat healthy and tasty food but I hate to cook (kinda ran out of steam after cooking for my family for the last 22 years). So I would love more 20 min recipes, meal-prep videos and meals you can prepare in advance (without the need for a microwave), thank you Nisha!

[@Sky-Child]

Check out her earlier videos about 'meal building blocks' - game changer for evening meals for family

[@halcyon-cg2eb]

@@Sky-Child Thank you for the tip, I'll have a look : )

[@BrooksSeveer]

What a wonderful channel and video! I've been looking for something like this for quite some time and I'm not just upvoting because you reinforced my belief that sauteing is the way to go. Really lovely stuff and I'm legitimately looking at getting your book now, and I'm not even Vegan!

[@pagirl913.]

I can’t wait for the new cookbook! I use the first one faithfully and it’s the best! Your friend from Ohio, Linda! 🥰🩷🤗

[@LelaHolliday]

I've made hummus with her recipe - the one with a crispy lemon zest topping. Fantastic! The ice water tip was solid gold. Checking on pre ordering now.

[@marcelaa.4116]

Excelente video, Nisha. Thank you 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻❤️

[@Isthetaxionitsway]

This is so great, I can't wait to try out a few of the methods. I love your dedication to all of your recipes and videos 😃

[@annietoh3857]

Subscribed !!! Love the effort in testing & gracious sharing! Cooking crispy tofu is an art! Namaste❤

[@PaigeWaehner]

Wow, this is so amazing! Thank you so much. I’ve tried what I thought was everything, but you covered it all. I appreciate it so much!

[@Unidad1111]

I'm so impressed by the osmosis method of hot salted water in the beginning, I will give it a try soon....sounds really crunchy!...wow!

[@275carreira]

So thorough! Thank you so much ❤

[@emp2291]

What a great video. Thank you! 😀

[@hokaheynineteen]

A truly stellar video. Thank you.

[@feelingveryattackedrn5750]

Ive seen a lot of comments on other videos recently about people pressing their tofu instead of these other tried and true methods, so im glad you highlighted them! Also really happy that your preferred method is pan frying since thats the one I was most likely to do LOL

[@dominiquer3036]

I can’t wait to try all of these!

[@Mommaslew]

Great video! Will try this!😊

[@bochulindra193]

I really appreciated this video, I get intimidated by cooking but your focus on one ingredient and one simple outcome with thorough explanation between different methods was really nice to watch. A crispy tofu tier list :)

[@RainbowPlantLife]

☺️ I’m delighted to hear that you found it helpful!

[@KillZone876]

I never leave comments, but I just used the boiling water and pan fry technique and got the driest, crispiest tofu ever. It stayed crispy and firm even after being in a dish with sauce. Perfection!

[@stephaniegoodmorningsunshi158]

love love love your recipes! that Gobi was a huge success at a party

[@ssoozee]

You’re a game-changer, girl! Thank you!

[@ishouldbestudyingbut....6295]

Youve been such an inspiration to me as an aspiring vegan from an indian background :). The only thing that has been challenging to recreate has been my south indian comfort food, which is yogurt rice. I have failed to find the perfect vegan yogurt to mimic that food from my childhood. Do you have any suggestions?

[@Mike-gz4xz]

Thanks I'll give them a go, great video 👍

[@harism5589]

Thank you for spending lots of time and efforts to experiment with all the methods to make test less thing like Tofu into crunchy flavorful thing.

[@dansklrvids7303]

Excellent vid

[@Billma48]

First video of yours that I have tried. It was really pleasing to me. I really liked the information and the presentation is riveting.

[@getrealnow73]

so veery clear and thorough thank you

[@diana1833]

Ha! You have the exact tofu press as I do (1:36). I'm super happy with it. Now back to watching the video

[@chrisforbes1813]

I've ordered your book as soon as you gave us notice. I have your first cookbook , The Vegan Instant Pot, which I recommend your followers purchase. By the way, I love your tofu testing. Thank you

[@Jibberish18]

Thank you for this. I love tofu and look forward to trying these methods.

[@thcrtn]

Your sound designer is a beast, the low end eqing in the nooks!!! It's like long black pepper rather than white pepper...

[@cherieoraivej]

This was best tofu I’ve ever made and had! Thank you!!

[@ayishas4385]

This is SUCH a great video. Thank you so, so much for going through all of that bother to figure out the best set of ingredients/processes for each method, as well as comparing the methods for us. My only efforts at crispy tofu, over 5 years ago, were abysmal failures, with the starch peeling off in a soggy mess. It was edible, but not good, and definitely not crispy! I got disheartened, and hadn't tried it since. You've re-inspired me!

[@KarlEFX]

Wonderful... as usual. Thank you.

[@kathyking2515]

I learned a lot from your videos. Thanks

[@B_ready4671]

I love the crunch from rice flour, I even used it for frying when I did eat meat!

[@xghouls]

I've been trying to cut down on oil so I've been baking (in a convection oven, so basically air frying) tofu instead of pan frying and I'm so excited to try these techniques! I especially can't wait to tell my partner about freezing the tofu first, that's such a great tip.

[@blue-fj9ky]

Can't wait for the new book so I just bought your vegan instant pot book!

[@kimthaelf]

i would loooove to see more airfryer recipes 💖

[@christiaanhetzner1193]

Great idea, watched from beginning to end even though I had some work to do, but I was too curious

[@lindseyalbert6536]

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

[@VeganPetite]

I've never heard of soaking tofu in saltwater to remove excess moisture; will try this tonight! Thank you for all the effort that went into this video!