In today's video i'll be giving you my top tips on shopping prepping and cooking tofu that doesn't
suck now you might be interested to know that i'd been vegan for over two years before i started
regularly eating and enjoying tofu as part of my main meals and i actually credit beginning the low
fodmap diet with this as i probably wouldn't have bothered experimenting with it again after those
first few failed attempts and the reason for this is that the low fodmap serving size of tofu is
more generous than any other protein rich food for vegans which means that it's much easier to create
a satisfying filling meal using tofu as the base than it is using any other type of legume but if
you're a tofu novice then this might not be enough to encourage you to get started and honestly i get
it i hated tofu the first few times i tried it and it took some dodgy meals and some trial and error
for me to figure out exactly what worked and more importantly what didn't today hopefully
i'm gonna allow you to learn from my mistakes so that you can skip straight to the good part
so i wanted to start with a brand of tofu that's most accessible and affordable to me and that's
the cauldron firm tofu i'm sure many of you will be familiar with this brand and until fairly
recently it was the only brand regularly stocked by most major supermarkets it's a plain variety
which means that you're going to want to flavour it really well before or during cooking the great
thing about this is it absorbs any flavor that you throw at it like a sponge the downside is that
it takes more work than other varieties to get it to the point where you can be really enthusiastic
about its flavour the first thing you need to know before we attempt to get any flavour into here is
that we need to get the water out so even though this is a firm tofu it's packed in water and the
tofu itself holds a lot of water not only is that water going gonna wash away or dilute any flavour
that we try to introduce it's also gonna make it difficult to achieve a yummy crisp texture when
we cook it more importantly for anyone with gut issues or on a low fodmap diet this water is the
main source of those pesky water-soluble fodmaps namely gos and fructans which can be slow and
difficult to digest for some people the more water we can squeeze out the fewer fodmaps will remain
in the tofu and the easier it'll be on our gut the best place to remove the water is over the sink
because in this brand especially it's completely covered and starts to leak out as soon as you
open the packet you can squeeze the water out by hand which is surprisingly therapeutic to do
but the most thorough way of removing as much water as possible is to use a purpose-made tofu
press which i don't own or in a colander with something heavy on top to press the water out
another top tip for helping to get the maximum amount of water out is to freeze the tofu before
pressing but i'll get into that a little bit later so if we stick with tackling the flavour
for now then i'd like to show you a grocery haul of my favorite flavoured tofu varieties that are
typically only available to me online i bought these from the vegan kind supermarket hashtag
not sponsored but i will leave an affiliate discount code in the description box below
and so i've realized that for me smoked tofu is without a doubt my favourite
some varieties you do need to experiment some varieties are delicious straight from
the packet this is one of them the taifun is my absolute favorite tofu that i've ever ever tried
it's really difficult to get hold of where i live it's it's more expensive than the standard
supermarket brands things like the cauldron and the tofoo that you're probably used to seeing
especially here in the uk supermarkets so it is a more premium end price and product
but it really really is very different to the standard supermarket ones that you can get
it's a very firm almost a crumbly texture and unfortunately uh my absolute favorite tofu was
actually out of stock currently but it's the taifun tofu rosso which is i think it's got
tomato and peppers it's a red one and that i could literally eat the entire pack straight
from the packet it's absolutely delicious and that again has got a really firm crumbly texture
and that is fantastic to use in a bolognese or a chili in place of mince i'm not sure if the tofu
rosso is suitable for a low fodmap diet this one definitely is this is soy beans water soy sauce
which of course is safe on the low fodmap diet but obviously not for my coeliac friends sea salt and
beech wood smoke along with the the magnesium and the calcium uh preservatives that that they need
to make the tofu so there's no onion or garlic in that if you are purchasing a smoked brand then i
do recommend that you do uh double check to make sure there isn't any onion and garlic because i
think there are a couple in the taifun range that do have onion and garlic but this if you've never
ever tried tofu before then i absolutely recommend that this is the first one that you start with
because it's really really good and honestly this really has ruined tofu for me because like i say
it's too expensive for me to buy on a frequent basis it's not something that i can get hold of
i do have to purchase this one online so it's not readily available but it really does blow
all other tofus out of the water unlike a lot of the other brands i've tried the smoke flavor does
seem to go right through to the centre it isn't just on the outer rim which tends to be the case
with a lot of other smoked tofus that i've tried but definitely give this one a go this is another
brand of smoked tofu that i've had before i think it's called veggie kitchen viana again this one is
suitable for the low fodmap diet and this is this has got a really nice smoky flavour and a really
really extra firm texture which is perfect on the low fodmap diet because the less water you
can press out of it the less water that's in there the lower in fodmaps it will be and again this has
got a really beautiful smoky flavour but this for me because it's so deep this is an example of one
of the varieties where the majority of the flavour does tend to be on the outside and the inside is
is quite a few shades paler than the outside just because obviously the the flavouring is is on the
outside but i think because it is quite a deep block that flavour doesn't fully fully penetrate
into the into the center still delicious and like i say this is a really good option for things like
slicing into like small bacon slices because it is very very firm and this one does slice quite
smoothly if i remember um the taifun although you don't ever really get a lot of water pressing out
of it it has got a much more crumbly texture so this one isn't great for for slicing as a bacon
alternative or anything like that this i find is much better crumbled rather than attempting
to slice and this clearspot brand despite the fact that it is handmade in my mother county of
Yorkshire this isn't actually one that i've tried before so i will let you know once i've tried it
this one just based on appearances looks to me to be very similar to the tofu variety that you
can get in the supermarket so it looks like it's going to be quite lightly smoked and again that
the smoky flavour tends to be just on the outer edges and this looks like it's probably going
to be quite light inside but it does look nice and firm there is more water in there than in
the other two varieties so we'll be sure to give that a nice good press before i attempt to use it
but it's a nice hefty piece there um and i will definitely let you know how that is
once i've tried it and i'll just double check and this one again it's just soy beans nigari and
sea salt so again that is suitable for the low fodmap diet but do double check but if you can
find some of these brands and experiment with some of these smoked brands then i really do recommend
you try because you can see that a lot of the work has been done for you in or in not only
pressing them so that they're nice and firm but also into getting maximum flavour into the tofu
before you even before you even come across it for your recipe so if you are short on time or you're
not overly experienced in the kitchen and you're a bit unsure about flavourings and marinades
then these are definitely the ones to begin with and although i know they're quite different i just
wanted to also touch upon the fact that this will be my first time in trying tempeh despite the fact
that i've been vegan since 2015 i've never ever tried tempeh again because it's not something
that is very readily available where i live and because it does tend to be either a little bit
more expensive or of an equal price with the tofu but because i know that i like and enjoy the tofu
sometimes i'm a little bit wary of of putting that same of investing that same amount of money into
something when i'm not sure if i'm going to like it so like i say because i did actually have the
voucher that i won i thought there was nothing lost in me attempting to try it so i got a few
different types so this is the brand that i have seen out and about in supermarkets
and health food shops near where i live so this probably would be the brand that i would be able
to get hold of most readily the reason that i did try some other brands is because i do know that
the tempeh can be quite an acquired taste and it often does need quite a bit of work
to get flavour into there that's strong enough to overpower the natural tempeh flavor
so i am interested to try this and give my own opinion on it but i just wanted to show
because tempeh is uh suitable and listed in the monash app for the low fodmap diet
it is higher in protein and it's a much less processed product than the tofu
and then just because i knew that this variety does come in the i think that must be the water
that it's fermented in i wanted to try a dryer version this is the better nature tempeh and this
is original smoked it looks very very lightly smoked but that is extremely
firm and dry with with no excess liquid whatsoever so i thought that that might
be a bit easier to flavour than the one that has been sitting soaking in the water
and this one again is some another product from the clearspot range and that one is not
as dry or firm as the better nature but it's getting there it's definitely drier
than the biona and again this is ah that i don't think that one this one isn't even smoked this is
this is as it comes so that's probably a really good one to see exactly how easy it is to get
flavour into there so i just wanted to point that out while we're talking
about about tofu they're probably a video in themselves because i do understand that it is
quite a different process trying to get the flavor into these and there is a bit of prep involved
in in getting them to the stage that you might want them out for your recipes but
i just wanted to give a quick run through just to show you that the tofu does come in in very
different formats and it really is about finding the one that you personally enjoy
finding the one that suits your budget finding the one that with the flavour profile that you enjoy
the texture that you enjoy and and experimenting whether you prefer to flavour your own so buying
the plain ones the plain varieties are usually always cheaper than the smoked varieties whether
you prefer something firmer that can be sliced such as these or whether you'd rather have
something that can be crumbled into a chili or a bolognese that kind of thing and and i do
do encourage you to experiment with them because if you just try one and think you
don't like it there are so many different types out there so many different varieties quite a
few different flavors now and it is definitely worth experimenting to see which one suits you
best now when we talk about whether or not someone enjoys tofu then flavour is only one factor the
other major factor being texture i often find that this is a bigger sticking point for most people
as the texture of tofu really is quite unique and can take some getting used to so assuming you're
using firm tofu which is the most fodmap friendly and versatile option then as i mentioned in the
tofu haul the biggest factors that determine texture is the brand however there are still a
few tricks you can use to manipulate that texture to your liking and to suit your recipe so remember
that tofu we froze earlier not only does that help to remove the water but freezing has a big
effect on the texture the simplest way to freeze tofu is to do as i do and just put the entire pack
straight into the freezer as it is and because i'm usually cooking two to four meals at a time
i pull it out when i know i'll be using the full pack if you're cooking in smaller quantities then
feel free to portion out the tofu first and freeze and defrost it in amounts that make sense for you
if you do it this way i recommend draining off the excess water first whereas if you freeze the
whole block you'll need to drain it once it's thawed so i'm going to show you a side-by-side
comparison of the fresh versus the pre-frozen and thawed tofu so you can see the difference here we
have the pre-frozen tofu and because we froze it as it comes this still contains the excess water
it was packaged in so first we need to drain that off and then we can take a closer look
so once we drain the excess water we still need to press the tofu but i just wanted to show you
close up how freezing the tofu has expanded the natural holes and spaces that run throughout
which then allows more of the water to be squeezed out with less effort and leaves behind
these pockets that are perfect for absorbing your marinade if you compare that to the fresh tofu you
might not be able to see an immediate difference but you can definitely feel it with your fingers
and that difference in texture becomes much more obvious when we begin to break the tofu apart
so the fresh tofu splits apart smoothly and easily in a similar way to breaking apart the white of a
hard boiled egg and sorry to my vegan friends but that's the only way i can think to describe it
this makes it great to use in recipes such as scrambled tofu tofu benedict omelette quiche
or mix it with chives parsley cheese and mayo in a sandwich or salad whereas the pre-frozen tofu
tears more roughly leaving behind a more fibrous uneven edge similar to breaking apart a loaf of
day-old bread with your hands and that's actually a really good example because i think the uncut
bread is a perfect way to describe the texture of pre-frozen tofu lots of people describe it
as meaty but i think it's more accurate to say chewy and dense this gives it a bit more bite
which works well in curry bolognese chili stir-fry soups stews and as breaded nuggets or schnitzel
hopefully this side-by-side close-up really shows those physical texture changes that i'm trying to
describe then once it's been properly pressed and drained you can use it however makes sense for
your recipe for most dishes i prefer to tear it rather than cut it to give me that rough edge just
begging to soak up a marinade but the number one way i recommend it to anyone that's new to tofu or
still unsure about its texture is to grate it this method is what i use to get me into eating tofu
and i can't praise it highly enough grating the tofu works well whether it's fresh or pre-frozen
it gives tiny uniform pieces that almost dissolve into a recipe and when it's prepared this way most
people don't even realize they're eating it let alone feel offended by it this shredded
tofu is perfect in a salad noodle soup stew or my personal favorite fried rice the huge surface
area means it readily absorbs flavours so much so that i often don't even bother to marinade it
beforehand anymore i'll just happily throw it in with the rest of the ingredients and let it soak
up the flavour as it cooks which makes it a great quick and easy or last minute recipe option so i
couldn't end this video without showing you how i use tofu in a recipe and here's an example of how
i prepare for maximum flavor in a family-friendly fried rice add your oil of choice to a non-stick
pan or skillet allow the oil to heat and pop a piece of tofu in the pan until it sizzles add
the rest of the tofu shreds evenly across the surface of the pan allow it to sizzle for a few
minutes before stirring it up and leaving it to sizzle again you eventually want the shreds to be
lightly brown and slightly crisp throughout after five minutes sprinkle over a stock cube low fodmap
if required adding any flavourings before any liquid really helps them to penetrate and stick
to the surface of the tofu before being diluted into the rest of the dish now's a great time to
add in the rest of your spices here i'm using curry powder and i'll leave a link to a homemade
low fodmap version below now get ready to see a quick glimpse of the finished tofu once it's done
as my camera stops working round about now so the entire footage from this recipe failed to record
but that's okay because this video is just to show you what's possible and to give you a taste of how
you can make tofu work for you and it hopefully helped you to see that tofu doesn't have to suck
i'll have more dedicated tofu recipe videos coming up over the next few weeks
to give you more ideas on how to cook and enjoy this vegan friendly fodmap friendly high protein
staple thanks so much for watching and if you made it this far then drop me an emoji in the
comments that best describes your opinion of tofu after watching this video i'll see you soon byeee