Crispy Tofu with a perfectly seasoned crunchy cornmeal coating. It's oven baked and made with no oil!
PREP TIME: 10 minutesminutes
COOK TIME: 30 minutesminutes
Pressing time 30 minutesminutes
TOTAL TIME: 1 hourhour10 minutesminutes
Servings: 4servings
Ingredients
1 blockextra firm or super firm tofu*
¾ cup / 129gmedium grind cornmeal , not super fine
1teaspoonfine salt
1teaspoonfreshly ground black pepper
½ cup / 120mlsaquafaba** (liquid from a can of chickpeas)
INSTRUCTIONS
Press the tofu. Use either a tofu press, or wrap it in a clean dish towel and place something heavy on top of it. A cast iron skillet with some cans inside or a stack of cookbooks works well ;O) Try to press it for 30 minutes, but if you are short on time just 10 minutes will do.
While the tofu is pressing, preheat oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a large baking tray with a silicone mat or baking parchment.
Cut the pressed tofu into cubes. I like them about ¾ inch diameter.
Put the cornmeal in a medium bowl, add the salt and pepper and stir well to combine.
Pour the aquafaba into a medium bowl.
Using one hand (to keep the other clean), place a handful of tofu cubes in the aquafaba. Make sure they are covered with it on all sides, then lift them out, give them a little shake over the bowl and transfer to the seasoned cornmeal bowl. Toss them around to coat well then gently pick them out and put them on the prepared baking tray. Don't do more than a handful at a time because you don't want them to soak too long in the aquafaba and the cornmeal coats better if there aren't too many being tossed around at a time.
Repeat until they are all coated then make sure the cubes are spread out well on the tray. There should be a bit of space around each one so they can crisp up.
Place the tray in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Remove. Turn all the cubes over and bake for another 15 minutes. At this stage they should be done, but feel free to add on a few more minutes to get them even crispier.
NOTES
*Blocks of tofu vary in size somewhat. Mine was 400g / 14oz. A slightly smaller or larger block will be fine. **This amount is approximate. Just use whatever you get out of a 15 oz can of chickpeas. Do not use previously frozen aquafaba. It becomes a bit more watery and doesn't stick the coating as well as freshly drained aquafaba. TO COOK IN AN AIR FRYERPrepare as directed. If your air fryer has a preheat function use it. If not don't worry. Place the tofu cubes in the air fryer and cook on 370°F for 20 minutes, making sure to shake after 10 minutes.STORAGEThe cooked tofu will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. REHEATINGTo reheat the crispy tofu in an oven, preheat to 350F, arrange the cubes on a lined baking sheet and bake for about 12 minutes until heated through.To reheat the crispy tofu in an air fryer, place in the basket and cook on 370°F for 8 to 10 minutes, shaking halfway. SAUCE IDEASHealthy Sweet and Sour Sauce / Garlic Pineapple Sauce / Easy Teriyaki Sauce / Green Sauce.