In today’s post, I’m going to teach you how to make frozen tofu. Tofu (or bean curd) comes in many different forms, and it’s really all about texture. You’d be surprised at how much tofu’s texture can change just by freezing it solid!
What Is Frozen Tofu?
Frozen tofu is pretty much exactly what it sounds like. It is regular firm tofu, that is steamed and then frozen. Frozen raw tofu tends to crumble, so we cook it beforehand to shore it up for the freezing process.
Frozen tofu is popular in Northern China. In the days before central heating, homes were often heated with wood burning stoves, and anything left out in the kitchen could freeze on a particularly cold night.
Home cooks realized that when it came to tofu, freezing would change its structure and texture.
Why Freeze Tofu?
This is not the first time we at The Woks of Life have asked you to purposefully freeze an ingredient to change its structure by relying on the fact that water expands when it freezes. Just look at our quick 20 Minute Congee recipe. Washing and freezing rice grains breaks them up, causing them to cook down faster.
But why do this with tofu?
- It becomes less delicate and doesn’t fall apart as easily. This means you can put it into soups or hot pots, and it stays intact rather than falling apart.
- It takes on a firmer, almost sponge-like texture (similar to soy puffs), making it chewier and bouncier.
- With the large holes that form in the tofu, it absorbs sauces and flavors more readily than fresh firm tofu, which tends to only cling to flavor on its surface.
Like many soybean products, it is slightly chewy, but also fluffy and soft. If I had to compare it to something else, it would be wheat gluten, also known as seitan. But it’s gluten-free!
How to Use Frozen Tofu
You can braise frozen tofu like in our Braised Wheat Gluten (红烧烤麸), but people most often use it in soups and hot pots.
Just be careful, as frozen tofu can soak up a lot of hot liquid! When you’re eating it, make sure it’s cool enough before biting into it!
Recipe Instructions
Cut the tofu into 1/2 inch thick rectangles.
Arrange the tofu in a single layer on a heat-proof plate that will fit in your steamer.
Place the tofu in the steamer, cover, and steam for 20 minutes over medium high heat.
Let the tofu cool. Pat each piece dry with a clean towel, and place in a container lined with parchment paper in one layer.
Place another layer of parchment paper on top, and add another layer of tofu.
Freeze overnight. You’ll see that the tofu may have changed color, turning a little more yellow than white.
The next day, it’s ready to thaw and use!
How to Make Frozen Tofu
Ingredients
- 1 pound firm tofu (any tofu ranging from medium to very firm will work)
Instructions
- Cut the tofu into ½-inch thick rectangles. Arrange the tofu in a single layer on a heat-proof plate that will fit in your steamer. Place the tofu in the steamer, cover, and steam for 20 minutes over medium high heat.
- Let the tofu cool. Pat each piece dry with a clean towel, and place in a container lined with parchment paper in one layer. Place another layer of parchment paper on top, and add another layer of tofu. Freeze overnight.
- The next day, it’s ready to thaw and use!
Do you have to press the tofu to drain it of excess water at any time during this whole process? For example after thawing it?
Also, can frozen tofu pieces be used without thawing them first?
Many thanks in advance!
Hi Lucia, you don’t need to defrost the frozen tofu before cooking, but you can.