Firm Tofu, fry a bit, with soy sauce, then add crystal sugar to caramelise.

best tofu prep I’ve learned is from Bryant Terry Vegan Soul Kitchen which describes a method by which you press tofu (as always), then you bake the tofu in an oven for an hour

it’s the long cooking time that really helps the flavors from a marinade or spice-rub penetrate - it works better than marinading overnight in the fridge (I find the flavors don’t really penetrate the tofu as well).

I either put it in a covered dutch oven when I want a softer and more wet product, or I put it in my toaster oven when I want a crispier outcome, but in both cases I’m baking at a lower temp for a long time - maybe 300 - 350F for 30 - 60 minutes (usually longer is better, if in the dutch oven, I often will flip the tofu after 30 minutes, then bake another 30 minutes with the lid off).

Cornstarch, garlic powder, and soy sauce, tossed together and air fried for about 15 minutes at 400. Then I add it to a stir fry with random veg and a sauce (teriyaki if I’m lazy)

My kid devours it.

Deep-fried and sauced. NOTE: I prepare it semi-often, and my folks really enjoy it, but I can’t directly attest if it tastes good*.

Start with the sauce. Add to a pot a bit of veg oil, sugar (yup), grated ginger, minced garlic, lemon zest. Eyeballed amounts. Let the ingredients gently fry on low fire, then add half a cup of water. Then add soy sauce and vinegar to taste; you know you got it right when the sauce is gently sour, salty, and sweet at the same time. Reserve.

Now grab some red bell peppers, onions, and optionally mushrooms. Cut them into large cubes. Get some veg oil on a pan, let it heat until shimmering, and sauté them. Don’t cook them until mushy, you want some bite.

Finally, the tofu. Extra firm; this is important, if you try this with silky tofu it will ruin your day. Cube it into 2cm cubes, sprinkle salt and pepper, then cover the cubes with cornstarch. Deep-fry them at 200°C, until crispy and golden.

Now mix the vegs and tofu into the sauce and serve immediately, alongside some rice. Note: only mix all three when serving, otherwise it gets soggy and sad.

*My body handles notoriously bad tofu, peanuts, beans and lentils. I do prepare the same recipe with chicken for myself, and it tastes great; and as I said my folks like the tofu version.

Not really a big fan of tofu, but miso soup just doesn’t seem right to me without it – so, I’m gonna go with miso soup.

Mapo tofu’s not bad, though I like it more in spite of the tofu than because of it. (Málà flavoring is fun.)

Deep-fried tofu (like the type added to kitsune udon or the pouches for inarizushi) are something I’ve always been a little curious about trying to figure out how to make, but I’ve never really dug into it.