Do you like tofu? Some of you will certainly say 'yes, of course', but many of you associate it only with white, soft 'something'. Rather healthy, but characterized by very bland taste.

I also heard some people compare the taste of raw tofu with paper or cardboard... How do these guys know the taste of paper? Childhood memories? ;)

Let's try to change this opinion and make a delicious baked tofu, with an intense aroma and a wonderful slightly spicy taste! This is not a difficult dish, although it takes some time. Cooking teaches us patience, right?

First, however, a few words about what tofu is and how to make it. The first reports of tofu are from China and date from the second century BC. Tofu is very often used in Japanese and Chinese cuisines, but it perfectly suits Thai red curry or Nepalese momo dumplings as well. Tofu is made by coagulating soy milk and then pressing the curds into soft white blocks. In this form, we can usually get it in our shops.

There is no doubt that eating tofu is healthy. It is a good source of protein, it lowers bad cholesterol and also contains a lot of calcium and iron.

Indeed, fresh tofu does not have a particular taste. Only super foodies can assess this subtle taste when it is served raw. However, like seitan (wheat meat), about which I will write one day, tofu takes over the taste of spices and herbs during the marinating. Then it gets really perfect!

I will give you my proven way to prepare baked tofu. Of course, I change it slightly every time, but the base is always the same.

I start with preparing a heatproof dish. I cut a 200 g soy cube into medium-sized chunks.

Now the most important part - the marinade. Mix 2 tablespoons of soy sauce with a tablespoon of oil. I used rapeseed oil - it's important to use as many local plants as possible in your cooking. (Spices used now contradict this claim ;). Then I add:

• half a teaspoon of turmeric
• a teaspoon of dried leaves of fenugreek
• half a teaspoon of red ground sweet pepper
• a bit of chili (not too much!)
• a few slices of fresh ginger (it may be powdered)
• and the spice used in the Moroccan Tajine (does anyone know the composition?)
  You do not need to add salt, because the soy sauce is salty enough.

When the marinade is ready, I add and mix it with tofu and wait. About one hour... Every few minutes, I turn pieces of tofu so that they are all covered with spices.

After an hour, warm up the oven to 150 degrees Celsius (no grilling option) and put the heat-resistant dish into it for 15-20 minutes. After this time, turn on the grill function for a maximum of 10 minutes to make our tofu more crispy. Remember to turn the chunks from time to time so that they are evenly baked. Be careful not to burn and do not bake for too long, because tofu will become too dry. After baking it should be crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

Simple? Right! It matches perfectly with spaghetti or rice. Don't forget to serve it with salad, for example, my Super simple 3-leaves green salad. Enjoy experiments with tofu and Bon Appetit!

---

Take a look at my other vegetarian recipes:

Spaghetti with broccoli and roasted almonds
The simple salad with kasha

And for something completely different, my travel post:
Amazing modern art in Thailand

Stay cool!
@veggie-sloth