Frozen Tofu Opens Doors to New Dishes; Reduce Waste, Cut Back on Meat with Chewy Alternative

By Miwa Uehara / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

14:00 JST, July 14, 2024

Rich in protein, tofu is a nutritious ingredient with a relatively stable price. Moreover, freezing it not only keeps it fresh for a long time, but also broadens the range of dishes you can make with it.

Cooking expert Miyuki Shimamoto said: “Since freezing tofu changes its texture, it can replace meat and fish. It also keeps for about a month.”

According to a survey of approximately 7,000 men and women aged in their 10s-90s conducted by House Foods Group Inc. in 2022, 4.2% of respondents mentioned tofu as a food and ingredient they had recently thrown away. It ranked sixth after cabbage at 7.6% and bread at 4.5%.

“You might buy tofu at a discount and not use it all,” said Shimamoto.

First, how do you properly freeze tofu? You can freeze it in its package — in one big block — but it’s useful to cut it into pieces before freezing so that you can use it immediately in stir-fries, stews and miso soups.

Tofu changes its texture when frozen because water seeps out as it thaws, making it sponge-like and chewy and helping it to absorb flavors easily. While you can add frozen tofu directly to stews or hot pots, it needs to be thawed when fried or grilled. You can thaw it by placing it in the fridge, or, if you’re in a hurry, submerging it packaged or bagged in water.

Frozen tofu pieces can be used to make a teriyaki chicken-style main dish. Tofu that has absorbed flavor is satisfying. You can introduce a bit of spice with a chili bean sauce or create a hearty meal by adding vegetables, like onions and carrots.

Diced frozen tofu and enoki mushrooms — or any of your favorite mushrooms — can be whipped up into a tasty side dish. Tofu and mushrooms go down smoothly.

“Freezing tofu allows you to use it without waste and expands the range of dishes it can be used in,” Shimamoto said.

Frozen tofu

Directions:

1. For large pieces, cut the tofu into equal eighths.

2. Cover the pieces with plastic wrap, put them into a freezer bag and freeze them.

3. For diced pieces, cut the tofu into 2.5-centimeter cubes, put them on a tray that has been covered with plastic wrap. Place another layer of plastic wrap on top of the pieces and put the tray in the freezer.

4. When the tofu cubes are frozen, put them into a freezer bag.

Teriyaki chicken-style frozen tofu

Ingredients (serves 2):

• 1 block frozen tofu (300-350 grams)
• (Cut into large pieces)
• 2 green peppers



Directions:

1. Thaw the frozen tofu. Drain any excess water and sprinkle a moderate amount of potato starch.

2. Remove the stems and seeds from the green peppers and cut the peppers into chunks.

3. Heat 2 tablespoons of salad oil in a frying pan. Add the tofu and green peppers and grill both sides until browned.

2. Remove any excess oil from the frying pan. Mix 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, sake and mirin and half a tablespoon of sugar. Simmer and stir.

Frozen tofu and nametake-style mushrooms

Ingredients (serves 2):

• ¼ block frozen tofu (about 75 grams)
• (Diced into 2.5-centimeter cubes)
• 50 grams shimeji mushrooms
• 50 grams enoki mushrooms
• ⅓ tsp granulated dashi stock
• Shichimi chili powder



Directions:

1. Cut the ends off the shimeji mushrooms and pull the mushrooms apart. Cut the ends off the enoki mushroom, divide the mushrooms into four-equal lengths and pull them apart.

2. Put the frozen tofu, mushrooms, tablespoon of soy sauce, sugar, sake and mirin, and one-third of a teaspoon of granulated dashi stock into a heat-proof bowl and mix.

3. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Heat in a microwave at 600 watts for 3 minutes and then stir. After it cools down, sprinkle shichimi (seven-flavor chili powder) to taste.