Tip of the Week: How I Drain and Press Tofu – VeganMoFo

I thought I might make a quick little post for all those new tofu users out there! We are growing in number! Many of you may have come across a recipe that instructed you to ‘drain and press’ your tofu. Now this will almost always refer to firm tofu, not silken tofu – because if you did this to silken tofu you would have a serious mess to clean up!

My next post will be a great example of how to use tofu that has been pressed (shh…it’s tofu cutlets!). Pressing tofu is a great way to ensure that when you cook the tofu it remains firm and the texture is never too sloppy. Draining also helps the tofu absorb more of the flavours you mix it with.

Method:

• To begin, take your tofu out of the packet keeping it in one piece. Holding it over the sink or a bowl, gently squeeze the block to remove excess liquid.
• Now place on a board and slice it in half lengthways.

• Now you’ll have two pieces like above. Wrap these two blocks in paper/kitchen towel a few times over making sure that the surface on top is level. Place another board on top.

• You will need to place a heavy weight over this board to do the ‘pressing’. I find that a stack of my vegan cookbooks does the trick! You could also use a pot filled with water – just make sure that the weight is evenly distributed.

• Leave the weight to press the tofu for around 10 – 20 minutes, depending on how much time you have. The longer you leave it, the firmer and tastier it will be!

Ok here’s a little preview of how I used this tofu – will be up tomorrow! Happy tofu pressing! 🙂