For those with a penchant for Oriental cuisine, here’s something you shouldn’t miss. This crumbly white wonder with a silken texture that melts in the mouth is here to stay. Tofu, which is a great substitute for paneer is turning out to be a hit among vegetarians, especially those who are tired of paneer. It’s time to pick on some ambrosial classics of China’s famed regional cuisine. To begin with, you can pamper your taste buds at the ongoing Silken Tofu Festival at Hao Shi Nian Nian in the capital where chefs are dishing out authentic taste of tofu in a variety of dishes.
“Tofu is one of the key ingredient of Sichuan cuisine and I have created different dishes from it. Our special silken tofu menu has a variety of flavours in every dish. You could choose from the soft and delicious soft bean curd with spring onion sauce, to the spicy braised soft bean curd with mixed vegetables in chilli oyster sauce. I would suggest that the guests should try the more homely sliced bean curd with chilli home-made sauce, which is simple yet filled with flavours,” says chef Mike Li Wei of Hao Shi Nian Nian.
Apart from the festival, there are other places that offer good quality tofu. Raising a toast to the humble tofu in Asian cuisine Kula Naidu from FU shares, “In one of our Japanese dishes, which is only made with chicken, we use tofu for our guests and it’s quite popular. Delhi is slowly opening up to the concept of tofu and many people are open to try special tofu dishes. Interestingly, many also prefer tofu to paneer these days. ”
It’s interesting to see how the little wonder is becoming somewhat fashionable, especially among those switching to vegetarian food, or those who like to try out authentic Asian cuisine.
Though not the classic flavour exactly, there are many takers for spicy tofu recipes. Having said that, experts also tell us how good quality tofus are difficult to find here despite its huge demand.
Sohrab Sitaram from Chi tells us, “There is one called Wa Tofu that is really good because preservatives are not used in its preparation process which cuts its shelf life, but then the taste is authentic. But the best ones are organic tofus which are not available so there are not too many options in the market even though the demand is really catching on because of its nutritive value.”