TOFU- AN ALTERNATIVE TO PANEER?

Well, if somebody is expecting me to be judgemental about the comparison between tofu and paneer and come out with endorsing superiority, I prefer to leave the decision on to you. All I can do here to present very objective view of the two wonderful ingredients and critically analyse their credentials against the backdrop of health clamour and diet regime.

Some of you may definitely have knowledge of tofu, its culinary applications and its versatility, but I wish to give some background for the rest of the readers to help them develop their understanding of the same.

Tofu or bean curd which is the literal translation is a food of Chinese origin, made by coagulating soy milk, collecting the curdled solid in special wooden blocks and then pressing the resulting curds into blocks. There are many different varieties of tofu, including fresh tofu and tofu that has been processed in some way. Tofu has very little flavor or smell on its own, but you can also incorporate the flavour of your choice just before the stage of straining the whey. The best example could be chillies, chopped fresh coriander, roasted cumin, sautéed garlic and onion etc. The other way to impart some flavour to this simple ingredient is by marinating them with the marinade you prefer the most. It can either me simple salt and mustard paste or more complicated western marinades.

In one of the following blogs I may be tempted to give the recipe of home made tofu which may be stretching you in the kitchen for first few times but worth taking the pain to keep the cost of this ingredient under your budget.

Some of the health aspect of tofu does portray their consumption in a very positive light, for tofu is low in calories and high in protein which is very good for people living on the vegetarian diet. It is especially good for growing child and athletes. It also contains beneficial amounts of iron (especially important for women of child-bearing age) and has no saturated fat or cholesterol. Depending on the coagulant used in manufacturing, the tofu may also be high in calcium (important for bone development and maintenance), and magnesium (especially important for athletes). Tofu also contains soy isoflavones, which can mimic natural human estrogens and may have a variety of harmful or beneficial effects when eaten in sufficient quantities.

Varieties of tofu:

There is a wide variety of tofu available in both Western and Eastern markets as a result of recent resurgence of interest in this wonderful product. It can mainly be divided into two type; fresh tofu, which is produced directly from soy milk, and processed tofu, which is produced from fresh tofu. Tofu production also creates important side products like okara which are often used in various cuisines.

Fresh tofu

Depending upon the moisture content of tofu, it can be divide into three main types namely:

• Silken/ soft tofu- Some people do make a distinction between these two but they are invariably the one. This tofu is made undrained which means that it possesses the highest moisture within itself and the texture is very similar to caramel custard of the west. It is often eaten as a dessert with minimal addition and fuss, but sometimes eaten with salty pickles or hot sauce. You can use this tofu to make power drinks also as a healthy beverage option.

• Firm tofu- this tofu is not only drained but also pressed to remove some of the moisture which is essential to obtain firmness. It has the firmness of raw meat but bounces back readily when pressed. This type of tofu is very good to replace paneer in the dishes like matar paneer (paneer and green peas), kadhai paneer (wok toseed paneer with vegetables), palak paneer (paneer with spinach) etc. This type of tofu often has the impression of muslin cloth on top of its skin as a result of gentle press.

• Western firm/dried tofu- This is an extra firm variety of tofu with the least amount of moisture of all fresh tofus. It has the firmness of fully cooked meat and a somewhat rubbery feel similar to paneer. When sliced thinly, this tofu can be crumbled easily.

Fresh tofu is usually sold completely immersed in water to maintain its moisture content. It is a good alternative for grated paneer dishes like paneer bhurjee (scrambled paneer), paneer paratha (flattened Indian bread stuffed with paneer) etc.

Processed tofu

Many forms of processed tofus exist, due to the varied ways in which fresh tofu can be used. Some of these techniques originated as the need of the hour to increase the shelf life of tofu and imparthing definite interesting twist to the otherwise blacd block of protein.

Fermented

• Pickled tofu Also called “preserved tofu, tofu is allowed to air-dry under hay which in turns produces aerial bacteria. The dry fermented tofu is then soaked in salt water, Chinese wine, vinegar, and minced chillies, or a unique mixture of whole rice, bean paste, and soybeans.

Flavored:

I have already described this version of tofu with the flavour component earlier. This is another step towards making its application universal as some of the cuisines are so robust in terms of flavour and taste. Much remains to your personal taste and preference when you make this tofu.

I will try to include few of the Indian recipes with tofu in the coming blogs so that it is easier for you to understand its boundless application in your kitchen.