Image via Qiu Yang Photography

 

Earlier this week I went into frenzy of beer battering, thanks to this recipe for Beer Battered Avocado Wedges from Avocado and Ales, which I adapted to create these beyond moreish Tofu Nuggets. I love these things!

This recipe is an easy, fail-proof three-parter. Make the batter, marinade the tofu, batter the tofu. Boom. The marinade infuses the tofu with a little extra kick before each piece gets wrapped in a crispy, spicy batter blanket.

Good luck keeping your hands off until the whole batch is cooked! They will make awesome party snacks, home movie munchies or atop book-stack nibbles. When you feel like a little deep-fried comfort, this is the recipe you need…

 

Beer Battered Tofu Nuggets

 

Ingredients:

1/2 of a 250g block extra firm tofu, drained and pressed*
oil for frying (e.g rice bran, canola)
sea salt to taste

Tofu marinade:
juice of 2 limes
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp peanut oil
2 tsp ground cumin

Beer batter:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 full cup of beer
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp fresh black pepper
2 tsp lemon pepper seasoning (optional; add your fave – ground cumin, cumin seeds, sesame seeds all make for something awesome and delicious)

 

What to do:

Make the batter – Add dry ingredients to a large bowl and whisk to combine. Add beer, whisking as you go, until well combined. Cover and refrigerate for an hour or two (you can prep. the batter a day ahead and leave it chillin’ in the fridge until needed).

Prep the tofu – Cut tofu into half lengthwise, then slice widthwise into 1/4″ thick squares. Cut each square diagonally, so you have a bunch of triangles. Set aside.

Marinade the tofu – Add tofu marinade ingredients to a 9 x 13″ baking dish. Add tofu pieces, flipping to coat with marinade. Cover and refrigerate until needed, occasionally turning each piece. You don’t have to wait for aaages, but do marinade the tofu for at least 30 minutes.

Batter and cookin’ – Heat a couple of inches of oil in a medium saucepan until very hot (drop a little batter in – it should sizzle and bubble). Prepare a large plate with a couple of layers of paper towels, for the cooked nuggets to drain on. Dredge pieces of tofu in batter, one piece at a time, adding them to the saucepan as you go. Cook half a dozen nuggets at a time. Nuggets are cooked when batter is golden brown, 1-2 minutes. Drain on the prepared plate as they are done.

Serves 2-4.

 

* the other half can be refrigerated in a water-filled sealed container for a few days (change the water every day or two)