Tahu Guling // Tofu Rolled In Spicy Sweet Sour Sauce

This dish is originally from Tegal, a small city in Java. But if you find this dish somewhere else but Tegal, it seems it has been modified according to the taste of the people or the place where you buy. I have the recipe from Indonesian local magazine Femina, and this is the way to make Tahu Guling or free translated as fried tofu rolled in spicy sweet sour sauce. But if you go to other side of Indonesia, you'll might find this dish with different flavour. It doesn't matter, I haven't eaten this dish before ... not as I remember ... but my curiousity is paid, this dish is so delicious and simple to make... I like it so much ^_^
Tahu Guling
(Source: Femina)

Ingredients:
300 ml warm water
1 tsp vinegar
50 ml Indonesian sweet soysauce (kecap manis)
12 tofu, fried, slice 4x4 cm
150 gr taoge
5 tablespoons fried onions
1 tablespoon chopped celery (spring onion)
Grind:
4 red chilies
4 cloves garlic
50 gr gula jawa (brown sugar)
1/2 tsp salt

Directions:
- Sauce: mix all grind ingredients, add with water, vinegar and kecap manis. Set aside.

- Serving: place fried tofu on a plate, add with taoge. Pour the sauce over the tofu. Sprinkle with fried onions and chopped celery / spring onion.

Jugalbandi Click Event: Sweet Marinated Tofu // Tahu Bacem

This is my entry for Jugalbandi Click Food Photography Event. This month the theme is about cheese/tofu.

Tahu Bacem is sweet marinated fried tofu. The word "bacem" means that it is sweet and spicy. Tahu Bacem is a typical Indonesian delicacy and is given as an accompaniment to the rice meal, but can also be eaten as a savory snack. In place of tofu, you can also use tempeh. The preparation is the same.

The ingredients for the seasoning include gula jawa (Javanese palm sugar), salam leaves, tamarind pulp, shallots, garlic, galangal and ketumbar. Because the tofu firstly boiled in the ingredients then afterwards to be fried in the oil, it will give them nice, dark red-brown color.

Tahu Bacem would be just one dish in a meal. There would also be a couple vegetable dishes. The seasoning at the table would be a dish of sambal, any of a number of chili pastes.

Ingredients:
10 thick slices of tofu
1 teaspoon tamarind pulp
300 gr grated palm sugar
500 ml water + 250 ml coconut milk
3 salam leaves
salt to taste
1 teaspoon coriander powder
5 shallots, thin slices
3 cloves garlic, thin slices
2 cm galangal

Directions:
1. In a pan put all ingredients together including slices of tofu.

2. Cook the mixture until boiled then reduce the fire. Stir the mixture from to time to time and let boiled gently until the moisture evaporates. Remove from the pan, put aside.

3. To deep-fry, heat several inches of oil in a stable wok until hot. Using wire or slotted tool, slip the tofu, into the oil. You can fry several pieces at a time, depending on the size of your wok, but don't dump it all in at once. That will reduce the temperature of the oil and the tofu will absorb oil rather than fry in it. Fry until tofu becomes golden. You may need to adjust the heat a bit while cooking so tofu doesn't burn. Remove with wire or slotted tool and drain on paper towel.

To pan fry, heat about 1" of oil in a heavy skillet. Put several pieces of tofu in the pan and cook until golden. Again, adjust the heat to prevent burning. You will need to turn the tofu from time to time to assure even cooking on both sides. Drain on paper towel.

Tofu Balls With Broccoli // Bakwan Tahu

Dishes made of tofu are always my favorite. Tofu is known for its extraordinary nutritional benefits, as well as its versatility. Tofu, also known as soya curd, is a soft cheese-like food made by curdling soya milk with a coagulant. Tofu is a rather bland tasting product that easily absorbs the flavours of the other ingredients. Tofu is sold in water-filled packs or in aseptic cartons. Fresh tofu is usually packaged in water and should be refrigerated and kept in water until used. If the water is drained and changed daily, the tofu should last for one week.

Types of tofu

Firm tofu - Firm tofu is dense and can be cubed and stir-fried, grilled, scrambled, pickled, smoked, baked, barbecued or served in soups. Firm tofu is higher in protein, fats and calcium than other types of tofu.

Soft tofu - Soft tofu is more suited for recipes in which tofu needs to be blended.

Silken tofu - Silken tofu has a creamy structure and is also used in blended dishes. In Japan, silken tofu is consumed as such with some soy sauce.

Benefits of tofu

Rich in Nutrients - Tofu is rich in both high quality protein and B-vitamins. Tofu is, therefore, an excellent substitute for meat in many vegetarian recipes. As opposed to soya milk, tofu contains a lot of calcium. This calcium originates from the coagulant (nigari). When making tofu, the soy proteins are precipitated with calcium, providing tofu with a ready source of calcium. Calcium in tofu contributes to the prevention of osteoporosis.

Easy to digest - An additional benefit of tofu is that it is extremely easy to digest. This is because the soybean’s fiber is removed during the manufacturing process.

Reduce cholesterol - As most other soyfoods, tofu reduces heart disease by lowering the level of the "bad" LDL cholesterol, and as the result maintaining the level of "good" HDL cholesterol.

Rich in isoflavones - Tofu is rich in isoflavones. When making tofu, the soy isoflavones, genistein and daidzein, remain bound to the soy protein. Firm tofu contains about 35 mg isoflavones per 100g. Isoflavones will reduce the risk of osteoporosis, a disease associated with reduced bone density and increased bone fractures. Isoflavones will also lower rates of breast cancer and prostate cancer, and reduce menopausal symptoms including mood swings and hot flushes. (text adapted from here.)

Tofu Balls With Broccoli

Ingredients:
300 gr firm tofu
5 fine-chopped red chillies
3 tablespoons chopped spring onions
100 gr steamed/boiled broccoli
2-3 teaspoons chicken-stock powder
2 tablespoons flour
salt & pepper for season

Directions:

1. Blend tofu in a food processor or blender.

2. Mix tofu with the rest of ingredients and season with salt & pepper.

3. Make tofu balls using a spoon and deep fry in hot oil until golden brown.

4. Serve warm with chilli sauce and tomato ketchup.

Fried Tofu With Pineapple Sauce

Tofu or bean curd is a food of Chinese origin, made by coagulating soy milk and then pressing the resulting curds into blocks. Tofu has very little flavor or smell on its own, so it can be used either in savory or sweet dishes, and is often seasoned or marinated to suit the dish. Tofu is low in calories, contains beneficial amounts of iron and has no saturated fat or cholesterol.

The recipe below is one of simple ways to prepare tofu into a dish.

Ingredients:
Tofu, fry, cut in small pieces
250 gr bean sprouts (taoge), soak in hot water, drained
1 cumcumer, thin slices
Slices pineapple (I used one from the can)

Sauce:
5 red chillies, fine-crushed
1 tablespoon dried shrimps/ebi, soak in hot water, fine-crushed
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons vinegar
salt
2 tablespoons peanut butter
200 ml water
3 tablespoons Indonesian sweet soy (kecap manis)
3-5 slices pineapples, chopped



Directions:
1. Put all the ingredients of the sauce in a pan. Let it boiled and keep stiring until the sauce becoming thickened. Put aside.
2. Prepare the bean sprouts, slices of cumcumer, slices of tofu and small slices of pineapple on the plate, then pour the sauce over it. Serve with krupuk.