Can I 'mash' tofu for curry?

[Sienna-forever]

Finally attempting my tofu curry, its cooking as I type!
But I don't like the 'chunks' of tofu, going to take a bit of getting used to, but can I just mash it up so that it mixes with the coconut milk, or are you meant to leave it in cubes? I have followed the instructions but tried some and didn't like the texture! So thought if I mash it, it'll disguise the texture.

Help!

[bonamarq]

You can do a few things to alter the texture -

If you really don't like it, try getting the soft or silken tofu and actually blending it with the coconut milk - it will be very thick but you should have a very smooth sauce

Experiment with different brands of tofu if possible - I used to be able to get locally made tofu when I lived in MI (both ann arbor and traverse city co -ops) and it is MUCH firmer, better tasting and less soggy then grocery store brands)

Have you tried pressing the tofu before cooking? I place it on a plate and put a small cutting board on top of it, then put a weight on that - don't want to crush it, just press out the extra water - do this for 15 min or so, then stir fry separately, gives a much firmer texture....

If you want a different texture all together you can freeze the tofu first - my Kroger (all I have here in WV sometimes has pre-cubed tofu that works well - I like to do this when I put tofu in my chili....


good luck -
but I could eat tofu daily - I like to mash it up and blend with cheese to make enchilada's - or mash and mix with ricotta/cottage cheese in my lasagna - ups the protein and lightens the dairy without eliminating completely - but if I mix with pesto I could go totally dairy free

[GoGoGirl]

Bonamarq, have you tried making tofu ricotta? I leave out the olive oil, and to me it still feels just like ricotta.

And S-F, I don't have any advice for you on your curry, but that tofu ricotta recipe is another great way to change the texture of tofu, IMO.

[BeanyMama]

I adore mashing up tofu. A favorite recipe here with it is tofu-loaf. The kids slather it with ketchup and I feel vintage It's from this book:

http://www.amazon.com/Tofu-Cookery-L.../dp/0913990760

There's a lot of different-textured recipes in there. 'tis a good one!