This recipe for smoky crispy fried tofu is unbelievably quick and easy, yet you wouldn’t think it with the delicious flavour! Your tofu can be added to such a variety of dishes, and is a perfect healthy, high protein replacement for meat. Have a go- it won’t take much of your time. And chances are, you have most of the ingredients in your home already!
When I go to the grocery store, I find that almost all vegetarian or vegan substitutes contain wheat or barley, which are high FODMAP foods, so I decided to go on a quest to make my own, yummy, crunchy, smoky fried tofu for our IBS community to enjoy.
I love to add my smoky crispy fried tofu to my meal alongside a bright low FODMAP salad and my speedy 20 minute low FODMAP smoky potato wedges. In this case, I drizzled over my thick, salted PB sauce to add in some healthy fats. I love this recipe, because you can add this fried tofu to almost any meal, introducing a crunchy element and healthy, low FODMAP protein source.
Other seasoning ideas for you to try on your crispy fried tofu:
- Mixed dried herbs
- Piri piri seasoning
- Curry powder
- Cumin, coriander and turmeric
If you are a vegan, you are able to switch out the egg for almond milk or a different low FODMAP milk. In addition, this recipe also works using tempeh, so also feel free to make this swap in the recipe.
A quick tip to make less mess in your kitchen is to place your two bowls of battering mix on top of a chopping board. This way, you only have to give this a wash afterwards rather than give all your surfaces a scrub (because I learned the hard way that this mix is sticky and hardens quickly on work surfaces!). I would also recommend using a different fork in the egg and the flour mixes to minimise mess, and to avoid completely coating the fork!
I use a fry light spray in my pan frying as a way to reduce my oil consumption, as I find that excessive oil upsets my IBS. But this recipe will work well regardless of whether you use olive oil, sunflower oil, vegetable oil or an oil spray. I must note that using an oil will encourage the faces of your smoky fried tofu to become even crispier. I’ve not yet tested deep frying or air frying for this recipe, so let me know if you do and if it works.
I love all the colours on this plate. I once read that to have healthy diet, you shouldn’t count calories, carbs, proteins etc., you should count colours. And I love this idea, an abundance of colours through fruits and veggies (limited due to low FODMAPs, but we can still work with this), ensures you’re getting in lots of beneficial vitamins and minerals.
Ingredients: (Single Serving)
- 1 block of firm tofu- drained and pressed
- 1 egg (you can sub for almond milk to make the recipe vegan)
- 1/2 cup gluten free flour
- Salt
- Pepper
- Smoked paprika
Method:
Step 1: after draining and pressing your tofu, chop your tofu block into 1cmx1cmx1cm cubes.
Step 2: whisk up an egg with a pinch of salt and pepper in a medium bowl.
Step 3: in a separate medium sized bowl combine your flour, salt, pepper and paprika.
Step 4: add your tofu to the egg mix and coat all of the cubes.
Step 5: transfer each tofu cube from the egg mix to your flour mix. Coat each piece evenly.
Step 5: transfer the flour-coated tofu pieces to a frying pan and fry for approx 2 mins on each surface.
The tofu will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days. To reheat, fry lightly on the stove or put in the microwave for a couple minutes until piping hot.
I look forward to you trying out this delicious low FODMAP, crispy smoky fried tofu. I encourage you to experiment and play around with what meals you add these yummy crunchy bites to. Please send me pictures of your creations to my Instagram page: TheLazyLowFODMAP and follow along with our IBS community.
