Tofu microwave helper
Pick what you are doing with it. A minute in the microwave can halve the time it takes to press a block before frying.
Heat for
45 sec
In 20-second bursts if your block is cold from the fridge.
Yes
Yes, and it is the fastest way to get a block ready for frying. Heat drives water out of the curd, then the weight does the rest.
- 1Wrap the block in a double layer of paper towel and put it on a plate.
- 2Heat for 45 seconds. The towel will come away visibly wet.
- 3Swap the towel for a dry one, put a plate and a heavy tin on top, and press for 10 minutes instead of the usual 30.
- 4Pat dry before it hits the pan — surface water is what makes tofu stick and spit.
The microwave is doing one thing here: moving water. It is not browning tofu and it never will — that needs a hot pan and dry surface.
Tofu is mostly water held in a protein gel, and the microwave is extremely good at moving water. Used deliberately, a minute of heat cuts pressing time from half an hour to about ten minutes — which is the difference between crispy tofu on a weeknight and not.
Used carelessly, it turns a block into a puddle. The variables are firmness and what you are trying to achieve, and those are the two things the tool above asks for.
Why a minute of heat helps you press it
Pressing works by squeezing water out through the surface. Heat makes the protein network contract slightly and drives water to the surface, so the paper towel comes away visibly wet and the weight has far less to do.
Change the towel once after the first burst — a saturated towel stops drawing water and you are just pressing a wet block.
Silken is a different food
Silken tofu has far more water and a much looser structure. Microwaved, it collapses into a soft custard and never comes back. If you want it warm, sit the bowl over hot water or warm it in broth.
The same applies to silken tofu in a soup: add it at the end and let the residual heat warm it through.
Reheating cooked tofu
Cooked tofu reheats in a minute or two, but it spits as the water inside boils and it can dry out at the edges. Cover it with a plate, use 50% power, and stop when it is hot rather than when the timer says so.
Any marinade or sauce goes in with it, which keeps the surface from drying and stops the sugars in the sauce scorching.