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Deep Fried Tofu

Deep fried tofu coated in sesame seeds, cornstarch, and flour, then fried until browned.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 7 ingredients
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Why it works: Tofu and sesame match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 250 recipes. Both carry 2,4-decadienal, which smells seaweed. The science ↓

Deep Fried Tofu

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare

  1. Mix together sesame seeds, sugar, cornstarch, and flour.

  2. Roll tofu in sesame mixture until well coated.

Fry and serve

  1. Heat oil in skillet until hot.

  2. Fry tofu squares until well browned.

  3. Drain tofu on paper towels and set aside.

  4. Arrange tofu on a platter and serve warm with sauce.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

825Calories
21 gProtein
33 gFat
111 gCarbs
What these numbers assume: 7 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Flour1 cup (125g) all-purpose455
Sesame1 tbsp (14g)120
Olive Oil1 tbsp (14g)119
Tofu100g firm76
Sugar1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated49
Black Pepper1 tsp ground (2.3g)6
Salt1 tsp (6g)0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Tofu + sesametop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together250 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).

  2. Tofu + flourtop 8% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together350 recipes

    Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).

  3. Sesame + flourtop 12% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together1,057 recipes

    Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).

  4. Sesame + peppertop 14% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together1,343 recipes

    Shared aroma: trans-2-nonenal (cardboard, fatty).

  5. Flour + sugartop 15% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together92,116 recipes

    Shared aroma: phenylacetaldehyde (hawthorne, honey).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Firm tofu
Provides the main body of the dish, becoming crisp outside and soft inside when fried.
Cornstarch
Forms a light, crisp coating that helps the tofu brown and stay crunchy.
Flour
Adds to the coating so it sticks evenly and browns well in the hot oil.
Sesame seeds
Add a nutty aroma and toasty flavour to the crisp coating.

The step that matters

Fry tofu squares until well browned. The oil must be hot enough before the tofu goes in. If it is too cool, the coating absorbs oil and turns greasy instead of crisp, and the tofu steams rather than browns.

Swap the sesame

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (tofu, flour, sugar, pepper):

  1. Sesamethe original
  2. Cashew nutfits about as well
  3. Chestnutfits about as well
  4. Chickpeafits less well

Fit is the average pairing score against tofu, flour, sugar, pepper. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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