This classic Chinese silken tofu recipe is a celebration of simple flavours. A perfect vegan appetizer that you can whip under 20 minutes.
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
- What is Silken Tofu?
- Ingredients You’ll Need
- How To Make Silken Tofu
- My Tried and True Tips
- Chinese Silken tofu Recipe
When it comes to Chinese cuisine, silken tofu is a shining star that blends versatility, nutrition, and a delightful texture into one exquisite dish.
The tofu’s natural creaminess perfectly complements the umami-rich sauce and fresh toppings.
What is Silken Tofu?
Silken tofu, also called “soft tofu,” is a type of tofu that stands apart from its firmer counterparts. Its creamy and delicate texture is achieved by coagulating soy milk without curdling it into curds. As a result, silken tofu retains more moisture and has a soft, custard like finish.
One of the most popular ways to enjoy silken tofu in Chinese cuisine is as a simple, savoury appetizer topped with a soy-based sauce and garnished with fresh aromatics.
Why You’ll Love This Silken Tofu Recipe
- It’s a quick and healthy appetizer that you can whip up in under 20 minutes
- you can easily make it in advance and store in the refrigerator
- this dish does not require any cooking at all
- perfect for summer parties or light dinner
- gluten free, plant based protein
- it is a vegan appetizer
IngredientsYou’ll Need
- Silken Tofu block . Please don’t use firm tofu for this recipe.
- Light Soya Sauce for the umami flavour.
- Rice Vinegar and not the white vinegar. Or use Chinese Cooking wine.
- Toasted Sesame Oil gives a nutty and sweet flavour.
- Homemade Chilli Oil or the ready made one. Trust me, it makes a lot of difference.
- Minced Garlic, Salt and Light Brown Sugar
- Ingredients For Topping: Scallions, Toasted Sesame Seeds, Cilantro
How To Make Silken Tofu
1.Prepare the Sauce
- Combine the light soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, sugar, chilli oil, minced garlic, salt (if using) and a tablespoon of water in a small bowl. Mix well until the sugar dissolves. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
2.Prepare the Silken Tofu
- Carefully remove the silken tofu from its packaging. Since it’s very delicate, handle it with care to avoid breaking it.
- Place the tofu block on a plate or shallow dish. Drain any excess liquid that comes with silken tofu.
- Make cuts in tofu so that the sauce can penetrate deep within the layers.
3.Steam or Not steam
Many silken tofu recipes recommend steaming the tofu. But I have always made it without steaming and loved it.
But in case you want to steam the tofu, here is the process.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil and set up a steamer. If you don’t have a steamer, you can improvise by placing a heatproof rack inside the pot and covering it with a lid.
- Sprinkle a tiny pinch of salt over the tofu for enhanced flavour (optional).
- Steam the tofu for 8-10 minutes over medium heat. Once steamed, carefully remove it from the steamer and set it aside to cool slightly.
4.Assemble the Tofu
- Pour the prepared sauce evenly over the tofu.
- Let it sit in refrigerator for 1 – 2 hours or atleast 30 minutes.
- Sprinkle the chopped scallions, cilantro, and toasted sesame seeds on top.
Serve the silken tofu chilled or at room temperature.
It pairs wonderfully with a bowl of steamed jasmine rice or as a side dish in a larger Chinese-inspired meal with sides like smashed cucumber salad , rice soup , congee, or a vegetable or meat stir fry.
My Tried and True Tips
- Handling with Care : Silken tofu is fragile. Use a wide spatula or spoon when transferring it to avoid breaking.
- Sauce Variations : Experiment with other flavour profiles liked add minced red chilli, splash of oyster sauce, or Korean Gochujang paste for extra zing.
- Serve it Cold : For a refreshing summer twist, skip the steaming step and serve the silken tofu chilled with the sauce and garnishes.
More Pan Asian Recipes
- Tibetan Thukpa
- Stir Fried Broccoli
- Crispy Lotus Stem
- Thai Coconut Soup
- Vegetable Rice Soup
- Pineapple Fried Rice
- Smashed Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
- ▢ 300 gram (1 block) silken tofu
- ▢ 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ▢ 2 tablespoon water
- ▢ 2 tablespoon light soy sauce
- ▢ 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- ▢ 1 tablespoon chilli oil
- ▢ 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- ▢ ½ teaspoon light brown sugar
- ▢ Salt to taste
Ingredients For Topping
- ▢ 2 stalks scallion, finely chopped
- ▢ 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
- ▢ handful of cilantro, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Combine the light soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, sugar, chilli oil, minced garlic, salt (if using) and a tablespoon of water in a small bowl. Mix well until the sugar dissolves. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
- Carefully remove the silken tofu from its packaging. Since it’s very delicate, handle it with care to avoid breaking it.
- Place the tofu block on a plate or shallow dish. Drain any excess liquid that comes with silken tofu.
- Make cuts in tofu so that the sauce can penetrate deep within the layers.
- Pour the prepared sauce evenly over the sliced tofu. Let it sit in refrigerator for 1 – 2 hours or atleast 30 minutes.
- Sprinkle the chopped scallions, cilantro, and toasted sesame seeds on top.
- Serve the silken tofu chilled or at room temperature.
Recipe Notes:
- Many silken tofu recipes recommend steaming the tofu. But I have always made it without steaming and loved it. If you planning to steam it, do it right before adding the sauce. And pour the sauce while tofu is still warm.
- Customize the sauce by adjusting the quantity of ingredients as per personal preference.
Nutrition
We follow a strict NO SPAM Policy
Chinese Silken tofu Recipe
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
- 300 gram (1 block) silken tofu
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 2 tablespoon water
- 2 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon chilli oil
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- ½ teaspoon light brown sugar
- Salt to taste
Ingredients For Topping
- 2 stalks scallion, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
- handful of cilantro, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Combine the light soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, sugar, chilli oil, minced garlic, salt (if using) and a tablespoon of water in a small bowl. Mix well until the sugar dissolves. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
- Carefully remove the silken tofu from its packaging. Since it’s very delicate, handle it with care to avoid breaking it.
- Place the tofu block on a plate or shallow dish. Drain any excess liquid that comes with silken tofu.
- Make cuts in tofu so that the sauce can penetrate deep within the layers.
- Pour the prepared sauce evenly over the sliced tofu. Let it sit in refrigerator for 1 – 2 hours or atleast 30 minutes.
- Sprinkle the chopped scallions, cilantro, and toasted sesame seeds on top.
- Serve the silken tofu chilled or at room temperature.
Video
Notes
- Many silken tofu recipes recommend steaming the tofu. But I have always made it without steaming and loved it. If you planning to steam it, do it right before adding the sauce. And pour the sauce while tofu is still warm.
- Customize the sauce by adjusting the quantity of ingredients as per personal preference.
Nutrition
Enjoy these oats cutlet for a teatime snack with a cup of tea. They are easy to make, delicious to the core, and meal-prep friendly.
- Ingredients You’ll Need
- Watch Oats Cutlet Video
- Serving Suggestion
- My Tried and True Tips
- Gluten Free Oats Cutlet Recipe
My new favourite snack oats cutlet is definitely way more wholesome and nutritious than the packaged ready-to-fry snacks. Plus the cutlet mixture comes together in a food processor without any mess around.
Made with staple pantry items, these vegetable cutlets are easy to make and can be stored for a few days in the refrigerator or frozen for months!
More Reasons To SAVE Oats Cutlet Recipe
- it has no flour (gluten-free)
- meal prep and freezer-friendly
- it is packed with vegetables and walnuts
- there is no cheese or animal product (vegan)
- perfect after-school snack for kids and teatime
Looking for more healthy snacks? Try my gluten free Soya Cutlets , egg-free Zucchini Fritters , or the air fryer potato wafers.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Oats: Use quick, whole, or instant oats for making the powder. You can use oats flour as well. If you buy a packet of rolled oats for this cutlet recipe, do try my oats khichdi , homemade oat milk , or oats chilla .
- Walnuts: Make sure they are not rancid otherwise, the cutlet might taste bitter. If you are allergic to nuts, skip adding them.
- Vegetables: Carrot, green peas , onion, potato
- Seasoning: Salt, red chilli, turmeric, cumin powder, ginger paste, and oregano
- Oil for frying the cutlet
Watch Oats Cutlet Video
Serving Suggestion
Oats Cutlet tastes delicious as a snack with a spicy dipping sauce. Mint Chutney , roasted tomato chutney , or spicy mango dip is my top pick for a dipping sauce with this oats cutlet.
To make a vegan sandwich, you can tuck these cutlets in between bread, tortilla wrap, or pita bread.
My Tried and True Tips
- Boil potatoes and store them in the refrigerator. The chilled, grated boiled potatoes are the perfect binder for this oats cutlet recipe. Usually boil a big batch of potatoes over the weekend, cool them at room temperature, and store them in the refrigerator.
- If cutlets are not binding, add more boiled potatoes or powdered oats.
- You can dip the cutlet in cornstarch and water slurry for a crispy texture.
- Double the recipe for a bigger crowd. The recipe doubles just fine. But if you double the recipe, use a larger frying pan and fry cutlets in small batches.
- Switch out the add-ins. The recipe is so versatile to make it based on your taste preferences and available ingredients. Feel free to season it with ingredients of your choice.
Ingredients
- ▢ ½ Cup carrot, diced
- ▢ ½ Cup onion, diced
- ▢ ½ Cup green peas (fresh or frozen)
- ▢ ¼ Cup fresh coriander leaves
- ▢ 1 green chili, chopped
- ▢ 1 Cup walnuts
- ▢ 2 Cup potato, boiled and grated
- ▢ 1 teaspoon red chili powder
- ▢ 1 teaspoon turmeric
- ▢ 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- ▢ 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- ▢ 1 teaspoon oregano
- ▢ 1 teaspoon ginger paste
- ▢ ½ Cup quick oats, powdered
- ▢ ½ Cup refined oil
Instructions
- Boil potatoes. Store in the refrigerator overnight. Before making cutlets, peel and grate them. Set aside.
- Grind oats to a fine powder in a blender. Keep it aside.
- In a food processor combine carrot, onion, green peas, coriander, green chili, and walnuts. Pulse 1 – 2 times to make a coarse mixture. Transfer to a mixing bowl.
- Add grated potato, salt, spices, ginger paste, oats powder to the cutlet mixture in the mixing bowl.
- Combine all the ingredients together nicely to form a non sticky dough like mixture. At this stage, cutlets should bind easily.
- Take ⅛ cup of cutlet mixture and form a round ball of half inch thickness. Similarly, shape all the cutlets. Keep them in the refrigerator until ready to fry.
- Heat oil in a frying pan. Once the oil is hot, arrange the cutlets in the pan. Do not overcrowd the pan.
- Allow the cutlets to turn crisp from one side then flip to the other side. Fry till crisp and deep brown from all sides.
- Serve oats cutlet with green chutney or ketchup.
Recipe Notes:
- If cutlets are not binding add more boiled potatoes or powdered oats.
- You can use an air fryer as well to cook the cutlets. Brush them with oil. Cook till crisp from both sides.
- You can dip the cutlet in corn starch and water slurry for a crispy texture.
Nutrition
We follow a strict NO SPAM Policy
