Decided to experiment. I am far from being a vegetarian, but don't mind trying a few things once in a while, so I've been wanting to try out the firm tofu (made in and imported from American) that the supermarket sells.
After Googling around a bit, I decided to try the following recipe:
Tofu CroquettesIngredients:- 1 pkg firm tofu (12 oz or 350 g)
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs (30 g)
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp tamari sauce (a lighter soya sauce) (30 ml)
- 1 tsp dried thyme (5 ml)
- 1 tsp curry powder (5 ml)
- Pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup whole raw hazelnuts (75 g)
- 3 tbsp olive oil
Instructions:
- Crumble the tofu with your fingers or in a food processor.
- Put into a large bowl and add the eggs, bread crumbs, garlic, tamari sauce and the seasonings. Mix well.
- Grind the hazelnuts in a coffee grinder. Reserve.
- Make six patties or croquettes with the mixture and flatten with your hands or a fork. Dip them into the hazelnut mixture until fully covered.
- Heat the oil in a fry pan and cook the patties or croquettes until golden brown on each side.
- Serve on a hamburger bun with your favourite toppings, lettuce, tomato, etc. or serve topped with your favourite tomato sauce as a side dish.
- If you do not have or do not like hazelnuts, you can subtitute with bread crumbs.
I would say that the results were quite good, and probably would have been even better, but for three things.
First, I didn't have tamari, and was out of light soy sauce (not to be confused with "lite" soy sauce, which I wouldn't have in the first place), so I used regular, dark soy sauce.
Second, ACK! My curry powder had bugs in it, so I improvised with some ground cumin, ground coriander, turmeric and (for my own touch) ground chipotle.
Third, I didn't have hazelnuts, so I used panko.
Of all those things, the third mattered the least, and is even suggested in the recipe. The second actually turned out to be a good blend. It was the first - the soy sauce - that I am sure threw it off the most. I am certain that, with the lighter soy sauce, or with tamari, it would have been much better, even with the other two changes. Even so, it wasn't off by THAT much and, as I said before, was quite good. It does make me want to experiment with that tofu a little more.