Yoga Kitchen – Simple, healthy, and plant-based

The familiar taste of fried fish, fully plant-based

Reducing or completely eliminating meat from your diet is a first step towards a healthier environment and better health. The same applies to fish. However, this does not detract from the fact that many people truly enjoy the taste of fish. The good news is that you can bring that typical, rich aroma of the sea into your dishes in a plant-based kitchen by using seaweed and a few other ingredients.
On a Persian blog, I found a recipe for a marinade that makes your plant-based protein source (such as tofu or tempeh) taste just as good as your fish dishes of yesteryear.

What ingredients do you need for 500 g of fish-flavoured tofu?

These are the ingredients for the marinade:

6 cloves of garlic
5 tablespoons of white wine vinegar (apple cider vinegar also works)
2 tablespoons of soy sauce (tamari)
2 teaspoons of salt
1 teaspoon of black pepper
the juice of one medium lemon
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1 heaped tablespoon brown miso paste
2 sheets of sushi nori, torn or cut into pieces
120 ml hot water
6 tablespoons of toasted sesame oil

You will also need 500 g of a good plant-based protein source with a firm texture, such as:

tofu
tempeh
jackfruit (a tropical fruit with a firm and fibrous texture available in cans in Asian supermarkets or organic shops with a wide offer)

In the recipe, we will use tofu.

Preparation

Preparing the tofu

Cut the block of tofu lengthwise into 2 to 3 slices
Make parallel cuts about halfway through the thickness of the slice (do not cut all the way through)
Place the sliced pieces in a container that can be covered with a lid

If you are using jackfruit or tempeh, you can also make incisions or cut them into pieces first, if necessary.

Marinate overnight

Put all the ingredients for the marinade in a blender and mix until you have a greenish-brown liquid
Pour the marinade over the sliced tofu
Seal the container and place it in the refrigerator overnight

Frying or grilling

Remove the marinated pieces of tofu with the excess marinade from the container.
Fry in a pan with a little oil on both sides for a few minutes.
Or place the pieces in a glass ovenproof dish and roast for about 20 minutes in the oven or in an air fryer at 180°C.

That’s it!
You’ll be amazed at how similar the result is to fried fish in terms of taste, texture and experience.
I was amazed by the result myself. It shows that with the creative use of purely plant-based ingredients, we can create a lot of flavour.

The myths about fish and our health

Omega-3 fatty acids

Eating fish is definitely not a good idea these days.
Fish is sometimes praised in dietitian and nutritionist circles for its supposed health benefits. This is mainly because of the oil found in fish. This oil is rich in omega-3 fatty acids. As a result, there is a whole supplement industry selling fish oil (at a high price) for its omega-3 content.
However, you can get your daily amount of omega-3 (cheaply) from one to two tablespoons of ground flaxseed.
But where do fish get these health-promoting fatty acids? They eat algae, which are the original source of omega-3 fatty acids. The primary source of omega-3 is therefore algae.

Antibiotics and other pollutants

Unfortunately, today’s fish can no longer be considered healthy. Sea fish contain high levels of heavy metals and chemical pollutants that concentrate in the fatty tissue of the fish. Farmed fish, on the other hand, contain antibiotic residues because these fish are raised in abnormal physical and emotionally stressful conditions. These naturally solitary and free animals are crammed together in large traps or sometimes in covered basins, and to reduce mortality from disease, parasites and infections, they are constantly given antibiotics by the farmers.
These antibiotics end up in our food, creating resistant microbes that are insensitive to the antibiotics used in conventional medicine.

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Yoga Kitchen – Simple, healthy, and plant-based

It’s the marinades that make the tofu

Plain, white tofu has virtually no flavour. You can see that as a drawback, or as a positive. Because it allows you to add any flavour to this healthy supplier of plant protein. Moreover, it allows you to add structure to your cooking habits.
If you set aside half an hour at the weekend to dice a large block of white, firm tofu and make a few different marinades, you’ll immediately be set for the week.
Here are three examples of marinades. Besides, there is no brake on your creativity and you can replace these marinades with your own favourite combinations.

Oriental style marinade with peanut butter and sesame oil

This sweet and spicy marinade is excellent with rice or noodle dishes, accompanied by grilled and steamed vegetables.
Ingredients:

200 g firm white tofu
2 tablespoons of peanut butter
one tablespoon of soy sauce (tamari or shoyu)
1 tablespoon of vinegar (e.g. apple cider vinegar)
2 tablespoons maple, rice or agave syrup
Two tablespoons of sesame oil
2 finely chopped garlic cloves
A good chunk of ginger, grated or very finely chopped

Greek style marinade with olive oil and lemon

This fresh and sour marinade is ideally suited as a substitute for feta cheese in salads, but is also very tasty slightly warmed up.
Ingredients:

200 g firm white tofu
2 tablespoons of nutritional or noble yeast flakes
Two tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon of dried oregano
3 tablespoons of olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Spicy Mexican style marinade with chilli and paprika

A pungent, spicy marinade for lovers of spicy Mexican flavours. Ideally to use in wraps, with beans, vegetables and, for example, slices of fresh avocado. These are best eaten hot, by briefly frying the tofu with the marinade in a pan.
Ingredients:

200 g firm white tofu
3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 tablespoon plain white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon of ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder or two finely chopped or pressed cloves of garlic
sea salt to taste
1 teaspoon paprika powder
1 teaspoon of oregano

This is how to proceed:

Mix all the marinade ingredients in a bowl and stir in the cubed white tofu. Transfer the marinated tofu into glass jars, for instance with a span seal. This marinated tofu will keep for 1 week in the fridge.

Nutritional info: white firm tofu from the brand The Hobbit, per 100g product.

This gives a good indication of the nutritional values for firm tofu. Tofu from other manufacturers may of course differ from these exact values.

Energy	Carbohydrates	Sugars	Fat	Sat. Fat	Protein	Fibre	Salt
503 kJ/120 kcal	2,1 g	0,5 g	6,1 g	1,0 g	13,5 g	1,4 g	0 g

Is fermented tofu better than regular tofu?

Fermented tofu looks like ordinary tofu but has undergone a fermentation process. As a result, the flavour is slightly acid. Two advantages:

the tofu is slightly more digestible
this tofu has a more distinct flavour

In fermentation processes, bacteria grow and produce acids and enzymes. The enzymes trigger the digestion process, the acids provide stability and favourable acidity for the digestion process.
Fermented tofu is ideally suited for cold preparations with tofu, for example as an alternative to animal feta cheese. Great solution if you are vegan yourself or are visiting a friend or relative who does not eat dairy products.

Make the connection!

Tag Archives: tofu

A fishy tofu marinade