Tahu Goreng Bumbu Kuning - Turmeric Fried Tofu
These Indonesian turmeric fried tofu has a crispy outside and is very flavorful, juicy, and tender inside. They look deceptively plain, but you won't be stopping with just one once you start sinking your teeth into them.
- Prep time
- 15 min
- Cook time
- 1 hr 30 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 3 cups (750 ml) water
- 2 lemongrass, bruised and knotted
- 2 Indonesian bay leaves (Indonesian: daun salam) (Note 1)
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 2 blocks (900 gram / 2 lb) firm/extra-firm tofu
- enough oil for deep frying
- 75 gram (2.5 oz) shallot
- 4 cloves garlic
- 6 candlenuts (Indonesian: kemiri) (Note 2)
- 1 inch galangal
Instructions
- 1
Cut: Cut each block of tofu into eight pieces. You should get a total of 16 pieces of tofu.
- 2
Braise: Boil the spice paste with water, lemongrass, Indonesian bay leaves, salt, coriander powder, and turmeric powder in a cooking pot. Add tofu into the pot and lower the heat to a simmer. Simmer the tofu until the broth is dry or close to dry.
- 3
Strain: Strain braised tofu until dry before frying to prevent the oil from splattering.
- 4
Deep-fry (option 1): Fill a pot with two inches of oil for deep frying and turn on the heat to a medium. The oil is ready when it reaches 350 Fahrenheit (180 Celsius). Deep fry tofu until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes. TIPS: If you don’t have a thermometer, you can use a bamboo chopstick to tell if the oil is hot or not. Dip a bamboo chopstick into the hot oil. If there are air bubbles around the chopstick, the oil is ready for frying.
- 5
Pan-fry (option 2): Heat three tablespoons of oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Pan fry braised tofu until all sides are golden brown.
- 6
Serve: Transfer fried tofu to a serving plate and serve them immediately.