This absurdly simple tofu-hack will make you the god of beancurd

This changes everything.

Father and child eating noodle and tofu in street. Source: Getty Images

Cooking with tofu can be a daunting struggle if you aren't used to it.

The blocks of bean curd can be meaty and delicious at restaurants, but for newcomers to this traditonal soy-bean staple, slimy fall-apart disasters at home.

This absurdly simple two-step hack will change all that forever. It will turn any type of tofu into a tougher, firmer, more densely textured ingredient.

Here are the steps:

1) Freeze the tofu

2) Unfreeze the tofu

We told you it was simple.

The process of freezing tofu has a permanent effect on the solubility of the proteins in tofu, meaning the tofu itself holds less liquid and is less ‘slimy’ when thawed.

Instead, it’s spongier and tougher – meaning you may want to squeeze out the excess liquid once it’s thawed out. 

Thawed tofu makes for an excellent meat substitute for vegetarians, and you can fry it up straight away for with some salt for a healthy snack or as a replacement hamburger pattie. 

Your tofu will probably go yellow or brown once it’s frozen, but don’t panic, it will return to it’s usual colour once you thaw it out so no one will know your secret.

According to researchers, the process of freezing the tofu before cooking can have more of an impact on the taste and texture of the tofu than the cooking process itself.

In what must be one of our favourite studies of all time, scientists in Korea measured the “effect of freezing of soybeans on sensory characteristics of tofu.” They assembled a ten-person panel to assess “colour, flavour, mouthfeel [and] overall acceptability”.

“Freezing enhances some textural parameters of tofu such as hardness, springiness, gumminess and chewiness,” the researchers noted. Proteins became more "hyrdrophobic" and repelled water molecules, leading to a drier product.

It also reduces cooking time by half, as shown by a seminal work of tofu research in 1992.

Thanks science.

Once it’s thawed you can use the tofu just like chicken, or in many of these awesome tofu recipes.

Or - for the easiest salt-and-pepper tofu ever – squeeze and drain the thawed blocks, cut into cubes then toss in flour, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper, and bake for 15 minutes.