A Tofu Experiment
April 19, 2011
I don’t claim to be an expert on tofu. I also don’t claim to be big into veggie burgers. To be honest, I’m not sure I’ve ever actually had one. My vegetarian sister used to eat them all the time, but they were the kind that came frozen in a box and to me, never looked very appetizing.
This weekend I was in a particularly curious mood when thoughts of veggie burgers were filling my brain. Not in that I-must-have-one-now craving sort of way, because remember, I haven’t actually tasted one before. They were more like “do they really taste as cardboard-y as everyone says?” sort of thoughts. Come to think of it, veggie burgers would have been a good candidate for Try Something New Tuesday. Darn.
Anyways, back to the experiment. Tofu was on sale for 88 cents a package this weekend, so I took advantage and bought 2. Rather than just sticking it all in a marinade overnight (and I did do that too), I compiled a separate list of ingredients that I figured might, when combined, turn into something great. Spoiler: they did.
I’m not even going to call these burgers because really, once you sink your teeth into them, you’ll realize that the texture is far from any sort of cooked ground meat. Rather, I think “patties” is more appropriate. So that’s what they shall be.
Curried Tofu Patties
Ingredients:
- 1 large carrot
- ¼ cup cashew halves
- ½ cup red onion, chopped finely
- 1 clove minced garlic (1 tsp bottled)
- 2 tsp curry paste
- 1/2 tsp tikka masala
- 1 tsp curry powder
- 250g firm, drained tofu, chopped into cubes
- ¼ cup breadcrumbs or smashed whole grain crackers
- sea salt and black pepper, to taste
Grate the carrot and chop the cashews into small pieces. Add all ingredients except for the grated carrot into the bowl of a food processor. Blend on high until an almost-smooth, but not over-processed mixture forms.
Empty the contents of the food processor into a large bowl and stir in the grated carrots.
Use your hands to shape 4 evenly-sized patties.
There are a couple of ways that these can be cooked. I think you could put them on a grill because they hold together quite well, or, spray a frying pan with a little olive oil and fry them on each side until golden. However, I did neither of the above and rolled with the broiling option. To do this, switch on the oven’s broil setting and allow it to heat up. Meanwhile, spray the patties with olive oil or brush them lightly. Place them on a baking sheet lined with foil. When the oven is hot, place the pan inside and broil for about 15 minutes or until they start to look like this:
Use a flipper to gently turn them over and continue cooking for the same amount of time on the other side.
Serves 4.
Nutrition per serving: 120 calories, 5g fat (1g saturated), 0mg cholesterol, 103 mg sodium, 12g carbs, 1g fiber, 3g sugar, 7g protein.
Like I said, these don’t have the texture of a burger – they actually reminded me a bit more of baked falafels. Each one is actually pretty big, not to mention juicy and packed with flavour. No cardboard here folks!
Question of the day:
Say I was going to consider trying a store-bought veggie burger. Which brand would you recommend?
Entry filed under: Daily Adventures, Recipes. Tags: curried tofu patties, lunch, tofu, vegan, vegetarian.
1.
Elizabeth@The Sweet Life | April 19, 2011 at 8:19 am
I LOVE the sound of this recipe!!!! Great photos, too.
2.
Charlie | April 19, 2011 at 8:21 am
I’ve never used tofu to make patties! They look delicious! Anything with curry powder has to be
.
3.
Cathy | April 19, 2011 at 8:39 am
sorry, angela, but i have no recommendations! i don’t buy veggie burgers…i’ve tried yves brand, but i really can’t recommend them…they weren’t that great.
isn’t it great how cheap tofu is?! i love that for $1 (less, in your case!) you get such a great protein source!
your recipe sounds awesome…i bet it’s much better than even the better store-bought veggie burgers!
have a great tuesday – stay warm!
4.
oatsandspice | April 19, 2011 at 8:46 am
These patties look super good – honestly the texture of tofu kind of scares me, but I love that you incorporated so many ingredients! I seriously am going to try these and give tofu another chance
5.
Angela @ Eat Spin Run Repeat | April 19, 2011 at 9:18 am
I think you’ll probably like these then! The texture of tofu (all spongy) isn’t really there because of the nuts and veggies mixed in. When you broil them, they’ll get nice and crispy too which adds a bit of crunch. Let me know how they turn out!
6.
Claire @ Live & Love to Eat | April 19, 2011 at 9:47 am
These look fabulous! Although I buy veggie burgers (mostly Morningstar’s Black Bean or Tomato Basil), a flat, frisbee like patty can never live up to a homemade burger.
7.
Lauren | April 19, 2011 at 9:53 am
I went vegetarian about a year and a half ago, and found it hard to find food that tasted good which I didn’t have to make from scratch EVERY single night. I found the Schneider’s line to be really good, O’Natural I beleive it’s called, and LOOOOVE anything zhers Blue Menu.
8.
Angela @ Eat Spin Run Repeat | April 19, 2011 at 3:25 pm
I’ve been really impressed by a lot of Blue Menu products, so I’m glad you like it too! I’m not a veggie but their frozen fish is really good. I’ll look out for the veggie burgers next time.
9.
Emerald | April 19, 2011 at 9:56 am
Have you ever had Nature Burgers from the restaurant Lick’s? They also sell them in grocery stores. They are great!
10.
Angela @ Eat Spin Run Repeat | April 19, 2011 at 3:26 pm
Nope, never been! But I have heard of the restaurant!
11.
Kimberley | April 19, 2011 at 10:13 am
Ok, I have never tried tofu and I am a vegetarian– weird I know. But this looks ah-mazing! Must try!
12.
Angela @ Eat Spin Run Repeat | April 19, 2011 at 3:27 pm
Seriously!?!?! Actually, that doesn’t surprise me too much because my sister is vegetarian and rarely eats tofu – I think I eat far more than she does!! If you’re going to try it, this would be a good place to start.
13.
Courtney @ The Granola Chronicles | April 19, 2011 at 10:15 am
Oooh! These look fabulous! I’ve never tried tofu patties before. I’m such a fan of curry powder, so I think I would like these – for sure!
14.
Angela @ Eat Spin Run Repeat | April 19, 2011 at 3:27 pm
Curry powder makes my world go round.
15.
Stefanie @TheNewHealthy | April 19, 2011 at 10:23 am
Oh my gosh – these sound so delicious! I never thought to make patties using tofu – I always tend to go the bean route! I actually made some homemade bean burgers yesterday and now I’m wishing I used tofu!
Store bought veggie burgers can my hit or miss – I like the Morningstar Farms Spicy Black Bean burgers and then I also like the Dr. Praegers Tex-Mex burgers. But other than that, I’d just rather use beans!
Have a great day girl! <3
16.
Angela @ Eat Spin Run Repeat | April 19, 2011 at 3:28 pm
I agree with you – normally I’d turn to beans instead, and I was really surprised by how sturdy these were! I’ve heard about Morningstar Farms and have seen good reviews so I think they’d be another one of the brands I’d go to for a first trial. Thanks Stef!
17.
Tessa at Amazing Asset | April 19, 2011 at 10:36 am
Yum, thank you for this recipe! Not only do they have great tasting ingredients, but I am also a big fan of the nutritional information
As far as veggie burgers go, I like the Boca Burgers- Roasted Onion flavor, they are full of flavor
18.
movesnmunchies | April 19, 2011 at 3:26 pm
WHAT A FREAKING great creation!!!!!! i LOVE the look of these burger thangs!
19.
Tara @ trulysimplebits.com | April 19, 2011 at 5:30 pm
These look so good! I don’t really like frozen veggie burgers either but have tried a few homemade ones and they’ve all been great. These will be next in line to try
20.
Laury @thefitnessdish | April 19, 2011 at 7:10 pm
Looks amazing!!
i am really into Dr. Praegers California Veggie Burgers.
I kind of boycotted veggie burgers the past oh so many years because I thought they were too processed. When I went veg in high school I ate them a lot, but then I decided when I gace up all the processed food stuff I wasn’t going to eat them anymore. Recently though, I discovered those and the ingredient list looks good! And they taste awesome!! Topped with cucumber and avocado…yummmmmm
21.
Lisa | April 19, 2011 at 7:32 pm
Hi Angela, I buy the Yves Veggie burgers and they are the best!! they are a great deal at costco – but they only carry them in the summer, probably anytime now – they freeze good too – the M&M ones are also pretty good too….they can all be cooked on the BBQ too!
22.
naturallyyoursbeth | April 19, 2011 at 9:16 pm
I have been wanting to try tofu but have been super nervous/intimidated. This will be a perfect start to my tofu testing. Thanks for sharing
23.
Nicole | April 20, 2011 at 3:34 pm
You need to try Asherah’s gourmet vegan burgers. They do not contain wheat or soy and are amazing. You can get them at Whole Foods and some other locations and they come in an original version as well as chipotle. Really great quick lunch option!
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