Topic: I've turned vegan. Can I still expect to make good tasting curries?

[ELW]

Well I tried tofu and can understand it could be mistaken for chicken when you first cut into it. I took a pic because it looked so chicken-like.

Taste and texture is a different matter. I found it bland and quite squishy, sorry to say. It's not for me, especially at the price they want for it.

Deep fryingthe extra firm stuff crisps up the outside, which is not bad. Then flavoured. Freezing it beforehand also helps it firm up more to improve the odd texture. Lends itself better to Chinese wok cooking rather than Indian sauces I've found. I've also found that eating   'no cheese' is better than eating ''vegan cheese'

[Naga]

...I've also found that eating  'no cheese' is better than eating ''vegan cheese'...

 ;D

[livo]

Taste and texture is a different matter. I found it bland and quite squishy, sorry to say. It's not for me, especially at the price they want for it.

I've never been a big fan of Tofu having only tried it very rarely and long ago.  Your comment here Sverige is interesting and I'd agreed with you until a week ago.  I've recently been introduced to Inariage / Aburaage in the form of Inari Sushi (seasoned seaweed salad topped). These things are absolutely delicious and show that Tofu does not need to be bland.  I've bought the frozen packaged Inariage but I'm always interested in from-scratch-preparation.  My research into the methods of making these Japanese style Tofu pockets shows that Tofu can be infused with flavour. It is just a process and it takes a little time.

While this isn't exactly how the Inariage are done, it is similar.  I found this mentioned on this site https://www.seriouseats.com/2014/06/shopping-cooking-guide-different-tofu-types.html, and thought it might be useful to you.  The site also describes all of the different types of Tofu and the appropriate uses of each.

Quote
"Marinating: One the biggest myths about tofu is that it soaks up the ingredients around it. This is only true with hyper-porous frozen tofu. Unless you have six hours to sous-vide the tofu and completely transfuse the internal moisture content, don't expect a lot of flavor from a marinade. This myth was publicly busted in Deborah Madison's book This Can't Be Tofu!, in which she champions the glazing method to infuse tofu with flavor. To glaze, pan-fry the tofu

[Sverige]

Thank you Livo. It's an interesting article and I'm sure I could've done more with my block of tofu. Mostly it was the squishy texture which put me off; It was quite unlike meat. Maybe buying extra firm tofu next time would alleviate that, but for now I'm just sticking with chicken.

[Naga]

...Exotic fruit and veg doesn't appeal to me such as avocado ands aubergine...

...I have a great avocado and aubergine Bhuna recipe, and have been waiting patiently for years to unleash it......

I know I'm a bit late with this, but still, it gave me a chuckle!

[Secret Santa]

Mostly it was the squishy texture which put me off

Years ago I bought the silken tofu not knowing any better and wondered why it disintegrated so easily. You have to use very firm tofu and always freeze it because that drives out more water and firms it up even more. It also makes it more spongy so it soaks up flavour. You then have to wrap it in a clean cloth and put a weight on it to drive out remaining water and firm it even more.

[Sverige]

Thanks for the tips SS