I’ve been tinkering with tofu patties for a while now. It started with a need to consume less meat. I’m not going to lie – it’s pretty hard. Sometimes it astonishes me how much pork many of my favorite Vietnamese dishes contain. I love fresh vegetables, but for years my palate has been conditioned to look for something savory and textural like a piece of meat in meals. While plant-based meats are now popular options, I can’t wrap my head around the fact that these are called ‘meat’. For me, to eat less meat is to think less of it and to use other ingredients as what they are, allowing them to speak for their potential. Anyway, I rant.
My first few experiments with tofu patties were disasters. Tofu absorbed flavors easily, but structurally, they collapsed. Some recipes call for eggs to bind the ingredients and they work. What if I do not want to use eggs at all?
2 Important Binding Agents
Replicating many meatball recipes, I use breadcrumbs. While this does offer some support to the otherwise loose tofu bits, the end result was still crumbly. Frying these patties in the pan takes a decade, and a moment of immature flipping leads to broken pieces. Too much breadcrumb makes the mixture dryer and easier to burn.
Flour is also a common binding agent. My first attempt was with all-purpose flour, which did the job just fine. I also happened to have rice flour on hand, and having read somewhere that rice flour in a breading mixture would yield crispier result, I decided to try it too. It turned out great, and I prefer this to all-purpose flour. The other perk: it’s gluten-free! (not that I am allergic to gluten, but if you are, hooray!)
And an Unexpected Ingredient
Mung bean is a common legume used in Vietnamese cuisine and across Asia, with both savory and sweet applications. Whole mung beans have dark green skins and can retain their shape better during cooking. We use this in congees and desserts.
Meanwhile, split mung beans are mung beans stripped off their hull and then split, exposing their yellow skins. These are often turned into a paste for the filling of rice balls and mooncakes or paired with coconut milk to become a pudding. Because of their starch content, boiled split mung beans also contribute to the structure of these patties, making them sturdier.
The Herbs
I wouldn’t be too fussy with the herbs here. Use any mix you have on hand (it’s a good way to clean up your crisper).
Some Crucial Notes…
Drain your tofu of excess liquid before using.
Refrain from flipping these patties before the bottom crisps up completely. Otherwise, they’ll break into pieces. A fish spatula works best, but if you don’t have one, a pair of chopsticks and a flat spoon will do too.
What Are These Patties Good For?
The use of fresh herbs lightens up these patties, as their fragrance intensifies after being fried. Have them as a snack with some lemon wedges and a simple sauce with soy sauce and vinegar to taste. I ate them with salad and rice, and it worked too.
Herby Tofu Patties
Ingredients
- ½ cup split mung bean about 100 g, soaked in water for 30 minutes and drained
- 350 g extra firm tofu one pack
- 30 g black fungus rehydrated and drained
- 2 tbsp breadcrumbs
- 3 tbsp rice flour use all-purpose flour if it's what you have
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 cup herbs (cilantro, parsley, dill)
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, cover the mung bean with just enough water and let simmer until the bean is soft and the liquid evaporates.
- Drain excess moisture from the tofu, cut into small cubes.
- In a food processor, combine the tofu and mushroom and pulse until they turn into crumbs. Transfer to a mixing bowl
- Once the mung bean cools, combine it with the tofu and mushroom, breadcrumbs, flour and seasoning. Mix thoroughly and form it into patties (I used 1 tbsp to form a ball and then flattened it.)
- In a nonstick skillet, heat 2 tbsp of oil and drop the patties. Refrain from flipping before they brown and crisp.
Notes
