Tahu Goreng Bumbu Kuning - Turmeric Fried Tofu

5.0 from 8 reviews

Author: Anita Jacobson

Categories: Side Dish Vegetarian

Cuisines: Indonesian

Ingredients: Tofu

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 1 hour 30 mins

Total Time: 1 hour 45 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 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
• Spice paste (grind the following)
• 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.

Notes

• (1) Omit Indonesian bay leaves if you don't have it.
• (2) Substitute candlenuts with an equal amount of macadamia nuts.