Tofu Cutlets
1 lb extra firm or super firm tofu
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 - 1 1/2 cups Mexican lager beer
1/2 tsp prepared mustard (dijon, spicy brown, or yellow)
oil to fry
Slaw
1/4 head green cabbage, thinly sliced (~3 1/2 - 4 cups)
1-2 tbsp minced cilantro
2 tbsp lime juice (from 1 lime)
1/2 tsp salt
pepper to taste
White Sauce
3/4 cup vegan sour cream
1/4 cup vegan mayonnaise
1 tbsp lime juice
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp hot sauce
salt, to taste (if needed)
To serve:
Corn Tortillas
Avocado
Lime wedges
Hot sauce
Cut the block of tofu into 5 slabs. Wrap in a lint free towel or paper towel and set something heavy on top and let press for 20-30 minutes. Skip if using super firm tofu.
In the meantime, prepare the slaw: combine all ingredients for the cabbage slaw in a bowl, taste and adjust seasonings if needed, and set in fridge until ready to use.
Also prepare the white sauce: mix all ingredients together in a small mixing bowl except for salt. Taste and adjust seasoning or add salt if desired.
Next, prepare the batter. Mix together the flour, salt, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper in a large mixing bowl. Add 1 cup of beer (or sparkling water) and the mustard and mix together. Add more beer as needed to reach a thick pancake batter consistency.
Heat a 1/2" of oil over medium heat in a cast iron skillet or a deep heavy bottomed pan. It's hot enough when a small amount of batter is dropped into the oil and it bubbles around the batter and starts to float to the top.
Cut each slab of tofu in half lengthwise to make 10 pieces of tofu. For a higher ratio of batter to tofu, cut each slab into three pieces for a total of 15 pieces of tofu.
Dip each piece of tofu into the batter and then gently place it in the oil. Fry 3- 5 cutlets at a time, depending on how many fit in the pan, do not overcrowd. Once the bottom is golden, carefully flip and let fry until the other side is golden as well. Remove and place on a wire rack set over a pan to drain. Repeat with remaining cutlets.
Heat the corn tortillas, then spread some white sauce on the bottom. Add a tofu cutlet and some cabbage slaw. Finish off with some sliced avocado, cilantro, and lime wedges. Serve with hot sauce and additional white sauce (thinned to pouring consistency).
There will be enough batter to make 2 to 3 pounds of tofu into cutlets. The batter can be saved in the fridge to make more for 1-3 days, or discard extra batter.
The slaw and white sauce can be made in advance and stored in the fridge until ready to use.
For alcohol free, substitute sparkling water. You'll want to increase the spices in the batter to compensate for the flavorless liquid.
Can make gluten free with a gluten free all purpose flour blend.
Leftover tofu cutlets can be reheated in the oven, 375 ºF for about 10 minutes or until crispy.
TOTAL FAT: 15g SODIUM: 222mg
CARBOHYDRATES: 22g FIBER: 4g SUGAR: 2g
PROTEIN: 8g