Breaded chicken breast with breadsticks
- Easy
- 50 min
Crispy Breaded Tofu with Tomatoes and Yogurt Sauce earns its crunch through a two-step coating that most breadcrumb recipes skip: a chickpea flour and water batter goes on first, giving the panko something to grip. Panko — the Japanese-style breadcrumb made from crustless white bread, broken into large, airy flakes — is what actually delivers the result, producing a dry, shatteringly crisp exterior that holds up instead of turning soft as the panko breaded tofu sits.
Yogurt sauce and a tomato salad do more than round out the plate. The yogurt is fresh and lightly acidic, cutting the richness of the fried coating; the tomatoes bring a juicy, aromatic hit that keeps the whole thing from feeling heavy. The contrast between the three elements is the point.
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To prepare the breaded tofu with tomatoes and yogurt sauce, cut the tofu in half lengthwise 1 so you get two slices of equal thickness from each block. Prepare the batter by pouring the chickpea flour into a wide, shallow bowl, then add the water little by little 2 and whisk until you obtain a smooth, lump-free mixture 3.
Pour the panko into a second wide, shallow container. Dip the tofu into the batter, coating it completely 4, then transfer it to the panko 5 and press firmly on all sides so the coating adheres perfectly 6. Heat the neutral vegetable oil and, when it reaches a temperature of 356°F, fry the tofu for about 4 minutes 6, turning it if necessary, until it is golden and crispy.
Drain it on paper towels and season with salt while still hot 7. In a bowl combine the yogurt, mustard 8 and lemon juice 9.
Stir 10 until you obtain a homogeneous sauce. Finally, cut the tomatoes into wedges 11 and finely chop the chives 12.
Place the tomatoes in a bowl, add the chives 13 and the fennel fronds, and dress with extra virgin olive oil 14, salt and pepper, then toss gently. To plate, spoon the yogurt sauce in the center of the plate 15.
Top with the crispy tofu 16 and finish with the dressed tomatoes 17. Serve the breaded tofu with tomatoes and yogurt sauce immediately, finishing with a few sprigs of fresh fennel fronds 18.