I LOVE THESE VEGAN COCONUT CRUSTED TOFU PRAWNS or.. whatever you call these things!.. I didn’t have to shout that, but I felt it was necessary to express my genuine and perhaps slightly frightening adoration for these crispy fish-fingeresque tofu sticks. And I guarantee, if you decide to make this superbly enjoyable rendition of coconut crusted tofu, that you’ll likely be exclaiming your approval of them just as wildly as me. When dredged in a chickpea flour batter and then rolled in unctuous and unsweetened coconut shreds, and ultimately fried up to perfection, these crispy coconut crusted tofu fingers of sheer deliciousness go great with a slaw and some dipping sauces, or just by themselves!
“Power is a neutral energy source, like tofu. It’s what you do with it that gives it flavor.”
– Elizabeth Gilbert
How To Properly Prepare Your Tofu
1. Press the extra-firm tofu for 30 minutes
You can use two padded cutting boards. Cut the tofu block in half, and then place one half on a cutting board, pad it with a clean dish towel, and place the other cutting board atop. Use a heavy object (like a couple cast-iron pans) to press the tofu.
2. Cut the tofu into finger-sized portions
About 1/2-inch x 1/2-inch x 4-inch long strips or so. I don’t know who has fingers shaped like this, but you get the picture.
3. Marinate the tofu in a chili powder and lime bath for another 30 minutes, up to overnight.
Ideally, you prepare the tofu the night before, so that you have maximum flavor from the marinade. The longer you soak tofu in the marinade, the more flavor you’ll be able to inspire in it.
“The beautiful memories of tofu from when I was young.”
– Onew
Dredge, Batter, Coat: The 3 Steps For Success!
1. Dredge: roll the tofu in dry chickpea flour
This ensures more of the batter will coat the tofu stick.
2. Batter: submerse the tofu in the wet chickpea flour batter
The batter is a light and airy carbonated chickpea flour batter that crisps up nicely when fried.
3. Coat: roll the battered tofu in shredded coconut
Long shreds of coconut work just as well as finer shredded coconut. The sweet and unctuousness from the coconut accompanies the zippy chili-lime flavor of the tofu.
“Love is also like a coconut which is good while it is fresh, but you have to spit it out when the juice is gone, what’s left tastes bitter.”
Potential Dipping Sauces
– Sriracha
My favorite hot sauce, and it’s always a winner when it comes to dunking and dipping anything and everything in it. Also, if you can find Yellowbird Sriracha then definitely buy it! It’s the best tasting sriracha brand, in my opinion. It’s less bitter, as well as perfectly spicy without being tongue destroying.
– Sweet Chili Sauce
Yet another spectacular contrasting flavor that goes well with these coconut tofu prawn sticks.
– Vegan Tartar Sauce
Sweet Simple Vegan has an amazingly simple and delicious Vegan Tartar Sauce that you can use as a dipping sauce for these coconut crusted tofu prawns. I would halve the recipe, since you’ll likely not need quite as much for 8 coconut tofu prawn.
“I happen to love coconut, particularly for that sweet and crunchy texture it adds to any dish.”
– Marcus Samuelsson
Coconut Crusted Tofu Prawns
If you’re looking for an interesting and whimsical way to prepare tofu, then you have to try this coconut crusted tofu recipe. It’s an extraordinary means of eating the ingredient, and often far surpasses all the usual expectations and preconceptions that so many people have about the rather unassuming soybean curd that is tofu.
Coconut Tofu Prawns
Equipment
- Dutch oven or large pan, to fry prawns in
- Several bowls and a plate – for the dredge, batter, and coconut shreds
Ingredients
- ½ of 14-ounce block of extra-firm tofu, pressed for 30 minutes
- Juice from one lime, about 4 tablespoons or more if needed
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon coconut sugar, or 1 teaspoon agave syrup
Dredge
- About ¼ cup chickpea flour, or more if needed
Batter
- ½ cup chickpea flour, or more if batter is too wet
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅔ cup soda water or club soda, plain or lime-flavored
Coconut Coating
- About 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, long stranded if you can find it
Frying the Tofu Prawns
- ¼ to ½- inches of neutral oil or olive oil, neutral oil like canola for example
Cole Slaw
- 1/4 head red cabbage, finely shredded
- 1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped lengthwise
- 1 carrot, roughly grated
- 1 tablespoon vegan mayo
- 1/2 tablespoon lime juice
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- Dash of salt
Instructions
- Firstly, remove the tofu from the package, cut it in half evenly. You only need half a package for this recipe. Then, cut one of the halves through the center widthwise, so you have two nice square slabs. Press those two slabs of tofu for about 20 – 30 minutes by padding them with a dish towel, then placing them between two cutting boards with a decent weight on top. Or, use a tofu press if you have one.
- After the tofu is pressed, cut the block lengthwise into longer strips, and then into ½-inch by ½-inch and 4-inches long strips, so they are about as long and thick as a pointer finger. You should have anywhere from 6 – 8 finger-shaped tofu sticks. Don't worry too much about the shape. You just want something shaped sort of like what you see in the photos.
- On to the marinade. Mix together the lime, chili powder, and coconut sugar in a small bowl until the sugar is distributed evenly, and then take the strips of tofu and marinate them for at least 30 minutes or overnight in some kind of glass container, agitating frequently to coat all of the tofu. If you do plan to marinade the tofu overnight, seal the container and store it in the fridge.
- When you’re ready to begin frying, preheat around ¼ to a ½ inch of oil over medium heat in a Dutch oven pan for frying. You’ll know the oil is ready to fry if you drop a shred of coconut in the oil and it bubbles and dances around.Once your oil is ready, combine all the batter ingredients together in a low-lipped, shallow bowl. It should be about the consistency of pancake batter – smooth and creamy. Also, lay out separate plates beside the batter, one with chickpea flour for dredging before battering and another with coconut shreds for rolling after battering.
- Now you’re ready to fry them! Dredge the tofu in a light-coat of chickpea flour, then coat with the chickpea batter. Lastly, roll the battered tofu in the coconut shreds. Drop the coconut tofu prawns in the oil, about 4 at a time, and fry for 1 to 2 minutes on each side, until golden brown. They cook very fast, so keep an eye on them and turn frequently with a long handled something, so as not to burn the outside.
- Remove the coconut crusted tofu from the oil and set on a paper towel. Sprinkle with sea salt, and then enjoy with dipping sauces and a simple slaw.
For the slaw
- Finely shred the red cabbage, red bell pepper, and carrot, and then add the vegan mayo, lime juice, chili powder and salt. Stir well, and then set aside until you're ready to serve it.
Nutrition
I do hope that you enjoyed these coconut crusted tofu prawns. If you did, please leave a comment and recipe rating before you go.
Also, if you loved this iteration of tofu, check out these Tofu Ricotta Stuffed Rice Paper Shrimp with Lemon Butter Pasta – equally as delicious, and equally as tofu-centric!
May you have good food in good company,
That Vegan Nephew
These are SOOOOO delicious that I wish I ordered them for my birthday. That crunchy, crispy, shredded coconut coating is the best. And as an added bonus, the tofu is creamy and succulent by comparison.. One of my favorite dishes.