tofu poppers

Tofu Poppers With Mango Dip

These tofu poppers are inspired by Jalapeno poppers. But instead of a pepper in the batter, tofu is used. The spice is saved for the dipping sauce!

The use of tofu in the poppers also adds a good amount of healthy protein.

tofu poppers

This is a great solution for those who want to be able to control the amount of spice in their poppers. It also give the poppers a unique Asian flair.

Note: This recipe is vegan if you use soy based cream cheese as written. Or use regular cream cheese and it will be vegetarian but not vegan.


tofu poppers

Tofu Poppers With Mango Dip

Yield: 4
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

Vegan or Vegetarian tofu poppers are a great way to get a spicy popper with a good amount of protein.

Ingredients

  • For the tofu:
  • 1 lb firm tofu
  • For the marinade:
  • ¼ cup soy sauce
  • Juice of a lemon
  • Dash of ground ginger
  • Dash of garlic powder
  • Pinch of salt
  • ¼ cup water
  • For the batter:
  • ½ cup coconut flakes
  • ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
  • ½ cup flour, divided
  • Pinch of salt
  • Vegetable oil, for frying
  • For the mango dip:
  • 1 ripe mango
  • ½ cup soy cream cheese
  • 1 canned pineapple slice
  • ½ jalapeno, seeds removed
  • 3 tbsp Thai chili sauce
  • Pinch of salt

Instructions

  1. For the poppers, drain the tofu and blot it dry with paper towels.
  2. Chop it into bite-sized chunks and toss them into a medium bowl.
  3. For the marinade, add a splash of lime to the soy sauce and stir them well together along with a pinch each of garlic powder, ground ginger and salt until well combined.
  4. Drizzle this marinade over the tofu cubes and toss them to coat well with the blend.
  5. Set aside for an hour to marinate and prepare the mango dip in the meantime.
  6. For the dip, peel and remove the seed of the mango before cutting it into coarse slices.
  7. Dump them into a blender, followed by the pineapple slice, soy cream cheese and a dash of thai  chili sauce.
  8. Drop in the jalapeno and blitz them into a smooth, creamy puree.
  9. Stir in a dash of salt to season and set aside in a bowl, covered, until the poppers are ready to be served.
  10. For the batter, spread ¼ of the flour across a shallow plate and rest of the flour into a bowl.
  11. Pour in water in a steady stream while beating it into the flour until all of it is incorporated to form a uniform batter, free of lumps.
  12. Toss the coconut flakes and panko bread crumbs together in another bowl, until well combined and set aside.
  13. Throw the marinated tofu cubes, few at a time, into the dry flour and flip them over several times to dredge evenly.
  14. Dip the dredged tofu into the batter to coat well with the mixture and transfer it to bowl with bread crumb-coconut mixture.
  15. Coat the tofu pieces evenly with the above mixture and set aside.
  16. Heat vegetable oil in a large, deep-bottomed skillet and drop the coated tofu into the hot oil.
  17. Deep-fry until golden and drain them out, using slotted spoon, into a bowl lined with paper towels.
  18. Dump rest of the fried tofu poppers into the same bowl and toss them well together, along with a dash of salt to season.
  19. Serve warm alongside the mango dip.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest


 

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 20 mins + 1 hour (inactive)

Cooking time: 15 mins

Ingredients needed to make Tofu Poppers With Mango Dip:

For the tofu:

1 lb firm tofu

For the marinade:

  • ¼ cup soy sauce
  • Juice of a lemon
  • Dash of ground ginger
  • Dash of garlic powder
  • Pinch of salt
  • ¼ cup water

For the batter:

  • ½ cup coconut flakes
  • ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
  • ½ cup flour, divided
  • Pinch of salt
  • Vegetable oil, for frying

For the mango dip:

  • 1 ripe mango
  • ½ cup soy cream cheese
  • 1 canned pineapple slice
  • ½ jalapeno, seeds removed
  • 3 tbsp Thai chili sauce
  • Pinch of salt

Cooking instructions for Tofu Poppers With Mango Dip:

  • For the poppers, drain the tofu and blot it dry with paper towels.
  • Chop it into bite-sized chunks and toss them into a medium bowl.
  • For the marinade, add a splash of lime to the soy sauce and stir them well together along with a pinch each of garlic powder, ground ginger and salt until well combined.
  • Drizzle this marinade over the tofu cubes and toss them to coat well with the blend.
  • Set aside for an hour to marinate and prepare the mango dip in the meantime.
  • For the dip, peel and remove the seed of the mango before cutting it into coarse slices.
  • Dump them into a blender, followed by the pineapple slice, soy cream cheese and a dash of thai  chili sauce.
  • Drop in the jalapeno and blitz them into a smooth, creamy puree.
  • Stir in a dash of salt to season and set aside in a bowl, covered, until the poppers are ready to be served.
  • For the batter, spread ¼ of the flour across a shallow plate and rest of the flour into a bowl.
  • Pour in water in a steady stream while beating it into the flour until all of it is incorporated to form a uniform batter, free of lumps.
  • Toss the coconut flakes and panko bread crumbs together in another bowl, until well combined and set aside.
  • Throw the marinated tofu cubes, few at a time, into the dry flour and flip them over several times to dredge evenly.
  • Dip the dredged tofu into the batter to coat well with the mixture and transfer it to bowl with bread crumb-coconut mixture.
  • Coat the tofu pieces evenly with the above mixture and set aside.
  • Heat vegetable oil in a large, deep-bottomed skillet and drop the coated tofu into the hot oil.
  • Deep-fry until golden and drain them out, using slotted spoon, into a bowl lined with paper towels.
  • Dump rest of the fried tofu poppers into the same bowl and toss them well together, along with a dash of salt to season.
  • Serve warm alongside the mango dip.

Image credit: Wikimedia Commons

Last Updated on April 21, 2023 by Carleen

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