Delicious and Healthy Quick Fixes: Meet Tokwa

There are ways to go around your usual fatty pork recipe, even quicker, more affordable and healthier!

Tokwa or tofu or bean curd is one of the most effective source of protein and iron without the free fat and calorie add-on in almost all meat especially pork. In short, it is the best meat alternative for the health-conscious as well as “shape”-conscious.

Tokwa is made from letting soybean settle until it becomes jelly-like. Soybean is the same row material used in making soy sauce. This curd is compacted into a solid form that is cut into cubes, which we see in supermarkets.

Because tokwa does not have a strong unique taste or smell, it can be a very good alternative to pork, beef or any meat in any dish. Challenge the adventurous side of you and use tokwa in afritada, menudo, curry or adobo.

I also love frying tokwa. Cut the tokwa lengthwise around half-inch thick. To make it taste, apply a pinch of salt before frying the cut pieces. An optional ingredient is ground pepper, which can be applied alongside the salt. That is before frying the pieces. Fried tokwa can be paired with butterred corn and carrot for one healthy meal.

If you know tokwa’t baboy, then you probably can imagine a “tokwa-only” recipe. Remove the pork and leave only tokwa and use the same sauce that you use in tokwa’t baboy. To prepare this, simply cut tokwa into lengthwise shapes and fry them without adding any salt or pepper. When tokwa turns brown, remove from heat and let dry on tissue paper. This will remove extra oil from the tokwa. Cut tokwa into small little squares. Now for the sauce, mix soy sauce, vinegar, water, sliced tomatoes, onions and chilli in a small bowl. Server hot!