Tofu is made from soy beans.
Tofu, also known as bean curd, was first invented in ancient China. Tofu is a versatile protein with great health benefits. It is made from soy milk that has been coagulated. The coagulation process essentially allows the soy milk to clot or curdle. You can make your own fresh, salted tofu at home. With a little trial and error, the art of tofu-making is not that hard to perfect. Add this to my Recipe Box.
Instructions
1. Dried soy beans require soaking.
Rinse the dried soy beans and soak for at least 16 to 20 hours until softened. If the beans are cracked, the soak time is reduced.
2. Drain water from the beans and put them into a large pot. Add 8 1/2 cups of fresh water and bring to boil for two minutes. Let the beans cool and blend the mixture in a blender. This produces fresh soy milk. Strain and set aside the pulp.
3. Put the strained soy milk back into the pot and cook for 10 minutes on medium heat -- you want it almost at a boil but not quite. The mixture will foam quite quickly so if the foam gets too high, flick a few drops of cold tap water over it. Let it cool until it is just warm enough to drink, but no longer scalding. Remove from stove.
4. Dissolve 2 teaspoons of bitter salt in a cup of water and pour immediately into the hot soy milk, stirring as you do so. Let the mixture stand for 15 minutes until it cools and begins to separate. The milk should turn amber in color. If it is still milky in color, add more coagulant.
5. Cheesecloth is ideal for draining.
Pour the curds into a piece of porous cloth inside a bowl or colander. Lift the cloth to form a loose bag and allow excess liquid to drain, you can twist and squeeze the curds inside the cloth to extract more liquid. The more water you remove, the firmer the finished tofu will be, so drain according to the texture you prefer.
6. Lower the drained curds gently into your mold, folding the cloth to cover the top. If you didn't buy a mold, it is easy to make a homemade press from two plastic containers. Create holes in the bottom and sides of the larger one; the other container should fit snugly inside to act as the top of the mold. Press down with your hands or some other weight. If you want to make soft tofu, it will take about five to eight minutes to set. Firmer tofu takes 15 to 20 minutes.
7. Nothing is as fresh as homemade tofu.
Place a large bowl in the sink and fill it with cold water. Remove the weight from your mold, unfold the cloth, and carefully transfer the tofu into the cold water. Run cold water from the tap into the bowl in a gentle stream for 15 minutes, making sure the water does not hit the tofu directly. You can serve immediately, or store in a container with cold water. It will keep for up to a week if you replace the water daily.
Related posts
Tofu is not only a good source of protein; it is also a versatile food that can be used for a variety of dishes. Tofu can be used in a myriad of recipes, and it comes in different levels of firmne...
Tofu MoldTofu is made from coagulated soy milk. In order to make your own tofu, you need a tofu mold, which also can be homemade. One can choose from a variety of household items to fashion a usab...
There alot of unique ways to eat tofu.Trying to save on your food bill or just replace meats to stay healthy? Tofu is less than $2.00 for a container of tofu in water.There is more calcium in tofu...
Tofu comes in three textrues: firms, soft and silken (or creamy).Tofu is a food similar to soft cheese that is made from curdled soy milk and a coagulant. Asian people have used tofu in their diet...
Tofu is packed with protein.Tofu is a popular and versatile soy curd product that is commonly used in vegetarian cooking. Soybeans, from which tofu is made, are packed with protein and fiber and a...
