How To Make Your Own Tofu
Home-made tofu is delicious. The ingredients are simple and not expensive but it’s a bit of a labour of love. You need to allow lots of time but that’s more for the soaking and pressing than anything very labour intensive. Here is how to make your own tofu in 10 steps.
You’ll need:
- a food processor
- a large saucepan
- a food thermometer
- a sieve
- 2 squares of cheesecloth
- a tofu press or plate and heavy object
- 500g / 1.1 pounds / 2.5 cups Soy beans
- 35g / 1.2 ounces Nigari
Make Your Own Tofu by Tofuture
Instructions:
- SOAK 500g/1.1 pounds dried soybeans in a large bowl covered with plenty of water for 6-8 hours or overnight. Drain in a colander and rinse.
2. WHIZ up the soaked soybeans with enough water to cover them in your food processor.
3. POUR mixture into a large saucepan, add 6 cups of cold water, bring to the boil & simmer for 15 minutes.
4. LINE a sieve with cheesecloth, place a large bowl underneath and pour the mixture through. You now have soya milk in the bowl and Okara in the sieve. You just need the milk.
5. RETURN the soya milk to your large saucepan and back onto the stove.
6. HEAT to 80-85 deg C. / 180-185 deg F. using a cooking thermometer, then remove from the heat.
7. MIX 2 tbsp (35g/1.2oz) nigari and ½ litre / 17 fluid ounces of cold water in a jug and add gradually to the soya milk whilst stirring all the time.
8. Continue to STIR and then leave to stand for 15 minutes. The mixture will separate.
9. Pour through a sieve lined with cheesecloth and you’re left with the curd, as in ‘Little Miss Muffet’s curds and whey’. It may take a while for all the liquid to filter through. Discard the liquid.
10. TRANSFER the curd and the cheesecloth to the inner compartment of the tofu press.
10. PRESS the tofu in the tofu press in the fridge for a couple of hours.
AND it’s done. The consistency is amazing, the tofu is beautifully pressed and has a delicate taste. Rather than marinating home-made tofu, use it in recipes where the subtle taste of tofu can be enjoyed after all your tofu making efforts!
Serving suggestion – tomato and avocado salad with a drizzle of olive oil and freshly ground black pepper