Today I am going to tell you how to make fresh and delicious bean curd aka tofu. Well, tofu is not a new product in the super luxury food market. Rather, if we go down the history lane we would find its origin lies 2000 years back, in China. The world has given it approval in terms of nutritional values. And lactose-intolerant people just love it. The most important thing is, that you don’t need to rely on the availability of good brands dealing with Tofu to achieve your kind of taste; you may make it on your own in the comfort of your kitchen. Let’s see how.
Ingredients:
Dried soybeans – 1 cup
Water – 3 cups and more
Coagulant (Vinegar + Water) – 2:3 Ratio
Salt (Optional) – 1 Teaspoon
Equipment Needed:
Blender or food processor
Cheesecloth or muslin cloth
Sieve
Tofu mold (can be improvised with a Bowl lined with cheesecloth)
Procedure:
Soak the beans:
Take a large bowl. Soak the dried soybeans overnight or 8 hours. Submerge the beans completely into water. It will let the beans expand.
Peel off beans:
Take a fistful of the beans. Gently crush it with your hands. You will see these are peeling off easily. Now drain the top layer of water with the help of a sieve. The peels will be separated from the beans. Discard the peels. Don’t throw away the used water. You may repeat this multiple times to be sure all the beans are peel-free. This step is important as this step will make your bean curd/tofu very soft.
Blend the beans:
Drain the beans and rinse them thoroughly under running water. Put it along with water in a blender or a food processor. The Bean and Water ratio must be 1:3. Blend it into a smoother paste.
Strain the soymilk:
Line a large bowl with cheesecloth or muslin cloth taking a sieve beneath it. Pour the blended soy pulp onto it. Add some water and mix well. Gather the cloth in a fist and gently start squeezing. Increase the pressure to bring out every drop of soymilk. Repeat the process for another two times. You will get a moderately thin consistency of soymilk which is absolutely good to go. Don’t throw away the residue pulp (Okara). These are rich in protein and fiber. Store it in the refrigerator. You may use these while making breads.
Heat the soymilk:
Take the whole of it in a large and heavy bottom pot and heat it in medium-high flame. Keep stirring continuously as these are super rich in protein, thus prone to sticking to the bottom. As soon it reaches the boiling point, turn off the flame. Let it cool down for 5 minutes. Take out the froth whenever it appears in this step.
Add coagulant:
Add salt now. This is optional. You may avoid it if you want it salt-free. After this you should add your coagulant, but not all at once, rather in parts. There are plenty of coagulants available in the market, like, nigari, gypsum, or simple lemon juice. I have used diluted vinegar (Vinegar + Water). For this, I took 2 tablespoons of vinegar and diluted it with 3 tablespoons of water. In the end, I saw half of the mixture was not needed.
Keep on stirring. You will see the soymilk curdle. When you see the entire milk got curdled, let it settle down for 10-15 minutes.
Set the bean curd:
Place a cheesecloth or muslin cloth in a bowl. Transfer the bean curd onto it. Gather the cloth and start twisting to drain out the water completely. Now place it on a flat stand and put something heavy on the top of it to drain out every drop of water. After an hour or two you will get a firm bean curd which is now ready to be used. You may store this easily in the refrigerator for 7 – 10 days.
Nutritional Value of 100 g Bean Curd / Tofu
| Calories | 144 |
| Protein | 17 g |
| Carbohydrates | 3 g |
| Fiber | 2 g |
| Fat | 9 g |
| Manganese | 51% of the Daily Value |
| Calcium | 53% of the Daily Value |
| Copper | 42% of the Daily Value |
| Selenium | 32% of the Daily Value |
| Vitamin A | 18% of the Daily Value |
| Phosphorous | 15% of the Daily Value |
| Iron | 15% of the Daily Value |
| Magnesium | 14% of the Daily Value |
| Zinc | 14% of the Daily Value |
Percentage of Daily Value is based on a 2000-calorie diet.
Conclusion:
As you can see Bean Curd / Tofu has a lot and lot of nutrients but very little in calories, so you may call it a super nutrient-dense food. Well, the food value differs depending upon which coagulant you are using, but not much.
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