Tofu is made from soy beans.
Tofu is an important part of East Asian diets, as well as being a source of protein for vegetarians. This highly nutritious ingredient is maligned by many for its lack of flavor, however it is extremely versatile and can be added to soups and stir-fries, fried with spices and used as a substitute for cheese. Making tofu at home is simple and you don't even need any special equipment. Add this to my Recipe Box.
Instructions
Prepare Soy Milk
1. Soak the soy beans overnight. Make sure they are completely immersed in water, bearing in mind they will swell to double their size.
2. Drain the beans and put them in a blender with some water. You might need to process the beans in several batches. Blend each batch until smooth.
3. Add blended beans to a saucepan and cook for 30 minutes at a low heat. Keep stirring throughout and add water if it gets too thick.
4. Strain the mixture in a bowl lined with a muslin cloth. Fold the cloth so that it's closed and hold it over the saucepan to drain all the liquid. Squeeze the cloth to drain it completely. You might have to do this in several batches too. This liquid is soy milk, the pulp in the muslin cloth can be stored in a container to be mixed with other ingredients and turned into burgers.
Making the Tofu
5. Reheat the soy milk in the saucepan at a low heat and gradually add the juice of half a lime while stirring, taking care to not get any lime pulp in the pan. The liquid should start to coagulate. Allow to continue curdling for 15 minutes. If pieces of tofu don't start to form add a little more lime juice.
6. Line another pan or bowl with muslin and strain the coagulated soy milk, squeezing the cloth so that all the liquid drains.
7. Put the muslin cloth with the tofu in a container and press the tofu down so that it fits the corners. Put a weight on top of it so that the tofu takes the shape of the container. It will be ready to eat after an hour.
Tags: muslin cloth, cloth that, several batches, with muslin