How To Make Tofu

With supermarket shelves being choked up with delicious, nutritious and power-packed diet options, it is time to put a check to your animal-chomping ways and switch on to some healthy and tasty vegetarian wonders. With the soy craze gradually catching up among health freaks, it’s no surprise to see more and more meat lovers dumping animal protein for tofu. As it turns out, tofu not only boasts of an impressive protein profile, but is also devoid of any artery-bashing cholesterol and has very little fat. What’s more, tofu is the ultimate answer to a healthy heart, prostate, bones, and immune system. Derived from soymilk, delicate and versatile tofu is a toothsome alternative to meat and comes in three different varieties, ranging from regular to soft to firm and more. You can crumble it and stir-fry with zucchini, carrots and greens or use it in salad dressings, smoothies, pies, dips and pâtés. Tofu not only adds up as a healthy addition to one’s meal, but also tastes delicious. If you swear by the goodness of store-bought tofu, then you will be surprised to see how delectable freshly made tofu tastes. For more on how to make tofu at home, read on.

Tofu Recipe

Nothing delights more than bingeing on zesty slaw and tofu wrap on a hungry afternoon. The delicate and versatile tofu can be easily churned up at home and is an excellent stand-in for scrambled eggs and meat. All you need is a can of readymade or homemade soymilk to get started.
In case you prefer homemade tofu to the store-bought ones, then you can stir up some fresh, home-churned tofu by using soybeans. Douse two cups of organic soybeans in around 10 cups of water for a day and keep it aside.
Next day, rinse the soybeans under a running tap and then grind the beans into a paste using a blender.
In a large pot, take seven to eight cups of water and bring it to a boil. Add the ground soybeans to the water and simmer over medium heat until the mixture is cooked. Stir the mixture continuously to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Lower the flame and cook the mixture for another ten minutes. You may sprinkle some cold water or add a dash of vegetable oil to the mixture to save it from being overcooked.
Using a cheesecloth, strain the mixture and keep the residue (okara) aside. Squeeze the okara to wring out every drop of soymilk out of it. You can use okara as a stand-in for your stir-fries and dips.
Cook the soymilk over a low flame for a while, till the temperature reaches around 140^oF. In the meanwhile, set up the coagulant by adding a teaspoonful of ‘nigari’ to water. However, ensure that the amount of water is five times more than that of the soymilk.
Add half of the coagulant to the soymilk and cook over a low flame for five minutes. Now, add the remaining portion of the coagulant and stir gently. Cover the pot with a lid and wait for the soymilk to curdle.
Once done, transfer the soymilk curd to tofu moulds covered with cheesecloth. You can also use plastic containers with holes towards the bottom to set your tofu. Cover the mold and place a little weight on the lid to ensure that the whey completely drains off.
Wait for thirty minutes and then dunk the mold in a large pan filled with cold water. Demold the tofu and store it in the refrigerator for use.

For all the health-conscious gourmands who like to gorge on homemade tofu, this write-up on how to make tofu would serve as the ultimate guide to churn out healthy, tasty tofu in a snap.

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