Make your own Tofu

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Sorry about the MM Format. I use " Now You're Cooking " and it will only

export into MM. It's easy to import MM recipes into MasterCook.

 

With the cost of Tofu climbing and climbing, it's nice that you can make

your own for much less. It is a long chore, but if money's tight, and time's

not, here's how to do it.

 

 

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Title: How To Make Tofu

Categories: vegetables

Yield: 1 servings

 

2 c daizu (soybeans)

1/2 ts nigari (coagulant)

 

Utensils:

1. A square box (a plastic tofu container with holes poked through the

bottom will do). Line the

container with a piece of gauze about four times the size of the box.

2. Wooden long-handled spoon.

3. Two-foot-square cotton cloth for straining the " milk " from the mash.

4. Blender

5. Large strainer

6. Large mixing bowl

7. Large cooking pot

 

a. Soak the soybeans in three times the amount of water overnight. The

beans should triple in size.

 

b. When soft, drain off the water through a strainer, and pulverize in a

blender on high speed for 3 to 4 minutes, until beans are completely

pulverized.

 

c. Add 8 ounces of this mixture to 4 quarts boiling water.

 

d. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 15 minutes, stirring constantly.

When it starts to boil up again, do not turn down the heat but add 2 or 3

drops of vegetable oil - this will keep it from boiling over. Continue to

cook another 7-10 minutes.

 

e. Place a wire mesh strainer lined with cotton cloth in another bowl and

pour slowly through the lined strainer. This separates the soybean milk from

the mash. Pick up the corners of the cloth and gather and twist tight. The

mixture is still hot, so using the long-handled spoon, force the remaining

liquid into the bowl by pressing repeatedly on the twisted cloth. Be

careful to keep a

tight hold on the ends of the cloth gathered in your hand as you twist and

push with the spoon. If you drop a corner, very hot liquid can spill on you

and the okara (soybean mash) will escape.

(The leftover mash is called " okara " . The soybean milk is called " tonyu "

and can be refrigerated and drunk for a few days if you wish). g. Place the

tonyu in a large cooking pot and keep at about 140 F over low heat. In a

separate bowl, mix 5 times the amount of water as the tonyu with a

two-finger pinch of nigari until dissolved. Slowly add 1/2 to the tonyu,

stirring constantly.

 

h. After 5 minutes, add the other half of the nigari and water slowly and

stir. Cover and reduce to lowest possible heat and let simmer for about 15

minutes as the mixture begins to coagulate.

 

i. After coagulation, scoop the coagulated tofu out with your wooden spoon

and evenly fill you lined container. Wrap the gauze over the top and let

the container sit for 5 minutes to allow extra liquid to drain.

 

j. Immerse the container in a large mixing bowl filled with cold water, turn

it over, gently pull off the container, and remove the gauze.

 

Making tofu can be an interesting challange, but be careful not to burn

yourself. The price of soybeans and nigari is negligible, but making tofu

does take time and is painstaking. This process has been done by hand for

centuries, beginning early each morning. Only someone who has made their own

tofu knows how delicious the rewards can be.

 

Source: The Folk Art of Japanese Country Cooking by Gaku Homma.

 

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