Homemade Tofu (Zìzhì Dòufǔ / 自製豆腐)
By José MaldonadoPublished on October 9, 2023
Time
1¼ hours, plus 13 hours soaking and resting
Yield
14 ounces
Ingredients
Before You Begin
While truly fresh tofu is hard to come by, tofu is no more difficult to make than yogurt. We do it in a few relatively easy steps: making soy milk from soy beans, curdling the hot soy milk with the mineral salt nigari, and then pressing the resulting curds. Liquid nigari can be found online and at Asian supermarkets. It’s important to bring the strained soy milk in step 4 to at least 165 degrees before adding the nigari, because otherwise the tofu might not coagulate properly. We developed this recipe using a 5½ by 4‑inch tofu mold and press kit; other mold sizes and styles may affect the pressing time in step 7. This recipe is from A Very Chinese Cookbook: 100 Recipes from China and Not China (But Still Really Chinese).
Instructions
- Place soybeans in large bowl or container and add enough water to cover by 2 inches. Soak soybeans at room temperature for at least 12 hours or up to 18 hours. Drain and rinse well.
- Working in batches, process one-third of soaked soybeans and 3 cups water in blender until mostly smooth, about 3 minutes; transfer mixture to large Dutch oven. Repeat processing twice more with remaining soybeans and 3 cups water for each batch.
- Set colander over large bowl and line with triple layer of cheesecloth. Bring soybean mixture to simmer over medium-high heat, stirring frequently with rubber spatula to prevent scorching and boiling over, and cook until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.
- Slowly pour soybean mixture into prepared colander and let drain. Being careful of hot liquid, pull edges of cheesecloth together and twist to form pouch. Using tongs, firmly squeeze soybean pulp to extract as much liquid as possible. (You should have about 8 cups of soy milk; discard soybean pulp or reserve for another use.) Return soy milk to clean Dutch oven and heat to gentle simmer (165 to 175 degrees) over medium-high heat, stirring frequently to prevent scorching. Remove pot from heat.
- Combine ½ cup water and nigari in 1‑cup liquid measuring cup. While slowly stirring milk in figure-eight motion, add ¼ cup nigari mixture. Immediately stop stirring, cover, and let milk mixture sit undisturbed for 2 minutes. Drizzle remaining ¼ cup nigari mixture on surface of milk mixture and gently stir using figure-eight motion until combined, about 6 stirs. Cover and let sit undisturbed until curds form and whey is pooling on top and around sides of pot, about 20 minutes.
- Line tofu mold with triple layer of cheesecloth and place in colander set over large bowl. Using slotted spoon, gently transfer milk curds to prepared mold, retaining as much of curds’ natural structure as possible. Cover top of curds with excess cheesecloth and arrange mold press plate on top.
- Weight plate with heavy brick or large can and press tofu until desired firmness is reached, about 30 minutes for medium-firm and 40 minutes for firm. Gently transfer tofu to storage container and cover with water. Let sit until tofu is fully set, at least 10 minutes. (Tofu can be refrigerated for up to 1 week; change water daily.)
Time
1¼ hours, plus 13 hours soaking and restingYield
14 ouncesIngredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
Tofu is an important food in the diets of one-third of the world’s population. Made from cooking ground soybeans in liquid and pressing the curds into custardy blocks, tofu is supremely versatile. By itself it doesn’t taste like much, but it’s a true chameleon ingredient in that it takes on the flavor of its surroundings. It can be served hot, cold, or at room temperature, and it’s so adaptable it can be made into a silky-smooth dessert, a crispy fried appetizer, or the centerpiece entrée at a dinner party. So why make tofu at home? This is like asking why someone would want to make homemade chicken stock or bake sourdough bread. The answer is that it’s immensely satisfying to do so—a pleasure to watch the good work you put in pay off handsomely.
Before You Begin
While truly fresh tofu is hard to come by, tofu is no more difficult to make than yogurt. We do it in a few relatively easy steps: making soy milk from soy beans, curdling the hot soy milk with the mineral salt nigari, and then pressing the resulting curds. Liquid nigari can be found online and at Asian supermarkets. It’s important to bring the strained soy milk in step 4 to at least 165 degrees before adding the nigari, because otherwise the tofu might not coagulate properly. We developed this recipe using a 5½ by 4‑inch tofu mold and press kit; other mold sizes and styles may affect the pressing time in step 7. This recipe is from A Very Chinese Cookbook: 100 Recipes from China and Not China (But Still Really Chinese).
Instructions
- Place soybeans in large bowl or container and add enough water to cover by 2 inches. Soak soybeans at room temperature for at least 12 hours or up to 18 hours. Drain and rinse well.
- Working in batches, process one-third of soaked soybeans and 3 cups water in blender until mostly smooth, about 3 minutes; transfer mixture to large Dutch oven. Repeat processing twice more with remaining soybeans and 3 cups water for each batch.
- Set colander over large bowl and line with triple layer of cheesecloth. Bring soybean mixture to simmer over medium-high heat, stirring frequently with rubber spatula to prevent scorching and boiling over, and cook until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.
- Slowly pour soybean mixture into prepared colander and let drain. Being careful of hot liquid, pull edges of cheesecloth together and twist to form pouch. Using tongs, firmly squeeze soybean pulp to extract as much liquid as possible. (You should have about 8 cups of soy milk; discard soybean pulp or reserve for another use.) Return soy milk to clean Dutch oven and heat to gentle simmer (165 to 175 degrees) over medium-high heat, stirring frequently to prevent scorching. Remove pot from heat.
- Combine ½ cup water and nigari in 1‑cup liquid measuring cup. While slowly stirring milk in figure-eight motion, add ¼ cup nigari mixture. Immediately stop stirring, cover, and let milk mixture sit undisturbed for 2 minutes. Drizzle remaining ¼ cup nigari mixture on surface of milk mixture and gently stir using figure-eight motion until combined, about 6 stirs. Cover and let sit undisturbed until curds form and whey is pooling on top and around sides of pot, about 20 minutes.
- Line tofu mold with triple layer of cheesecloth and place in colander set over large bowl. Using slotted spoon, gently transfer milk curds to prepared mold, retaining as much of curds’ natural structure as possible. Cover top of curds with excess cheesecloth and arrange mold press plate on top.
- Weight plate with heavy brick or large can and press tofu until desired firmness is reached, about 30 minutes for medium-firm and 40 minutes for firm. Gently transfer tofu to storage container and cover with water. Let sit until tofu is fully set, at least 10 minutes. (Tofu can be refrigerated for up to 1 week; change water daily.)
Gift This Recipe
Enjoyed this dish? Let others know by sharing it as a gift recipe.
Key Equipment
More Like This
Keep Exploring
0 Comments