=-- - __, .. TOFU The tofu is a variety of high-protein veggie meat. It can be prepared with various legumes: chickpeas, lentils, beans and soy.etc. Shan tofu or burmese tofu is prepared by boiling concentrated milk from chickpeas, lentils or beans. The milk thickens a lot, so it can be put in molds and give it the desired form. Turmeric, salt and other seasonings are usually added to obtain more attractive flavors. The end result is a solid high-protein vegetal meat, with delicate and pleasant flavors. However, to make traditional soy tofu, the milk must be fermented. When the milk has curdled, it's pressed to firm it up and give it a solid texture. This process is a little more complex than chickpea tofu's making.
METHOD 1: BURMESE TOFU
Burmese tofu or chickpea tofu can be prepared either with chickpea flour or with whole chickpeas. We make it using chickpeas because it's the most accessible and economical version for everyone.
Ingredients: 200 g chickpeas (soaked overnight or at least 8 hours) 450 ml water 1 tablespoon salt ½ teaspoon turmeric (optional)
104 Tofu's preparation: How to make concentrated chickpea milk: With the Vegan Milker® we can easily make plant-based milk even though you can use any other system to make plant milks at home.
1. Put 450 ml of natural water in the Vegan Milker container and add a part of the soaked chickpeas into the filter. Pay attention that they are must be covered by water to be crushed easily. It's better to use the turbo or higher power setting of the hand blender. 2. Add the rest of the chickpeas little by little. 3. If there is too much pulp, strain the pulp using the mortar. Remove part or all of the pulp and make room for the rest of the chickpeas. Blend again and finish the cooking by pressing the pulp with the mortar until the milk is well filtered.
Making chickpea tofu:
1. Place the chickpea milk in a saucepan and heat over low heat. 2. To better mix the protein it's very important to stir the milk constantly with a wooden spoon or a pastry stick,. 3. In about 5 minutes, the milk will thicken and become a dense mass that sticks to the wooden spoon. 4. When it becomes difficult to stir because of the thickness of the dough, transfer it to a mold and let it cool. 5. Store in the fridge at most for 1 week.
105 METHOD 2: SOY TOFU Ingredients: 150 g white soybeans (soaked overnight or at least 8 hours) 300 ml of water 1 lemon juice Preparation of soy tofu 1. First make the concentrated soy milk. Follow the same steps as above in method 1 for making concentrated chickpea milk. 2. Heat the soy milk until it boils, removing the foam. 3. Turn off the heat and let it stand until it falls to 80ºC. Remove the foam if any. 4. Add the lemon juice and stir to mix well. 5. over the milk with a cloth and let it curdle for 30-40 minutes. 6. Transfer the curd to a tofu press and leave for 1 to 3 hours until all the whey is drained off and the meat is well pressed. 7. Store in the fridge with a little whey for better preservation.
Tips and alternatives
Chickpea tofu o burmese tofu may be used in different dishes and it can be cooked in many ways: pan-fried or grilled, baked, sautéed, battered, etc. The remaining pulp can be used to prepare a new 2nd extraction plant milk:
VIDEO-RECIPE: https://youtu.be/ycXxYDsVb-g The legumes' pulp can also be added to a stew or used as a dough for veggie burgers, thus taking advantage 106 of all the nutrients it provides us with.
