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Tofu Or Soybean Curd

Name: Tofu Or Soybean Curd
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 1 servings
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 1 Soy Milk; 1 cup water; 1 ½ teaspoons nigari, Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate), or gypsum (calcium sulfate); (¼ cup water); (½ teaspoon additional nigari, Epsom salt, or gypsum)

Cuisine:Japanese

Course:Other

10m prep 30m cook 1h 0m ready

One 1 ¼-pound block Our favored coagulant to use for making tofu is nigari, the residue left when the sodium is extracted from seawater and evaporated (it contains magnesium chloride, magnesium sulfate, and other trace elements). Nigari is readily available from online retailers in liquid and crystal form. Molds specifically designed for making tofu can also be found online. To improvise a mold, have ready two 1-quart capacity food-safe plastic containers of the type that nest. Perforate the bottom and lower portion of one container with holes about ¼ inch in diameter as though on a 1-inch grid. The other container may be partly filled with water to act as a weight (half full, it will weigh 1 pound).

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1 Soy Milk (opens in new tab) Soy Milk
- 8 ounces dried soybeans (about 1 ¼ cups)
- 3 cups water
- 6 cups hot water
- ¾ cup warm water
Sub-recipe steps
1. Place in a medium bowl: 8 ounces dried soybeans (about 1 ¼ cups)
2. Add enough water to cover the beans by 3 inches and soak for 12 hours.
3. Drain the beans and puree in a blender until completely smooth with: 3 cups water
4. Pour into a large pot, being sure to scrape any bean mixture out of the bottom of the blender. Add: 6 cups hot water
5. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring gently with a wooden spoon to avoid scorching. When foam rises, remove the pot from the heat. Have ready a large colander lined with a nut milk bag or a generous square of thin cotton muslin. Set the lined colander over a large bowl and pour the soy mixture in gradually. Tighten the cloth or bag around the pulp—the okara—and press out as much milk as possible with the back of the spoon. When cool enough to handle, wring it out with your hands to extract all the liquid. Open the cloth, spread the pulp out in the cloth, and sprinkle over it: ¾ cup warm water
6. Press and wring out the pulp one more time and set aside or discard (you may add the nutritious pulp to baked goods or veggie burgers). Clean out the large pot, pour the milk back into it, and bring to a simmer, stirring to prevent sticking. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for an additional 10 minutes (this will destroy the antinutrient trypsin). If you plan to make tofu, proceed as directed below. If not, cool the milk and refrigerate before serving.
1 cup water
1 ½ teaspoons nigari, Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate), or gypsum (calcium sulfate)
(¼ cup water)
(½ teaspoon additional nigari, Epsom salt, or gypsum)

Let's Prepare

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Gather these ingredients - no prep needed yet.

1 Soy Milk
1 cup water
1 ½ teaspoons nigari, Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate), or gypsum (calcium sulfate)
(¼ cup water)
(½ teaspoon additional nigari, Epsom salt, or gypsum)

Let's Cook

Step 1.

Prepare: Soy Milk
Step 2.

When the milk has finished simmering, remove from the heat and let cool for 5 minutes. To make a coagulant, mix together in a small bowl until dissolved: 1 cup water; 1 ½ teaspoons nigari, Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate), or gypsum (calcium sulfate)
Step 3.

(If using gypsum, you will need to restir the mixture right before each addition to the soy milk.) Gently stir one-third of the coagulant solution into the hot soy milk. Sprinkle another one-third of the coagulant over the surface of the milk, cover the pot, and let it sit for 3 minutes. Sprinkle the remaining solution over the milk and gently stir the surface. Cover for 3 minutes if using nigari, or 6 minutes if using Epsom salts or gypsum. If curds do not form during this period, mix together in a small bowl: (¼ cup water); (½ teaspoon additional nigari, Epsom salt, or gypsum)
Step 4.

Stir this into the soy milk and let sit for an additional 5 minutes. Line the tofu mold (the container with the holes) with a generous square of moist, thin muslin cloth and place the container in the sink. Gradually ladle the soy curd mixture into the mold and fold the ends of the cloth over the top. Place the top of the mold over the curd and place a 1-pound weight over it for medium-firm tofu, or a 3-pound weight for firm tofu. Let the curds compress for 20 minutes or until the whey is no longer expressed. Very gently unwrap the curd. Tofu is highly perishable; store it refrigerated in water for only a few days.
Step 5.

To cook tofu, see About Tofu, Tempeh, and Other Plant-Based Proteins.

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