Table Side Homemade Soft Tofu Recipes

Steps:

• Prepare the rice according to the package directions. Peel and finely grate the ginger and put it into a small baking dish or medium bowl along with the soy sauce, garlic chili sauce and sesame oil. Whisk to combine.
• Place a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Cut the baked tofu into 1-inch-by-1/2-inch pieces and add to the marinade. Stir to combine and reserve. Fill a small measuring cup or bowl with cold water and keep by the stovetop.
• Add the canola oil to the hot pan and swirl to coat. Add the shiitake mushrooms and cook until tender and browned in spots, stirring frequently, about 2 minutes. Add the stir-fry vegetable mix and a large pinch of salt. Cook until crisp tender, 3 to 5 minutes (the cooking time will depend on the size of the vegetables in the mix). If at any time the pan seems too hot, stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons water. Add the marinated tofu to the vegetables along with 2 tablespoons water. Cook until the tofu is warmed through, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Transfer the stir-fry to a large platter. Scatter the cashews on top and serve alongside the rice.

Steps:

• Have ready liquid measuring cup that has ml numbers and a small metric dropper (I use a dropper for measuring liquid medication for this purpose).
• Soak dry beans in 6 cups water for at least 12 hours. Drain beans. You want to get approximately 400 grams of soaked beans. You may have leftover beans after measuring. Use extra beans for other use.
• Divide the 400 gram beans in half. Divide 800 ml water in half.
• Using a blender, blend the 200 gram beans with 400 ml water until very smooth, about 2-3 minutes. Put this in non-stick pot. Repeat with remaining 200 gram beans and 400 ml water.
• Let the mixture come to boil stirring frequently and as soon as it comes to boil, turn down the heat to simmer. Cook, stirring frequently for 2-3 minutes. Make sure it does not burn.
• Using a colander and a large bowl, line the colander with heavy duty cheesecloth, muslin, or cotton cloth large enough to completely cover the colander.
• Pour in the soy milk mixture and twist close the cheesecloth, muslin, or cotton cloth. Squeeze the milk out. I use a can to help squeeze the milk out.
• Use leftover solids or okara for other use.
• Measure the milk. You want to have 700 ml soy milk. If not enough, add some hot water through the okara again to get 700 ml soy milk.
• Put soy milk back into a large non-stick pot and heat until the mixture comes to 75 C to 80°C or 167 F to 176°F.
• At the table (if you are serving this at table side), have ready a container approximately 5-6 inches x 4-5 inches and 4-5 inches depth. Basically you can use any small container that will be big enough to hold the milk, but not too big that tofu will not form up. You can also use round, square or oblong containers.
• Put in 7 ml liquid nigari into the container ready for tofu. I use a liquid medicine dropper for this purpose since I do not have anything small enough to measure 7 ml.
• Pour or dump in hot soy milk into the container with nigari. No stirring is necessary. The act of pouring in soy milk stirs the nigari enough to form the tofu. Wait 3 to 5 minutes for tofu to form.
• You can either eat immediately or refrigerate for later use. See my description above.

Steps:

• Cut the tofu into cubes and put it on a heatproof plate.
• scatter the spring onion, chilli, corriander and soy sauce over the tofu.
• Put the oils into a small saucepan and heat until they are smoking.
• Then immediately pour the oils over the tofu.

Steps:

• Have ready traditional wooden mold for tofu (you can purchase these online) or approximately 6 in round colander, 2 pieces of at least 12 x 12" cotton cloth or heavy weight cheesecloth ready.
• Soak beans in 6 C water overnight for 12 hours. Drain beans and divide in two equal portions.
• Heat 7 1/2 C water in a large non-stick pot.
• Combine 2 1/2 teaspoon nigari with 1 C water and set aside.
• Combine one portion of beans in blender with 2 C warm water. Puree at high speed for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes until very smooth. Add this to the 7 1/2 C water boiling in non-stick pot, turn off heat, and cover with lid.
• Puree the remaining soybeans with 2 C warm water. Add this to the pot and increase the heat until it comes to full boil and turn off the heat.
• Place a colander or strainer over a large bowl or pot. I usually have two bowls going for this. Line this with cheese cloth or cotton straining bag, then pour the contents of the pot into straining bag or cheese cloth.
• Twist close the bag or cheese cloth. Using a glass jar, press sack against colander to extract as much soy milk as possible. Be careful not to get any okara or solids into the milk. Rinse out the non-stick pot again for use in heating soy milk.
• Open the bag or cheesecloth and remove the solids (okara). Store okara in refrigerator for other uses.
• Boil soy milk in a large non-stick pot over high heat, and turn down the heat to simmer as soon as it comes to full boil. Simmer 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Remove pot from burner. Using wooden spoon, stir soy milk back and forth vigorously 5 or 6 times, and while stirring, pour in 1/3 cup coagulant solution.
• Stir 5 or 6 times more, making sure to reach bottom and sides of pot. Do not overbeat. Overbeating will produce small curds. Small curds are ideal for firm style tofu, but not for regular or soft tofu. Stop and wait until liquid movement ceases, lift out spoon. Sprinkle another 1/3 C coagulant solution over surface of soy milk, cover pot, and wait 4-5 minutes while curds form slowly - from the bottom up.
• Uncover pot and, while very slowly stirring upper 1/2 inch layer of curdling soy milk, sprinkle the remaining coagulant solution a little at a time over milky areas. Cover pot and wait 4-5 minutes. Large delicate curds should now be floating like white clouds in pale yellow whey.
• Drape clean cheesecloth over wooden tofu mold or if using a small round colander, drape cheesecloth over the colander. Gently ladle all the curds using mesh spoon into the wooden tofu mold or colander.
• Fold edges of cloth or cheesecloth neatly over curds, place wooden lid or plate if using only cheesecloth over colander, and let the liquid drain out for 2-3 minutes.
• Fill a large basin with cold water. Remove the lid, and submerge tofu-filled container or cheesecloth in water. Gently unwrap tofu under water, and leave in water for 3 to 5 minutes, until it firms up a bit.
• To enjoy the flavor, serve immediately. Tofu to be served later in the day should be refrigerated on a plate covered with plastic wrap. For a storage up to 5 to 7 days, refrigerate tofu immersed in water and change the water daily.

Steps:

• Soak the dry beans in water for at least 12 hours. Drain the beans. You want to end up with 14 ounces of soaked beans.
• Place a colander inside a larger bowl. Line the colander with a few layers of cheesecloth or a cotton towel. Use a blender to blend the beans with 14 fluid ounces of water. Pour into a nonstick saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir frequently. As soon as it comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low; simmer and stir for about 3 minutes.
• Pour the soybean mixture into the lined colander. Gather the edges and twist the solids in a ball to wring out all of the liquid. I use a can to help press out all of the soy milk. You will need 3 cups of the soy milk, (24 fluid ounces). If you don't have enough, pour some more hot water over the soybean solids (okara) until you have enough.
• Pour the soymilk into a saucepan. Heat to 170 to 175 degrees F (75 to 80 degrees C).
• At the table, have a container ready that is about 4 inches deep and 4 to 6 inches across to make the tofu in. You can use any container that is big enough to hold the milk, but if it is too big, it will be more difficult to form the tofu.
• Measure the nigari into the container at the table first. Pour the hot soy milk into the container. No stirring is necessary as the act of pouring the liquid in stirs it enough to form the tofu. Wait for 3 to 5 minutes for the tofu to form. You can serve immediately, or refrigerate for later use.

Steps:

• Bring soymilk to a boil in a pot on the stove. Turn off the heat and let cool to between 180 - 200 degrees F.
• Dissolve 1 teaspoon of nigari into 1 cup of warm water.
• Slowly pour 1/2 cup of nigari solution into the pot of soymilk and lightly stir. Wait 2 - 3 minutes and add more of the nigari solution until the soybean curd separates from the liquid.
• Strain the water from the curd and press into a mold to drain. The more you press the liquid out of the tofu the firmer it becomes. Be sure to press the desired amount of moisture out of the bean curd before it cools.
• Use immediately or store in water in a covered container in the refrigerator.