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Preparation
45 minutes
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Cooking
30 minutes
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Difficulty
Medium
Tofu is a very familiar ingredient in the vegetarian dishes. There’s nothing better than making tofu by ourselves for the family’s meals. So, right now, let’s head into the kitchen with TasteVN to learn how to make tofu using sour water.
Ingredients for making Tofu with sour water For 5 servings
Soybeans 700 gr Sour water 700 ml Water 7 liters Lemons 2 pieces Salt 2 teaspoons Cooking oil A little
Tips for buying delicious soybeans
- Good soybean seeds have an off-white color and are uniformly colored, with similar sizes, especially the seed coat should have no cracks, and the seeds should be plump. They have a light fragrant smell.
- You can squeeze the seeds with your hand; good soybeans feel firm when squeezed.
- Ideally, you should use freshly harvested soybeans or those harvested within 3-4 months, as they contain a lot of protein. Freshly harvested or 3-4 month old soybeans will show no signs of sprouting or mold.
What is sour water? What is it made from? How to store sour water:
- Sour water helps to make tofu that is chewy, smooth, and visually appealing.
- Sour water is fermented from the liquid of old tofu batches. During the tofu-making process, before pressing the soybeans, the non-coagulated water is scooped out, then allowed to settle, filtered to remove sediment, and then fermented.
- How to store sour water: Sour water can be stored in jars, but the jars must be sterilized. Then store it in the refrigerator. When needed, take it out from the refrigerator and warm it up.
Tools needed
Blender, pot, non-stick pan, grinder, basin, tofu mold,…
How to Make Tofu with Sour Water
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Grinding Soybeans
Soybeans after harvest should have the damaged seeds removed and be washed clean. Then soak them in cold water for 8 – 10 hours.
Divide the beans into 7 equal parts (each part 100gr). Place 1 part of the beans and 500ml of water into a blender, blending at speed 1 for about 5 minutes, then blend at speed 2 for 40 seconds.
You can grind the beans with a grain grinder first, then blend them to make the beans finer.
See more: Why soak beans and grains before cooking
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Filtering Soy Milk
Proceed to filter each portion of the ground beans. Pour the blended mixture into a filter bag, then gently squeeze the filter bag to extract the soy milk.
After the first filtering, if the soy milk is still thick, continue to blend a second time with 500ml of water. Usually, it requires filtering twice to extract all the bean essence.
After 2 filterings, you will obtain 1 liter of soy milk. With 700gr of beans, you will get 7 liters of soy milk.
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Prepare the sour water
Mix 700ml of sour water with 20ml of lemon juice and 2 teaspoons of salt, stirring the mixture well. Then, warm the mixture.
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Cook the soy milk
After obtaining the soy milk, pour it into a pot to cook. Initially, cook on high heat, and after 10 minutes, reduce the heat and stir continuously until the soy milk boils.
When the soy milk reaches around 80 degrees, slowly add 1/3 of the prepared sour water around the pot’s edge, stir well, and cover for 3 minutes.
After 3 minutes, continue to add another 1/3 of the sour water, stir gently 1 – 2 circles, and cover for another 3 minutes. Finally, pour in the remaining sour water and repeat the previous two steps to ensure the soy milk coagulates completely. Then turn off the heat.
Tip:- Sour water must be added gradually in stages. If added all at once, the tofu will be too firm.
- If the prepared sour water is insufficient to fully coagulate the soy milk, additional hot water with lemon or warm water with lemon can be mixed. Absolutely do not use cold water.
- From the moment the sour water is added until the soy milk is fully coagulated, the temperature of the soy milk must be maintained at 80 – 90 degrees.
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Pressing tofu
After the soy milk has fully curdled, proceed to press the tofu.
Remove the sour water from the pot of soy milk. This water is often fermented to make sour water.
Take a thin cloth to place on the tofu mold, then pour the curdled soy into the mold. Use a spoon to press and spread the tofu evenly across the mold. Pull the remaining cloth to wrap the tofu tightly. Place a piece of wood to gently press down on the tofu to expel excess water.
Put a weight on top of the tofu to allow the water to drain out completely and the tofu to form a block. After 10 – 15 minutes, check the tofu once, pressing until you find the firmness to your liking.
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Frying tofu
As soon as the tofu is firm, cut it into bite-sized pieces. Heat a non-stick pan on the stove and add oil until hot. Then add each piece of tofu, frying on low heat until all sides are golden brown.
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Final Product
The tofu has a beautiful white color, is both smooth and has a moderate softness. The tofu is made entirely from natural ingredients, without added chemicals, so it is very safe. After frying, the tofu has an even golden color, while still retaining its softness inside.
Tips for successful execution:
- To achieve smooth tofu, you should divide the beans into smaller portions. The beans must be finely ground.
- Each portion of beans should be combined with exactly 1 liter of bean water. After obtaining 7 liters of bean water, you should filter the collected bean water one more time for smoother tofu.
- You must press the beans immediately after turning off the heat. If left in the pot for too long, the sour water will seep into the beans, causing them to become sour.
- During the pressing process, you must act quickly to maintain the temperature of the beans at 80 degrees.
- The weight of the object you use to press the beans will determine the softness of the tofu. If you want soft tofu, do not use an excessively heavy object.
How to store tofu:
- For un-fried tofu, briefly boil the tofu.
- After boiling, place the tofu in a food container. Then pour cold water to cover the surface of the tofu, adding 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
- Finally, store it in the refrigerator’s cool compartment. To maintain freshness, you need to change the water in the container once a day. With this method, you can preserve tofu for up to a week.
The above is how to make tofu using sour water that is simple and easy to do. You can make it at home to have delicious and safe dishes for your family meal. Wish you success in your preparation!
