How do you make Tofu at home - The Vegan Superfood

Tofu these days is known for being only vegan food by most mainstream people. Make no doubt that it is an excellent food option for every vegan out there.

Tofu is one of the most versatile foods out there. You can make it sweet or spicy, you can fry your Tofu or make it so soft that it melts in your mouth. Tofu is basically that magical food with which you can do anything.

In every way, you'll come out with something delicious. And the extra bonus about Tofu? It's among the most healthy foods you can eat Today! 

Try these tofu recipes for dinner

• Kung Pao Tofu
• Instant Pot Black Bean Quinoa Burrito Bowl with Tofu
• Crispy Tofu Fajita Tacos {VEGAN}
• Vegan Crispy Tofu with Toasted Cashews and Blistered Peas
• "Cheesy" Tofu Scramble
• Orange Tofu (in Air Fryer)
• Healthy Quinoa Fried "Rice" with Crispy Tofu - Vegan | Low Carb Dinner Recipe
• Tofu Tikka Masala
• Honey Mustard Tofu Stir-Fry Recipe
• Vegan Tofu Teriyaki Stir-Fry
• Crispy Honey Garlic Tofu Topped With Toasted Sesame Seeds
• Chinese Broccoli Tofu Stir Fry
• Grilled Tofu Kabobs
• Vegan Kebabs with Homemade Peri Peri Sauce

Jump to:

• What is Tofu? 
• The Origin of Tofu in China
• How do you make Tofu? 
• Health benefits of Tofu 
• How do you make Tofu at home - The Vegan Superfood

What is Tofu? 

Tofu is made out of Soybeans. Precisely, it is made using condensed Soy Milk that is pressed together to form solid blocks, which is pretty similar to how cheese is made.

The Origin of Tofu in China

This whole process of making Tofu out of soybean milk was found in China over two thousand years ago. Legends from China have it that a Royal Chef accidentally invented Tofu when a batch of fresh Soy milk ended up getting mixed with Nigari.

What is Nigari?

It is a salt solution made from Seawater or Brine and was used as a coagulant to form Tofu. It's still used today but more neutral-tasting coagulants are available that will not influence your Tofu's flavor profile. 

These days Soybeans mostly come in the GMO variety, which means they are genetically modified.

Although no research has yet certified that this kind of modified Soybeans is bad for you, we still encourage you to get the natural and organic variety of Soybean products, which are available in the market easily just for a little bit of extra price! 

How do you make Tofu? 

Unlike what many people believe, making Tofu at home is completely possible! It is actually pretty easy to make as well once you understand the basics that go into making Tofu...!

And if you are already familiar with the process of cheese making then you already have this in the bag! 

First, let's go over the ingredients you'll need to make traditional Tofu

It requires just two ingredients and one coagulant.

You cannot skip out on coagulant as that's what gets your soybean milk to the curdling step, which turns soy milk from liquid to solid-state.

• Dry soybeans (We suggest the non-GMO variety) 
• Water 
• Gypsum (This is the traditional coagulant used) 

In addition to the above ingredients, you'll also need tools that will help you make Tofu.

Don't worry, we'll make sure that the tools we give are ones that are easily available at your home since we understand not everyone can buy cheesecloth or Tofu mold owing to their expensive price.

The most basic tools that you need are

(1) muslin cloth

(2) any bowl or tray that's square in shape

(3) another tray to catch all the liquid

(4) a skimming spoon

(5) a sieve.

Alright, now that we have all the ingredients and tools assembled, it's time to get started on making tofu.

So wear your apron and get ready to make some fresh homemade tofu!

STEP 1. Soak your soybeans in water for six hours. You can just leave them soaking in water overnight for time-efficient purposes. In this time duration, the soybeans will soften up and puff up to 2-3 times in size. 

STEP 2. To make Tofu you need to first make soymilk.

• Grind the soaked soybeans in a high-speed blender to squash the softened soybeans and get the milk out.
• Add water in between to make sure the blending process is smooth and you get a creamy and smooth soybean pulp. 
• Now you need to use a sieve to separate the pulp from the white soy liquid to get filtered soymilk.

• After you have got your fresh soy milk in hand you need to heat it over medium flame. Make sure you stir the soymilk in between to avoid getting bubbles.

• In addition to this you'll also need to remove any foam that forms on the surface of the soymilk (This is called tofu skin btw and is considered delicious to eat. You can keep it for future use or throw it away).

For that, you need to

• While your soy milk is heating up, take some gypsum and mix it in water thoroughly. Now wait for your soy milk to boil over. As soon as it starts to boil just add your gypsum mix and stir it into the soy milk.
• You can now take your soy milk off the heat and set it aside for the curdling process to start. 

STEP 3: Now it's time to prepare the square mold (bowl or tray)

• You'll be using to shape your tofu. Take the muslin cloth and place it over your mold.
• Make sure that your mold is placed inside another tray to catch any liquid that might spill. 

STEP 4: SKIM

• Take your skimming spoon and with its help start scooping up the curdled tofu into the muslin-covered mold. (You could also use a Ladle)
• Don't fill it to the brim as you'll need to press it later.
• With your mold decently filled with curdled tofu, it's now time to wrap it up with the muslin cloth and press it down so that the excess liquid is flushed away.

For extra measure place a heavy object on the wrapped curdled Tofu so that it takes shape and oozes out all the moisture.

Leave it like this for twenty minutes in a dry space and your Tofu will be ready in a perfect square shape!

Make sure you store fresh Tofu in an air-tight container to preserve it for a longer duration! 

Health benefits of Tofu 

Tofu is a plant-based protein, which already makes it so healthy on its own. It is low calorie and low fat, which makes it an ideal protein option for both health-conscious people and vegans. 

Tofu comes with a rich nutrition profile, and unlike what most people think, it contains far more than just proteins. With one serving of tofu you'll get nutrients like: 

○ Proteins 

○ Carbohydrates (the healthy ones!) 

○ Fiber 

○ Fat (healthy ones again!) 

○ Manganese

○ Calcium 

○ Selenium 

○ Phosphorus 

○ Iron 

3. Soybeans come with a healthy plant compound called isoflavones. Past research has shown that they come with added health benefits, one of them being producing estrogen-like effects in the human body!

They also reduce the risk of heart diseases! 

4. There is a substantial amount of research on the relation between soybeans and cancer. It has been observed that soybeans are particularly effective in preventing the development of cancerous cells in the human body, especially cancers like breast cancer and cancer of the digestive system. 

5. Tofu comes with low calories and sugars, and also with compounds that can regulate blood sugar in humans. This is particularly beneficial for diabetic patients who struggle with ingesting sugar.

In fact, studies have shown that diabetic patients who take soybean products like tofu regularly can greatly reduce their insulin take just after a few months! 

6. If you are struggling with reducing your weight then we are sure you must have been advised to replace animal products with tofu in your diet.

And that is very sound advice because tofu is ridiculously low in calories! While one serving of meat comes with a ton of calories, sugars, and fats, you'll get none of that with tofu as one serving of tofu equals just seventy calories! 

Tofu is one of those rare healthy foods that are both healthy and delicious. It's also fun to cook tofu since it's so versatile and soaks up any flavor you add to it! You can add tofu in fried rice, in your stir fry noodles, and even in your soups! There's just no end of surprises with tofu.

And you'll get even better results if you make your own tofu! So what are you waiting for? Go and make your own tofu and show it off to all your friends!