Homemade Silky Tofu For Taho (2024)

FAQs

What is the best coagulant for taho? ›

GDL coagulant makes the softest smoothest silken tofu pudding taho. For firm tofu, use magnesium chloride (nigari) or calcium sulfate (food grade gypsum). These coagulants won't make tofu that is smooth and soft as the ones made with GDL. In a tall 4 cup plastic container mix GDL, cornstarch, and water; set aside.

Both silken and regular tofu can be found in soft, medium, firm, and extra-firm consistencies. They are made with the same ingredients, but they are processed slightly differently and are not interchangeable in a recipe.

Soft and silken tofu are ready to go right out of the package (though, technically, any tofu can be eaten raw). Drain off the excess water, and eat up! Draining/Blotting: For block tofu, I like to slit the package and drain out the packing water.

You can use acids such as vinegar and lemon juice as a tofu coagulant, but the resulting tofu is gritty and sour.

Traditional tofu-making coagulants include gypsum and nigari. But you can also make tofu with grocery store ingredients like lemon juice, vinegar and Epsom salts. What is this? Gypsum – aka calcium sulfate, a tasteless naturally occurring mineral salt traditionally used in tofu-making, especially Chinese tofu.

Tofu can be made into a creamy consistency by blending it in a food processor or blender until smooth. Adding ingredients such as nut butter, oil, or non-dairy milk can also help to achieve a creamy texture. Additionally, silken tofu typically has a creamier texture compared to firm or extra firm tofu.

Soft tofu: Soft tofu is the Chinese-style equivalent of silken tofu. It is slightly less smooth but can be used in the same way as silken tofu. Medium tofu: This tofu is denser than silken and soft but still fairly delicate. It can work well in gently simmered miso soup and served cold like hiya yakko.

To Keep It Together, Think Dry and Firm

One of the most important steps in preparing tofu is drying out or firming up its exterior in some way to help it hold together. For pan-frying, draining it and then drying and pressing the exterior with paper towels works well.

For example, Japanese-style silken tofu and Chinese-style soft tofu are not pressed. Firm and extra-firm tofu, which is typically sliced or cubed, should be pressed. Here are all of the benefits of pressing. Texture: Tofu for stir-fries and grilled dishes will be firmer, drier and have better texture when pressed.

The purpose of both boiling and pressing tofu is to reduce moisture. The former process is grounded in both reason and preservation of the tender quality of bean curd, while Western cooking educators are hellbent on the view that tofu is unmanageable without the firmest, chewiest possible texture.

How do you get the liquid out of silken tofu? ›

Wrap the block of tofu in a clean tea towel then put it on a large plate with a lip. Put something heavy such as a frying pan on top, weight it down further with cans and jars, and leave for 30 mins. The tofu will be about two-thirds its original thickness, and up to 100ml water will have been removed.

While tofu comes in a variety of textures — silken, firm, and extra firm — technically any of them can be eaten raw. Before enjoying raw tofu, drain off any excess liquid from the packaging. It's also important to store tofu properly to prevent germs from growing on any unused portions.

"For the vast majority of people, it should be reasonable to incorporate tofu in their daily diet without any issues," Sun said. He and his family eat "probably three servings per week," Sun said. He likes using soft tofu in soups and firm tofu – frozen and cut up – in a traditional Chinese hot pot.

Carefully lower the block of tofu into a pot of gently boiling water — you need just enough to cover the tofu by an inch or so. Reduce the heat to low and poach the tofu for at least 5 minutes (although you can allow it to sit in the hot water to keep it warm until ready to serve).

In summary, ferric sulfate outperformed aluminum-based coagulants in acidic conditions (pH < 6) while aluminum chlorohydrate (basicity of 83 %) was repeatedly noted to be the best coagulant in more alkaline conditions (pH > 7).

The coagulation of soymilk is the most important step in the tofu-making process¹⁰. Traditionally, calcium chloride is used as the coagulant in the industrial preparation of tofu. Coagulation occurs due to the cross-linking of protein molecules in the soymilk with the calcium chloride during incubation.

Moringa oleifera is the best natural coagulant that can replace Aluminium sulphate (alum) which is widely used all around the world (Eman et al., 2009) The coagulants which are derived from natural sources are potential alternatives to inorganic coagulants.

The most common coagulants used are nigari (magnesium chloride) or gypsum (calcium sulfate). You can also use vinegar, lemon juice, or fermented whey. Nigari and gypsum are the best coagulants for making tofu. They can be purchased online or at a local health food store.