Thanks to our amazing customer Lloyd, you can follow these simple instructions and have a try.
It's not tough to do, it's just quite procedural, we think you might enjoy it :)
INGREDIENTS
275g Soy Beans (these currently cost £1.65 in The Replenishery)
The juice from a lemon
Water
TOOLS
Saucepan
Blender
Nut Sack, sieve or muslin cloth
Thermometer (optional, but a good idea)
Mould or Square Dish
METHOD
Step 1.
Measure out of 275g of dry beans and put them in a bowl or jug and cover them with water
Step 2.
Soak the beans overnight or for at least 6 hours and you will then see that they have expanded 2-3 times their original size.
Step 3.
Drain the beans and give them a quick wazz in the blender, literally just 15 seconds so they are broken up a little.
Step 4.
(It is wise to do the next few steps in 2 or 3 batches)
Add 1.5l of water and then give them a thorough blending until the mixture is smooth and creamy
Step 5.
Strain out the pulp to leave the milk, this can be done through a fine sieve, some muslin cloth or one of the nut sacks that you buy in The Replenishery.
The pulp that is left over is called Okara and can be used in various dishes - give it a google :)
Step 6.
Bring the soy milk to a boil. Watch carefully since it overflows easily. Skin off the bubbles on the surface. Stir from time to time in the heating to avoid sticky bottom(recommend at least 15 minutes. Remove from heat and rest for 2 to 3 minutes until the temperature drops around 80 degree C to 90 degree C.
Step 7.
Add the lemon juice (this is called a coagulant and it makes the milk separate into curds and whey. There are other coagulants you can use, such as gypsum or nigari, but lemon juice is probably the easiest to get hold of.
Step 8.
Using a slotted spoon add the curds to your mould.
Step 9.
This is an interesting bit, we need to press the tofu, so some experimentation / improvisation may be required. This picture shows the weight of a pestle and mortar being used.
Step 10.
After approx. 20 minutes we have the finished tofu, which actually (in this case) weighs 406g
Step 11.
Cook as normal, here it is spotted in tofu's natural habitat - a stir-fry
You can eat the tofu immediately. Alternatively add the tofu to an airtight container and submerge it in water where it will last for up to 5 days in the fridge (changing the water daily).