Homemade Firm Tofu
- 1 1/3 cups dried soy beans (8 ounces)
- 6 1/4 cups water, preferably filtered
- 1 teaspoon powdered nigari (see Note)
- In a large bowl, cover the soy beans with 3 inches of cold water.
- Cover and let stand overnight at room temperature.
- Drain the soy beans and transfer them to a blender.
- Add 3 cups of the filtered water and puree at high speed until as smooth as possible.
- Line a large sieve with a clean cotton napkin or 3 layers of cheesecloth and set the sieve over a heatproof bowl.
- In a large pot, bring 3 cups of the filtered water to a boil.
- Add the soy bean puree and bring just to a boil (be careful not to let it boil over).
- Boil over moderately high heat for exactly 8 minutes, stirring constantly with a heatproof rubber spatula to prevent sticking and scorching.
- Carefully pour the mixture into the prepared sieve.
- Let stand until just cool enough to handle, about 20 minutes.
- Gather the ends of the napkin or cheesecloth and squeeze to extract as much of the soy milk as possible; the remaining solids should be nearly dry.
- Discard the solids and skim off any foam from the soy milk.
- You should have about 4 cups of soy milk.
- In a small measuring cup, dissolve the nigari in the remaining 1/4 cup of filtered water.
- Spoon 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons of the nigari solution into a large heatproof glass bowl.
- In a clean large saucepan, heat the soy milk to 185.
- Gently pour the hot soy milk into the bowl with the nigari solution and quickly stir once or twice just to combine thoroughly; it's easy to scramble the rapidly coagulating tofu.
- Cover and let stand undisturbed until the silken tofu is fully set, about 5 minutes.
- Discard the remaining nigari solution.
- Set a cheesecloth-lined sieve, colander or other mold with drainage over a bowl, and spoon the silken tofu into it.
- Neatly fold the overhanging cheesecloth over the tofu and top with a small plate or other light weight to gently press out excess water.
- Let drain for at least 15 minutes or up to 2 hours, depending on the desired firmness.
- Unwrap and serve.
soy beans, water, powdered nigari
Taken from www.foodandwine.com/recipes/homemade-firm-tofu (may not work)