I know there are tofu hating vegans and vegetarians out there who might be scratching your head wondering why I'm sharing a tofu recipe with you today. Well, you see, this Burmese Chickpea Tofu recipe I'm about to share isn't really tofu. Tofu is made from bean curd, however, Burmese tofu is made from beautiful nutty chickpea flour. Also called chickpea tofu or shan tofu, it is more similar to polenta than tofu, as I'll explain. As a lover of chickpeas and chickpea flour I couldn't wait to give chickpea tofu a try. If you've made polenta before, then the process is not too dissimilar. Chickpea flour is whisked together with water and salt and added to a saucepan of boiling water and whisked until thick and glossy. Then it is poured into a pan to set. The tofu sets in about an hour and is soft and pillowy, with that slightly nutty chickpea flavor that we love. The wonderful thing about this chickpea tofu recipe, apart from the fact that it's a wonderful soy free alternative to tofu, is that it is also budget friendly too. Chickpea flour is relatively cheap especially if you are able to source it from an Indian grocer. (Or you can grab this one on Amazon!) It is also extremely versatile too. Add it to salads, stir fries, soups. This soba mis soup is a great way to use chickpea tofu! Anywhere you'd normally use tofu, you can use chickpea tofu instead. I'm a little addicted to it at the moment, I've made 3 batches in the last 4 days, and have been having fun experimenting with it in the kitchen.
So tell me, have you ever tried chickpea tofu?
Chickpea Flour Tofu Quick Method
Ingredients
1 cup (100 g) chickpea flour
2-2½ cups (600 ml) of water (divided)
½-¾ tsp salt (optional)
⅛-¼ tsp turmeric (optional)
Instructions
In a bowl, mix the chickpea flour and 1 cup (240 ml) of water with a whisk. Use just ½ cup (120 ml) water for firmer tofu.
In a saucepan, bring 1½ cups (360 ml) of water to a boil. As soon as it boils, slowly pour the chickpea mixture into the water while stirring constantly.
Let simmer on low heat for at least 5-6 minutes, and make sure to keep whisking frequently. Pour the mixture into a 6x6-inch mold (or several smaller molds) and let it firm up.
Optionally, place the mold(s) into your refrigerator, to firm up even more (the longer it sits, the firmer it gets). Once the chickpea tofu is firmed up, you can unmold it and use it as you would use regular tofu. Enjoy!
Dried Chickpeas Method (Silken Tofu)
Ingredients
1 cup (200 g) dried chickpeas (raw)
2 cups (480 ml) water
Instructions
Add the dried chickpeas to a large bowl and add plenty of water until they are covered with at least 2 inches (5 cm) of water. Soak them overnight (or up to 1 day), then drain the water through a strainer and give the chickpeas a quick rinse.
Grease a mold (e.g. a 6x6-inch glass pan) or several ramekins with a little oil and set aside.
Transfer the chickpeas into a blender and add 2 cups of fresh water. Blend for about 20-30 seconds, then strain the mixture into a large bowl through a nut-milk bag and try to squeeze out as much liquid as possible. If you have some leftovers in the blender jug, then add 1-2 tablespoons of water and use a silicone spatula to get it all out.
Add the strained liquid into a medium saucepan and bring it to a boil, stirring constantly with a whisk until it starts simmering. It's important to stir a lot because the starch of the chickpeas will float to the bottom of the pan and begin to clump, if you don't stir constantly.
Once the mixture starts simmering, turn the heat to low and keep simmering for about 20 minutes, stirring often. The consistency will be like thick pudding. The longer you let it simmer, the firmer the silken tofu will be, as more water will evaporate.
Pour the cooked mixture into the prepared mold(s) and smooth the top with a spatula. Let it cool at room temperature for a few hours to set
Optionally, place the mold(s) into your refrigerator, to firm up even more (the longer it sits, the firmer it gets). Once the chickpea tofu is firmed up, you can unmold it and use it as you would use silken tofu. Enjoy!
*NOTES
If you are planning to make savory tofu, then I recommend adding 1/2-3/4 tsp of salt (or use veggie broth instead of water) and 1/8-1/4 teaspoon of turmeric powder. In my vegan quiche recipe, I also added onion powder, nutritional yeast, smoked paprika, and black pepper.
For firmer tofu: use less water (e.g. just 2 cups in total) for the chickpea flour version, if you want the tofu to firm up more (perfect for pan-frying) add 1 tsp of agar powder to the mixture.
You can even use the dried chickpea method to make homemade silken tofu and use it for my vegan cheesecake recipes!
The total time doesn't include chill time.
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