Handmade tofu with coconut vegetable

April 06, 2020

For this recipe you can choose two ways: the easy one, or the slightly more complex one.

For the easy way, you can get ready tofu, I personally use this.
And, instead of making coconut milk at home, you can sprinkle the vegetables directly with a little coconut rapè (1 spoonful per person). This will give your dish a very similar flavor, but it will change the texture, which will be a little more grainy.
If instead you have time (and who has no time, now?!?) And want to try your hand at a slightly more complex preparation, I will guide you step by step in the main operations to do :)

To make tofu I use the recipe I learned at Joya Academy, from chef Leeman, that I suggest you if you want to improve in plant-based cookery.

Ingredients


1.2 kg of yellow soy beans (the weight indicates the pre-soaked dry beans, we will soak for 1 night). They must be divided into 8 parts and each must be blended with 500 gr of water. Then we gather all the blended soy and filter it (usually we use a cloth, called etamine, which is used to filter the cheese. If you have to buy it, take an untreated one and wash it with water and bicarbonate before using it).

Bring the soy milk obtained to a boil.
Dissolve 23 g of nigari in 700 g of water. Nigari is a salt, a magnesium chloride of Japanese origin. If you want to deepen the topic, here you can find information.
Add the nigari dissolved in soy milk water and let it work. Cover the pot with a cloth and wait at least 10 '. After that, simmer for a second time, stirring constantly. The tofu will have separated from the serum. Then transfer the curd into the appropriate molds. I use these or, for a #nowaste approach, you can use the plastic ricotta doors that you recover.

The tofu can be kept for 4-5 days (a few more days if you have the possibility to put it under vacuum, do it in a solution of water and salt).

To make coconut milk:

500 gr of coconut rapè
250 gr of water

Blend the coconut with water for 5-7 '. Filter everything with the help of an etamine.
Store in the refrigerator in a glass bottle.

Here we are finally at the recipe! Which in itself is very simple once you get the basic ingredients :)

Ingredients for 4


400 gr of tofu
2 carrots
4 cabbage leaves
1 leek
6-7 piccadilly cherry tomatoes
2 glasses of coconut milk
1 clove of garlic
1 teaspoon of turmeric
1 teaspoon of garam masala
1 dry (or fresh) chili
320 gr of quinoa
1 bunch of fresh mint
1 bunch of fresh parsley
extra virgin olive oil, salt

Method


Wash the vegetables and cut them roughly. In a wok-like pot, heat 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil with all the spices. Then add the leek and sauté it for 5 minutes. Add the other vegetables, salt lightly and put the lid on. Cook for 10 '. Then add the coconut milk and the diced tofu of about 1cmx1cm. Cook again 10 'without the lid, so that the milk partially evaporates. 

In the meantime, put the quinoa, 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, 1 pinch of salt (2gr) and cold water (in relation to the quinoa 1: 2) in a saucepan.

Put on low heat, covered with a lid. Cook for about 20 ', until the quinoa has absorbed all the water and has' opened' showing the characteristic 'quotes'.

Roughly cut the mint and parsley, without the stalks.

Serve the vegetables and tofu together with the quinoa with the aromatic herbs. The dish is good even if eaten at room temperature.
Recipe: Handmade tofu with coconut vegetable
Recipe: Handmade tofu with coconut vegetable - 1

Cookeneim is a cooking project from Francesca Luise - Venice, Italy.

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