How To Make Tofu Taste Like Chicken

Last Updated on 22/09/2021 by Mandy

What is Tofu?

Made from soybeans, tofu is an inexpensive, vegan meat-free alternative. It is rich in protein and contains phyto-nutrients, with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory benefits. It’s cheap to make. Many people regularly eat tofu as a great food alternative to those with milk allergies.

Why Make Tofu at Home?

It is simple to make tofu at home with very few ingredients. By making it yourself you can feel satisfied that the texture and flavour are to your liking.
In this article, we explain the process to make tofu, what you will need and give you our tips and tricks to make it taste like chicken! Hint: By making it yourself, draining and pressing it well.. you can pan fry it and get a texture and taste similar to chicken!!

Tips for Making Tofu

There are several coagulants you can use to set the soy milk. This is a similar process to making cheese or yoghurt.
I use Calcium Carbonate coagulant, from Green Living Australia, to set my tofu. This the same product that is used to make cheese and easy to obtain on ebay and Amazon Australia.

Tofu can be very bland in flavour. One way to improve this is to use Cheese Salt or fry it in olive oil in the pan to give you a crispy coating and more flavour.

The Japanese use nigari to make their tofu. This has the firmest texture but it is difficult to obtain in Australia (and more expensive as a result).

The amount of coagulant used will influence the texture of the final product: more coagulant will produce firmer tofu, while less coagulant will produce softer tofu (like bean curd).

Ingredients:

1 litre soy milk

1 tsp. Cheese Salt (optional)

Coagulant (choose one of the following):
2 tps. Calcium Chloride (Cheesemaking coagulant)
2 tsp. Terra Alba aka Gypsum (Calcium Sulphate) OR
1 tsp. Nigari Flakes (Magnesium Chloride) OR
1/2 tsp. Liquid Nigari (Magnesium Chloride)

Equipment:

⦁ 2L Saucepan
⦁ Cheese Thermometer (see picture)
⦁ Draining and Pressing equipment: Mad Millie Tofu Kit drainer OR Tofuture press kit OR Cuisinart Donvier draining set

Instructions:

Wash your saucepan and cheese thermometer with hot water (wipe over with vinegar) and let it dry.

First, pour the soy milk into the saucepan and heat it up to boiling, on the stovetop. (Use a cheese thermometer to record temperature and ensure the best coagulation. ) We use Green Living Australia products in our fermentation, cheese and tofu making.

Boil the soy milk for 5 minutes and then let it cool to 60 degrees.

Dissolve the powdered coagulant in a cup of warm water–do not let it set too long!
Mix the water and coagulant mixture into the hot soy milk. Gently stir the milk to allow the coagulant to disperse through the milk.

Take the saucepan off the heat. Allow the mixture to sit undisturbed for 15-25 minutes, coagulation will occur during this stage. While the mixture sits, small white curds (tofu) will separate from the yellow coloured liquid, called whey.

Once the setting process is complete, transfer the white soy curds into a draining container (Tofuture or Donvier). Leave to drain for 30 minutes. Check when the whey needs to be emptied.

Transfer the soy wheys into a press, either Tofuture or Mad Millie Cheese Press. Allow the mixture to be pressed for 60 minutes in a fridge or add ice to chill.