In the past few years, I’ve cut back on my soy consumption. As a 40-year vegetarian, I’ve cooked with tempeh and tofu for years in order to up my protein consumption. But after an early-stage breast cancer scare, I decided to limit my soy consumption in order to better control my estrogen levels.
So when I’ve looked through veg recipes in the past couple years, I’ve generally avoided those that rely on tofu for their main protein. (I tried hemp tofu a few years ago. It’s definitely not my cup of tea.) Last weekend, I Googled “soy-free tofu” hoping that some new alternative has sprung up. Indeed, one has. And the great thing is, it’s not actually new.
Chickpea tofu is the traditional Burmese answer to soy-based tofu. The good news is that it’s exceptionally easy to make, and can be used like regular tofu. So far I’ve used it in a tofu scramble (recipe to follow next Monday) and I’ve marinated and roasted it. In both cases, it worked quite well.
Chickpea tofu starts out with more flavor than soy tofu does. Chickpeas have a slight nutty taste, but chickpea tofu can nonetheless still take on the flavors of a marinade.
I love that you can make it fresh, and that it’s so simple to put together. Once it’s set you can cut it into cubes, put it in a container in the fridge and use it for the next two to three days.
Chickpea Tofu
- 1 cup chickpea flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric (optional)
- 1-1/2 cups room temperature water
- 1-1/2 cups boiling water
Put It Together:
- Bring 1-1/2 cups water to boil in a medium to large pot (2-1/2 quarts or larger).
- Line an 8 x 8-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- Mix the chickpea flour, salt and turmeric together in a medium to large mixing bowl.
- Add the room temperature water and whisk until combined and most of the lumps are dissolved.
- When the water in the pot comes to a boil, add the chickpea mixture.
- Bring back to a boil and stir with a whisk for 6-8 minutes until thickened. You can tell it’s ready when there’s a very thin film of the mixture on the bottom of the pan.
- Pour into the baking pan and let it set for at least an hour.
- Cut into cubes and use like regular soy tofu.