Artwork: Allan Robinson

Ingredients & Utensils

900g of dried soya beans makes approximately 750g of tofu

Solidifier or curding agent e.g. vinegar, lemon juice, epsom salts.

Food processor (or mash by hand)

Large pan

Cheesecloth or nylon mesh

A press or colander

Soya Milk:

Soak the dried soya beans overnight in plenty of water (they will double in size). Place in food processor and mash to a paste. If it is too smooth it will be hard to strain and the milk will by pulpy in texture. If it is not fine enough, it will not give a good yield. Boil 9 litres of water and gradually mix in the paste. Bring to the boil again. Cook on a medium to low boil for 15-20 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Tofu:

Take the soya milk you have made above and place in a large pan. Heat until about 185 degrees F stirring continuously. Meanwhile prepare the curding agent by placing in warm water. You will need the following: 375ml warm water with 100ml vinegar or lemon juice OR 500ml warm water with 3-4 tsp Nigari or Epsom salts. Stop the spoon upright in the pan of soya milk to create a turbulence and immediately add half of the curding agent. Stir the soya milk once in the opposite direction. Place a lid on the pan and allow to sit undisturbed for 5 minutes. The soya milk will start to form white curds. Add the remainder of the curding agent and stir once or twice gently to activate the curding. Cover the pan again and allow to stand for a few more minutes. A yellowy liquid should start to form. If a very firm tofu is required place the pan back on the boil for a few minutes. If there are a lot of whey and few curds, the beans may not have been ground finely enough. Press the tofu by placing in a colander (or plastic carton with holes in the bottom) in cheesecloth or nylon mesh. Place a heavy container on top and leave for about an hour. The tofu should be firm to the touch. Store in the fridge in cool water. Replace water daily and it should keep up to a week.