Burmese Tofu (Soy-Free Chickpea Tofu)
A soy-free alternative to traditional tofu, this Chickpea Tofu brings the classic tofu texture together with a nutty chickpea flavor.
Burmese Tofu: Soy-Free
Tofu.. that's soy-free?
Burmese tofu is made from chickpea flour, meaning it still packs a hefty dose of protein, but without soy.
It holds its shape well and has a creamy and silky texture, similar to silken tofu.
Making Chickpea Tofu
The process of making chickpea tofu couldn't be easier. Actually, it is incredibly similar to the process for making polenta.
You start by mixing chickpea flour with water, salt, and turmeric (which is optional because it just adds a nice color). Your mixture is then cooked in a saucepan until it reaches a thick and glossy state.
After reaching a nice consistency, the mixture is poured into a pan and left on the counter to set. You will notice it start to firm up slightly after cooling, but giving it at least an hour in the refrigerator will ensure the tofu slides nicely from your pan in one, firm chunk.
Now it's ready to be sliced and used as you please.
Where Can I Buy Chickpea Flour?
Chickpea flour, also called garbanzo flour or gram flour, is typically available in your grocery store with the other alternative flours.
If you live near an Indian grocer, you can find it there too, look for it to be called besan.
And, of course, you can also buy chickpea flour online.
How To Use Chickpea Tofu
How To Use Chickpea TofuThis tofu can be used any way you would use soy tofu: dredged in flour and pan fried, used in place of scrambled eggs, in sir-fries, or in soup. (As of yet, we haven't tried any of these, so let us know if you try them out.)
But, the traditional way to eat it is tossed in a salad.
Our Chickpea Tofu Salad Recipe
In a salad, you really get the full features of this chickpea tofu's texture and flavor as it contrasts nicely with the crisp veggies.
The smoothness of the tofu pairs wonderful with acid, like a vinegar or citrus dressing, creating a dish that is incredibly well balanced in both texture and flavor.
For how light the tofu is, we found it to be surprisingly filling, making this salad more of a lunch or light summer main dish, rather than a side.
What Else Can I Make With Chickpea Flour?
We love having a back of chickpea flour on hand because it means that we can make the smoky French flat-bread, socca, or Italian chickpea fries, called panise, any time we want!
Burmese Tofu (Soy-Free Chickpea Tofu)
Ingredients
- 1 c chickpea flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric (optional)
- 3 c water, divided
Instructions
- Grease an 8x8 baking dish.
- In a medium bowl, mix together chickpea flour, salt, and turmeric. Add 1 c water and whisk until smooth.
- Bring 2 c of water to a boil over medium heat. Add the chickpea mixture and whisk, heating, until the mixture is thick and glossy, 5-7 min.
- Pour the smooth, thick mixture into the greased baking dish and cool to room temperature. Once the mixture is cool, refrigerate it, uncovered 1 hour (up to overnight).
- To serve the tofu, upturn the baking dish and let the mixture slide out. Cut it into the desired shapes for your recipe.
Nutrition
Asian Style Tofu Slaw
Ingredients
- ½ onion, slivered
- 1 c cabbage, shredded
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar or white wine vinegar
- 1 ½ teaspoon peanut oil
- 1 ½ teaspoon soy sauce
- ¼ teaspoon dried red chilies
- ¼ teaspoon ground coriander seeds (optional)
- ½ lb Burmese tofu (Half of the above recipe)
- 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, mix together all ingredients except cilantro and tofu. Let stand, covered for 1 hour to marinade.
- Toss the cubed tofu with the cabbage mixture.
- Top with cilantro to serve.
Nutrition
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Sarah founded Curious in 2010 as a way to save her recipe creations and share culinary experiences. Her love for cultural cuisines was instilled early by her French Canadian Grandmother. Her experience in the kitchen and in recipe development comes from over 10 years working in professional kitchens. She has traveled extensively and enjoys bringing the flavors of her travels back to create easy-to-make recipes.
can you use less water to make this? mine never really got solid, it was very sticking and would not hold the shape.
Hi Shella. Did you follow the cooling and refrigerating steps? The mixture doesn’t get solid until after refrigerating. That being said, if you are still having issues, yes, you can use less water.
Anyone know why my chickpea tofu is always kinda soggy? no matter how little or how much water I use it always sticks to my knife or hands, the outside might dry out and by touchable but the inside is not firm in anyway and just falls apart and turns into slop when I try to cook it
Hi Kelly. Are you using our recipe? My thought is that possibly you're not cooking it long enough to let it thicken properly. Or possibly not letting it cool and then refrigerating it long enough for it to firm up entirely. It should definitely hold its shape for cooking and be firm when cut with a knife.
Can this be used in a recipe for vegan ricotta, where it needs to be blended and creamy?
Hi Lindy. You could potentially blend this up after it sets to get something a bit more creamy and ricotta-like. I would omit the turmeric and possibly increase the salt, if you're trying to mimic ricotta. If you give it a try, definitely stop back by and let us know what you did and how it turns out for you!
Does this crumble like regular tofu? I'd love to make tofu scramble with this, and how long does it last for? Can it be frozen?
Hi Tana. This doesn't really crumble like other tofu. You could chop in into small cubes to make a scramble. It will stay good in the refrigerator for a week or so. We haven't tried freezing it, but I would imagine freezing would change the texture slightly. Enjoy!
fried in somali sesame oil with onions,tomatos and garlic and a touch of chinese soy sauce, served with thai chilli and swedish surdegsbaguette. perfect tofu scramble.
What a great way to use this tofu! Thanks for sharing!