Burmese Tofu (Vegan, Soy Free, Wheat & Gluten Free)

A newly made batch of Burmese Tofu, cooling in the tin.

I've accumulated quite a lot of exotic recipes since going vegan, but this one has to be one of my favourites, and as it only needs 3 low cost ingredients, it's a brilliant vegan hack too!

Much as I really like the normal soya tofu products, tofu can be expensive and it's not something my rather tight budget can stretch to very frequently as I'd like.

I came across Burmese tofu for the first time in Autumn last year, and I absolutely love it. It's easy to make, cheap and has a really satisfying texture that reminds me of boiled eggs.

And best of all, it's made using one of my favourite vegan and wheat free ingredients - gram flour.

The texture is firmer than silken soya tofu, but softer than the firmer varieties. And a word of warning - don't try to put it in a tofu press to make it firmer, that won't work. (I've tried, it was messy!)

This tofu can be cut into slices or cubes, and fried or baked, makes a lovely vegan scramble or (my favourite) you can add chunks of Burmese tofu in the last few minutes of cooking to curries that normally call for boiled eggs in the recipe. 

The traditional recipe may also include 1/2 tsp Turmeric which you can add if you choose.

I normally omit the tumeric and often the salt and just season it to taste when I fry it or add it to curries.

Season with a little Kala Namak black salt for a wonderfully eggy flavour.

But I won't keep you in suspense any longer... here is my recipe for Burmese Tofu!

Ingredients

90g (1 cup) Gram flour
750ml (3 cups) water
1 tsp salt

That's it - seems too simple doesn't it? 


Method

Line a small baking tin or dish with greaseproof paper.

Put half your water into a saucepan and bring to the boil with the lid on so you don't lose too much of the liquid.

Meanwhile, add the remaining cold water to a large mixing bowl and sift in the gram flour and add the salt. 

Whisk until the mixture is smooth, and all the lumps have gone. You'll notice that the mixture gets quite frothy on top, this is fine.

Pour your flour and water into the saucepan of boiling water on the hob and reduce the heat to medium.

Stir constantly (I carry on using my whisk for this) and the mixture will start to thicken and get stiff and difficult to stir.

After a few minutes, all the froth will disappear and it will take on a glossy appearance, like a very thick custard.

Pour the mixture into your prepared baking tin, the mixture should take on the shape of the tin.

Leave to cool in the tin on a wire cooling rack.

Once completely cooled, carefully grab the sides of the baking paper and lift from the tin onto a flat surface. There will be some moisture at the bottom of the tin and the paper will be wet and easy to remove. The longer you leave it, the more water will leak out, so leave for a few hours to get a nice firm texture.

I usually cut my tofu into two pieces so it fits nicely into a storage container to pop in the fridge. 

You can use immediately or keep it in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Tip: If you like your tofu a little bit firmer, add an extra 2-3 tablespoons of gram flour. You will soon work out your favourite consistency and you can adapt the recipe accordingly.