Looking for a soy free tofu? This vegan Burmese Chickpea Tofu (also called shan tofu) is an easy homemade tofu recipe to make which is a healthy and delicious source of protein.
As a known tofu hating vegetarian you might be scratching your head wondering why I’m sharing a tofu recipe with you today.
Well, you see, this Burmese Chickpea Tofu recipe I’m about to share isn’t really tofu.
Tofu is made from bean curd, however, Burmese tofu is made from beautiful nutty chickpea flour. Also called chickpea tofu or shan tofu, it is more similar to polenta than tofu, as I’ll explain.
As a lover of chickpeas and chickpea flour I couldn’t wait to give chickpea tofu a try after reading about it on Sarah Brinson’s wonderful blog.
However, while Sarah’s recipe is totally doable, I’m too impatient to leave the chickpea flour soaking for 12 hours and wait another 8 hours before eating it.
So I came across another recipe for Burmese tofu, which didn’t require soaking and a long wait. I halved it and set about giving it a go.
If you’ve made polenta before, then the process is not too dissimilar.
Chickpea flour is whisked together with water and salt and added to a saucepan of boiling water and whisked until thick and glossy. Then it is poured into a pan to set.
The tofu sets in about an hour and is soft and pillowy, with that slightly nutty chickpea flavour that I love.
The wonderful thing about this chickpea tofu recipe, apart from the fact that it’s a wonderful soy free alternative to tofu, is that it is also budget friendly too. Chickpea flour is relatively cheap especially if you are able to source it from an Indian grocer.
It is also extremely versatile too. Add it to salads, stir fries, soups. Anywhere you’d normally use tofu, you can use chickpea tofu instead.
I’m a little addicted to it at the moment, I’ve made 3 batches in the last 4 days, and have been having fun experimenting with it in the kitchen.
So tell me, have you ever tried chickpea tofu?
Did you make this recipe?
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Burmese Chickpea Tofu recipe (soy free tofu) {vegan + dairy free + gluten free}
Ingredients
- 1 cup chickpea flour garbanzo bean flour /besan flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground turmeric optional
- 3 cups water divided
- neutral flavoured oil such as canola, sunfower (safflower)
Instructions
- Place the chickpea flour in a bowl along with the salt and turmeric (if using). Whisk to combine. Add 1 1/2 cups of water and whisk until smooth.
Lightly oil 20cm (8 inch) x 20cm (8 inch) square baking dish or cake tin.
- Bring the remaining 1 1/2 cups of water to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-high and add the chickpea flour and water mixture. Whisk over the heat until the mixture becomes really thick and glossy. This should take about 8 minutes.
- Pour immediately into the prepared baking dish and leave to cool at room temperature for at least 1 hour. The longer it sits, the more water will drain out of the tofu and the firmer it will get.
- Cut into whatever size and shape you like. This will depend on how you are going to use it. I cut it into 2 to 3 cm cubes. Store in an airtight container and use within 3 days. Some commenters have had success freezing it, but it is not something I have tried myself.
Hi, is it possible to use chickpeas in stead of chickpeas flour?
Yes! I have heard of folks making their own chickpea flour by processing dried chickpeas in the blender. I haven’t tried it myself yet, but I would expect it to work well here. Just make sure you use dried chickpeas – not the canned type! If you try it, please let me know how it works out.
If you are just having trouble finding the chickpea flour – I have used this one from Amazon.
Stumbled upon your recipe on Pinterest and I had to try it. Just finished setting my tofu, hopefully will turn out ok ! But it really reminds of a healthier version of something we eat in Provence called ‘panisse’ except it’s made into a roll, cut into slices and fried with salt and garlic eaten as a snack or an appetizer. Not as exotic as burmese tofu but the similarities really surprised me !
I had not heard of panisse but I just looked it up, and it does look very similar. I will have to give it a try! I would love to hear how this turned out for you!
I love this recipe! Super easy & quick to make. Halved the water per suggestion from another commenter & turned out perfect. Thank you for the recipe!
I make this all the time. Im plant based but have a severe soy allergy so I was so excited when I found your recipe. Thank you!
HI there, super keen to make this! Can you add other flavours? I’m thinking chili powder or paprika, even garlic powders? Thanks!
I’m sure you could. I haven’t tried personally, however, I do like to coat them in a little seasoned flour (with cracked pepper) and fry them. They’re delicious! Let me know how your flavoured version turns out 🙂
Thank you so much for this recipe!! I avoid soy for hormone issues and am also Celiac and dairy intollerant! This idea is fantastic! Other than the fact that it would be green do you think I could use this flour? http://amzn.to/1PhCpaB It’s Green pea Flour instead of Chickpea Flour but I have it on hand and would love to try this tonight!! Thank you in advance for your advice!!
To be honest I’ve not tried green pea flour, so I’m not sure how it would work in this instance. I do know the chickpea flour works. If you do decide to try the green pea flour I’d absolutely love to hear how it turns out 🙂
I followed your recipe, but after an hour and a half it just nt teally firm? I have put it into the fridge to see if that helps. Any tips on that?
I’m sorry to hear it didn’t really firm up for you Paul. It sounds like it needed to be cooked for longer. As each stove top is different the cooking time will vary a little. You know it has been cooked correctly when it is really thick, almost hard to stir, before pouring it out to set. You could also try using slightly less water (say half a cup less). I hope this helps. Let me know how you go if you decide to make it again 😀
Thats really a fun idea..Can’t wait to try my chickpea tofu..
I left the heat too high n was too slow to stir….. my tofu was burned…. I’ll try again soon
I’m sorry to hear that Teh. If you are using a gas cooktop make sure to use the smallest burner when making this. Sorry I didn’t specify that in the recipe. Let me know how it turns out when you make it again.
I had to share this really fun idea I did with my Burmese Tofu! I had unexpected guests sleep over and wanted to make a fun breakfast – but disaster – no vegan bacon! So I quickly sliced my Burmese Tofu thinly and in strips – 5 minute marinade in organic maple syrup, liquid smoke, and cracked black pepper and off to the frying pan in olive oil. Fried it until with was lightly caramelized, and popped in the oven to keep warm while I finished vegan waffles and home-fries. It was FABULOUS! The exterior was sticky, crunchy from the maple syrup caramelization, the pop of cracked black pepper gave it depth, and the liquid smoke was perfect. This tofu is the best recipe I have. Thank you Jennifer!
Thanks for sharing Joslin!! I’ll definitely have to try this. Some smoked paprika might be a lovely addition to the marinade too 🙂
So, we tried this and though it looked just like the picture (firm, yet pillowy), when we tried to fry it for a stir fry it kind of melted. By the end the tofu was just sauce. What did we do wrong?
I’ve had that happen the first time I made it Katelyn. The issue is that the tofu was perhaps not cooked enough before being set. It needs to become really thick, almost hard to stir, before pouring it out to set. You could also try using slightly less water (say half a cup less) to make a firmer tofu suitable for stir fries. The other thing you can try, and it is something I do, is to place the tofu on a chopping board with layers of paper towel underneath, topped with more paper towel, another chopping board, and something relatively heavy, like a couple of tins of beans. This will help release any excess moisture. Do this for 4 to 6 hours, changing the paper towel as it becomes saturated and you should end up with a tofu that is a bit sturdier. I hope that helps 😀
Not impossible to read font on my computer. Storage time is similar to every other fresh bean recipe – 3 to 5 days or freeze it. I make this recipe every 2 weeks and use it regularly. It freezes well and is a bit less watery out of the freezer. Use is perfect for any recipe calling for tofu. I have fried it, baked it, creamed it. Works great.
Thanks for your feedback Joslin. So happy to hear you are enjoying it 😀
Thank you so much for your help. I am so excited to try this, given that my local coop will not carry anyting but soy-based tofu.
I read that this must cure for an entire year before use. Anything to that? Thanks
I’ve not heard anything about curing it. I use mine straight away. 🙂
1. Could you [please add more contrast to your font. It is almost IMPOSSIBLE to see the comments and such on this page.
2. Re: “Pour immediately into the prepared baking dish and leave to cool at room temperature for at least 1 hour. The longer it sits, the more water will drain out of the tofu and the firmer it will get.”
THEN WHAT??? Some guidance on use, storage, length of time, etc. would be MOST helpful
Thanks.
PS;
Seriuosly, MORE CONTRAST please.
I’ve added a section at the end of the recipe on storage. Typically it lasts 3 days, maybe a bit longer, but I tend to eat mine before then. As for use, as I mentioned in the introduction to the recipe you can add it to salads, stir fries or soups. Basically you can use it whenever you would normally use tofu. I like it in miso soup, and also lightly coated in flour and salt and pepper and fried.
Thanks for your feedback on the font. I’ve recently updated my website so it is in a tweaking stage at the moment. I have updated my heading font to a font that is a little thicker, and changed the body font. It’s a work in progress 🙂
Thank you so much. I am SO excited to find this page and am looking forward to more… . .
This stuff is AMAZING! Thank you! I am going to reduce the salt by half next time, but other than that, it was entirely perfect.
Thanks for the feedback Alessandra. I’m so glad you enjoyed it 😀
This is the coolest thing ever! We have this frozen (in bite size cubes) in the freezer at at all times. Just break a handful of cubes off and throw into a marinade and warm up in pan with rest of veg. Fantastic! My daughter has decided she likes about 1 1/2 cups of water per 1 cup of flour to make a super-firm tofu. Does get thick much faster in pan when put with boiling water. Have no idea if right for others. Just her personal preference. I think the pillowy soft tofu with 1 cup flour to 3 cups water is a lovely also. Thanks so much!
Thanks for your feedback Marina. I haven’t tried freezing the tofu, so I’m happy to hear it works.
This is wonderful. I love the softer version – will make the firmer version this week for stirfry. It fries beautifully. I freeze it as well, but defrost before using because MUCH more water will drain out – producing a firmer tofu. No change in taste at all! Love this so much.
I am actually a Burmese, and this recipe tastes exactly like what my mother used to make. Thanks for spreading the love :DDDD
Thank you! There is no higher praise than tasting like something your mother used to make 😀
Yes i have eaten it before as i was born in myanmar.
OooOooh!!! How do you think this would work in a tofu breakfast scramble?
Not sure Nicole. I’ve never tried. If you do please let me know how it goes 😀
How do you know if its thick enough? It came out almost like a thick pudding consistency at 8 mins so i poured it in the setting dish…hopefully that’s right 🙂
Thick puddinglike consistency is what you are after. I hope you enjoyed it 😀
Can you use this in tofu recipes as if it were soy tofu? I would like to use it in a stir fry.
Yes, it would definitely work in a stir fry. The texture is a little different but I think it is a delicious alternative to tofu. Let me know how you go 😀
I’m waiting with impatient anticipation for this to set right now! I added 1/4 tsp onion powder also and only had black sesame or robust olive oil to grease the dish with. should be interesting and awesome. 🙂
Good luck with it Virginia. I find if you’ve cooked it long enough it usually sets in under an hour. Let me know how it goes 😀
ahhhh..this looks amazing! I want to try it with lentils ( yellow) flour since that’s that’s what i have on hand currently. Thanks so much for this sub!
I had Burmese tofu (although I thought it was made from yellow split peas, not chickpeas), in Burma, about 6 months ago. We purchased it at the market before setting off on a long day trip by small boat. That tofu was one of the best things I have ever eaten. I look forward to trying this recipe.
(Almost everything I ate in Burma was absolutely delicious.)
Sounds like you had a wonderful time in Burma Susan 😀 I’ve never been but would love to go. I hope you enjoy the Burmese tofu. I can’t speak for it’s authenticity, but it is pretty delicious, and versatile. Please let me know what you think 🙂
i Just have to say that we were in Burma last September too, we’re veggies, the best food by far in our SE Asia trip was Burmese, and we would go back to Burma again, just for the food, the tofu we ate was with yellow split peas, I’m transported back by thinking about the deliciousness, oh and also green tea salad….mmmm
Sounds wonderful Maria! I’d love to be able to visit Burma one day….if only for the food! 🙂
I have wanted to try this for ages but haven’t yet gotten around to it. Is the texture like polenta; it looks more like polenta than tofu?
Hi Amy, the texture is quite similar to silken tofu.
This is brilliant! I’m trying to cut down on unfermented soy, and this looks perfect. Thank you!!!
I hope you like it 😀 Just cook the mixture until it’s really thick and you can see a trail from the whisk, and err on the side of over cooking as it will make for a more solid tofu. Let me know how you get on with the recipe. 🙂
Whoa, this looks great! I actually have a bag of Chickpea Flour in my pantry right now, and I don’t know what to do with it…. but now I do! I’ll try it out this weekend. Thanks for posting!
I recently stopped eating meat and I’m not keen on having soy…. I just saw this on foodgawker and I’m pretty excited to try it!! I’ve never heard of anything like it. Thanks for posting 🙂
Let me know how you get on Katie 😀 Enjoy!
this sounds amazing. it’s so good for you! i love the turmeric too.
I love turmeric too. Especially as a tea with honey and lemon. It’s a great remedy for sore throats.
I’m not a lover of tofu but I wouldn’t mind trying this. Looks fairly easy to do.
A fantastic idea! Can’t wait to give it a try!
This is so cool- I’ve never seen this before! Can’t wait to give it a go!
I hope you enjoy it Chrissy 😀
yes.. I have a question… Is this more like polenta where you add items to it for flavoring or is it more like tofu where you could change the flavor by soaking it in broth???? Just curious… to the texture because I would hate for my hard work to break while trying to add flavor
The chickpea tofu absorbs flavours in much the same way that tofu does, from what I can tell from my experiments so far. The best way to do this is to press the tofu (as you would regular tofu) to take some of the moisture out before you try to infuse it. I do this by placing it on a chopping board on top of a couple of layers of paper towel and top it with more paper towel, another chopping board and then weight it down with canned food from my pantry. I leave it for an hour our so, swapping out the paper towel when it is damp. You could also try flavouring the base tofu recipe for an extra flavour boost. I haven’t tried that yet, so I’d love for you to let me know how you get on 🙂
I’m not a great tofu fan myself but this sounds like something totally different – love the sound of it and I have a big bag of chickpea flour sat in my cupboard just waiting to be used!
It is quite different to tofu, thankfully 🙂 I always have bags of chickpea flour on hand, it is so versatile isn’t it.
I had to laugh when I saw the title because I know you’re not a tofu lover. This sounds pretty good. I’m not a tofu lover either but I can eat it.
Delicious! I love chickpea flour and use it a lot…
Cheers,
Rosa
Thank you for this recipe, I like that its gluten & soy free =)
You’re welcome. I hope you enjoy it 😀