Burmese Chickpea Tofu recipe {vegan + dairy free + gluten free}

Name: Burmese Chickpea Tofu recipe (soy free tofu) {vegan + dairy free + gluten free}
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 6
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)

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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?

4.6 from 22 votes

Burmese Chickpea Tofu recipe (soy free tofu) {vegan + dairy free + gluten free}

Very lightly adapted from this recipe which was sourced from The Burmese Kitchen: Recipes from the Golden Land

Cuisine vegan

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Servings 6

Calories 60 kcal

Author Jennifer Schmidt

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.

Nutrition Facts

Burmese Chickpea Tofu recipe (soy free tofu) {vegan + dairy free + gluten free}

Amount Per Serving

Calories 60 Calories from Fat 9

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 1g 2%

Sodium 400mg 17%

Potassium 133mg 4%

Total Carbohydrates 8.96g 3%

Dietary Fiber 1.7g 7%

Sugars 1.6g

Protein 3.5g 7%

Calcium 2%

Iron 5%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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