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A dish which I never fail to order at yum cha is the tofu dessert (豆腐花, pronounced as dòufu huā). It is essentially a sweet beancurd pudding/jelly that is irresistibly silky soft.
The syrup that goes with this varies across Asia, each showcasing a distinct cultural influence. Some infuse the sugar syrup with pandan, others use white sugar which produces a clear syrup; my ultimate favourite would have to be the version with ginger and brown sugar.
My Dad makes this at home quite frequently. He doesn't do it the way his parents would have - soaking the soya beans overnight, grinding them into a puree then straining it of any insoluble residues - because we're lucky enough to have access to fresh store-bought soya milk.
To make tofu fa at home with store-bought soya milk is ridiculously quick and easy and requires just a handful of ingredients.
Thanks to my Dad's patience with me measuring everything he was adding, here is the recipe!
Tofu fa (豆腐花)
Serves 8 - 10
Ingredients
2L unsweetened soya milk
160ml water
1½ tsp gypsum powder
2 tsp corn flour
Syrup
2 large knobs of ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
1 pack (454g) brown sugar slabs
150ml water
Method
Use a clean 2.5 - 3 litre pot, ensure it is completely dry with absolutely no moisture. Add the entire 2L of soya milk and bring to the boil. Stirring is unnecessary but watch carefully as soya milk overflows easily when boiling.
In a small bowl, mix the gypsum powder and corn flour with water.
Once the soya milk is hot, a thin layer of beancurd skin will form at the top. Carefully remove this with a chopstick or spatula. (Dry this to make a beancurd sheet or just eat it!)
Add the gypsum and corn flour mixture to the hot soya milk and stir twice quickly. Remove off heat immediately and cover with tea towel and lid to trap the heat and moisture.
It will be ready in 15 - 20 minutes.
To make the syrup, bring water to boil, add ginger and boil for a few more minutes.
Add the brown sugar slabs and continue to boil until the sugar melts and the syrup has slightly thickened.
Remove the ginger if desired.
This makes 400ml of the syrup which is enough for 2 - 3 uses. Store in an air tight container in the fridge after use.
Serve the tofu fa warm with 1 tablespoon of syrup.
Hi! looks good!! can i know where did you buy the gypsum powder from? Thanks! would love to make this soon...
You should be able to find it at most Asian grocery stores :)
I always have to have this at yum cha too, it feels so virtuous eating something sweet that is full of protein and practically no fat!
It's relatively easy (and cheap) to get tofu fa where I'm at, but I'm definitely bookmarking this recipe should I get a huge craving for homemade ones one day! Your recipe makes it look pretty doable!
OK, I'm seriously impress by this post! I never thought it would be an easy feat making this at home and it looks decided soft and silky! You are living up to your name! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Thanks Jen (and Dad) for the recipe! Looks easy enough for me to attempt...! Dare anyone ask what gypsum powder actually is...? :)
Looks so much easier to make than I thought it would be! Although making a whole batch of this would be a bit of a problem for my household of two - time for a dinner party, methinks =p
this looks amazing jen! buying ready made soy milk def saves a lot of time...i cant wait to make this..once i get my hands on those gypsum powder!
Haha bless your dad for measuring. I've never eating this before but it looks like sweet goodness :)
Wow! You've made it look so easy to make. I tend to leave my special 'take-out' treats just that -- otherwise I'm afraid I'll overdo it if I know how to make it at home.
I love tofu but have never tried making it from scratch before. This looks great and easy to make too.
I have always loved dou fu fa and remember having it made from scratch as a kid. Ran across your blog and tried this recipe this evening. Only one thing wrong and I wasted a bottle of soy milk. It should be 2 tbl spoon of corn starch not tspn. My second attempt turned out perfect. Hope this helps anyone else who wanted to attempt this recipe. Thanks.
Many thanks Jen (& Dad) for this recipe. I followed it to the dot and the Tofu Fa came out perfectly! My Chef friend still does not believe it and still think that somehow, I swapped my Tofu Fa with something that I must have bought earlier, even though he was watching me all the way.. :-)