102. Cooking homemade tofu (with crushed soya beans from making soya milk)

Ok, yesterday, after the whole process of making soya milk, and after drinking homemade soya milk and cleaning up, did you notice there is something left there? -- I call it ‘left over’ crushed soya beans. I hope you haven’t thrown it away yet, as it is still useful -- we are not wasting any of it. Ha…

Since making soya milk at home became so popular, people also came up with many ways of using these ‘left over’ crushed soya beans. For example, many people use it on the skin. --- Confused? :)) It is a secret -- I don’t know if there are any official books talking about it, but it has been practiced by many … ladies -- I learned it from my mum. :) These ‘left over’ crushed soya beans form a kind of paste, of course with some impurities. Just like milk is good for skin, and it can be used when taking a shower or washing your face, soya beans are also very good for making the skin smoother. Moreover, they can be used as a natural exfoliant.

Ok, coming back to their culinary uses... the most common way of using these crushed soya beans is to stir fry them. It sounds a bit crazy -- stir-frying a paste? Yes, and it is very tasty, and extremely nutritious. It is very easy to make, if you are interested, here you go.

Ingredients:

Crushed soya beans (from making soya milk)

Oil, spring onion, ground sichuan peppercorn (optional), salt, sesame oil (optional)

Preparation:

Allow the paste of crushed soya beans sit for a while.
Chop half of the spring onion into small pieces.

Cooking:

1) In a heated wok, add in around 2 -3 tablespoons of oil.

2) When oil is hot, add in 1/3 teaspoon of ground sichuan peppercorn (optional) and chopped spring onion.

3) Stir-fry the spring onion and ground sichuan peppercorn until you can smell the spring onion.

4) Add in the paste of crushed soya beans, stir-fry it with spring onion.

5) Add in around 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and keep on stir-fry the content for further around 3 minutes, until the paste is getting further drier, add in couple of drops of sesame oil if you like. ---

----- Done!!

The taste is very similar to tofu, actually, it probably tastes even more ‘purer’ than tofu, just without the smoothness of normal tofu, but gives a different texture. :)

I really hope you like it. :)) (Sorry I could not find the photos for this dish, I will have to put them on later once I fine them.)

Making soya milk at home

Soya milk and you tiao

These few days, we have been talking about calcium intake.  I am not a big fan of any dairy products, which is a great source of calcium; apart from seafood and green vegetables, my main source of calcium, I think it has got to be --- my favorite soy bean products. Apart from the soybean recipes I shared before, a few friends asked about homemade soya milk, so in these two post, let’s talk about making soya milk at home, and ideas about using ‘left over’ crushed soya beans after making soy milk. :)))

Personally I like, and only like homemade soya milk -- it tastes so much more ‘pure’ than the ones sold in the supermarkets here in UK, especially I don’t like the idea that it is mixed with apple juice. The ones bottled in China contain ingredients other than just pure soya, which probably makes it richer in vitamins, and the taste is not bad, but still, I prefer the homemade version --- :)) I am picky, but once you tried homemade ones, you will know what I mean. :))

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84. Making Soy beans as snack or as side dish

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Chinese soy beans

My parents used to always prepare some ‘Chinese snacks’ at home. The quotation mark means -- really -- it is only me treated them as snacks. As I told you before, my mum did not really approve that we, me and my brother, had any snacks, as they could disturb our appetite for the main meals. So these snacks are really the side dishes. Sometimes, it was peanuts, peas, sometimes it was these soy beans -- they are mostly savory. But I like to grab a handful of them to take time to time, so I call them a ‘snack’. :)))

This kind of soy beans are a very popular Chinese snack --- at least before crisps and other Western snacks were introduced in China. In fact, you can nowadays find similar soy bean snacks in England; for example, I have seen them in M&S. I prefer my homemade version, though --- I have to boast it a little bit, :) - my dad makes the best.

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Chinese Soybean paste (Huang jiang)

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 大酱

Soybean paste is definitely one of those things have a sentimental attachment for Northeast people. Soy beans natively grow in the North Eastern provinces of China, thanks to their rich soil.

This kind of paste is called jiang in Chinese, soybean paste is called huang jiang or "da jiang" from the word "huang dou/da dou" (as soybeans ). It is one of those foods made from soybeans .

Chinese soy bean paste

If you are used to Western food, you might be very... surprised (?) by its form and colour, might not want to try it ever. :) But after trying it in the dishes, you will know what I mean. (All the recipes with soybean paste will be in forthcoming posts).

Well, actually, there is nothing very special about the soybean paste, it is fermented bean paste, tastes salty with strong soy taste. But, it plays a "big" role in daily food.

In the past, almost every household would start making it at home just before summer. Although all of the methods of making it are very similar, different people created greatly different varieties. For example, both of my grandmas used to make it, the paste they made was equally tasty, but quite different.

I have no memories of how they made it from scratch, but I do remember in the hot summer days, it was very stinky under the layers of wraps. After weeks of fermentation, they would slow boil them for hours --- that was the magic moment -- all the stinky smell disappeared, instead, the house was full of fragrance smell, which made me feel like wanting to dance in the air. Then on the dining table, my grandma would take out a small bowl of it and place next to the other dishes, and we used the tips of the chopsticks dipping in (otherwise it could be too strong), then put into the mouth --- heaven…:))

There are no particular nutrients in the paste, rather, adding a strong taste to your meal. It normally can be eaten on its own, or (we call it) "Zha", more like ‘re-making’ it in the wok with oil, eggs (for example), meat or vegetables and other seasonings. It can be a great dip for raw leaves, radish, cucumber, dried bean curd sheet... ; or with mix with Chinese noodles as "Zha jiang mian" ; or use as cooking sauce/media.

Types of Soy Bean Paste

Nowadays, very few people make soy bean paste at home anymore, as there are many varieties on the market.

Commonly three types of soybean paste are often used in daily food, ‘da jiang’ -- the traditional type of paste, yellow colour, very thick, better to be ‘re-cooked’ with ingredients and seasoning, as it comes quite dry and strong; ‘Dou ban jiang’ --- it is very similar to ‘da jiang’, but with darker colour, and have actual soy beans inside, (which I love to ‘bite’, :)) it can be eating just like what it is, can also be ‘re-cooked’; ‘Tian mian jiang’ -- translated as ‘sweet ‘mashy’ paste, but on some packages which are imported to England, it says as ‘Hoisin sauce’, but real Hoisin sauce is from Cantonese cuisine, so you can imagine the actual differences. It can be eaten alone, but mostly is cooked with vegetables or meat.

I grew up with a small bowl of soybean paste on the table all the time, so a few years back, when there was no where in England I could get it, I really suffered "foodsickness" badly. Every time I went back home, I would buy packs of them and bring back. This is one of my most embarrassing experiences - because packs of them can be heavy in my luggage, so I put some in the big pockets of my winter coat.

At Beijing airport, when I was passing security doors, I was stopped for searching, and asked to take everything out of the pockets --- a pack of soybean paste, then another pack of the paste, and another one… I blushed, and could almost see the person who was scanning me was trying so hard to hold his laugh. I just had to say, ‘I am going away for another year, and there is nowhere I could get it in England.’ Ha…. After putting everything back to my pockets, I walked away as quickly as I could and hoped that he would never remember me.

But now, in some Chinese supermarkets here, you can buy this typical soybean paste from Northeast. Phew... I never had to go through same embarrassment again, well, with the regulation now, I will never be able to bring it back anyway.

So, my taste of home continues on a different land...

34. Chinese dried bean curd salad (liang cai)

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拌干豆腐丝

According to the forecast, the weather in Oxford could reach today 22 degrees!! I am so looking forward, cannot wait to be in the sun. I am Leo, without sun, I don’t function. :))
So today’s dish is a salad－ perfect for this weather. :))

Chinese dried beancurd

Dried bean curd sheet is one of my favorite soya bean made food , and is probably one of the dishes I miss the most since I came to England.

Same as tofu, it requires freshness, so it is not good for shipping, and because it is not a typical Cantonese food, there was no production in England, so it was impossible to get it here.

Around 3 years ago, in a Chinese supermarket in Manchester, (the buyer is from Northeast China), I suddenly saw a small pack of dried bean curd sheet in the chiller -- I almost screamed. It is packed in a air-tight plastic package, which I have never seen it like that before. So you can imagine, it is a bit dryer than the really fresh ones, but I am very grateful already.


Nowadays, in many Chinese supermarkets which sell the food from mainland China, you can find this packed beancurd sheet (in the chiller). If you ever see it, never miss the chance.

Dried bean curd can be made into salad , stir-fried or in soup, or just by itself. When I was in primary school, there was an old lady selling dried bean curd in a small piece. After you paid, she would take a piece of bean curd sheet, and wipe some salted sesame paste, put a small piece of spring onion and roll it up -- pass it to you.


This is what was called a ‘snack’ in China.

The small business was very popular, after school, the queue was formed up very quickly, many students were waiting for it, then having it on the way home. My dad never trusts the hygiene of this kind of street food, so he would make it for me at home ... but he makes the best. :)) I will blog this ‘wrap’ next time.

The recipe: Chinese bean curd salad (Liang cai)

Here is one of the ways to make into salad, also my dad’s recipe.

Ingredients

Dried bean curd sheet, coriander (optional)

Salt, sesame oil, light soy sauce, sesame paste, sugar.

Preparation

1) Try to open the beancurd sheet carefully, spread as a whole sheet.

2) Optional cleaning: use hot water soak and rinse it quickly.

3) Chop the sheet into around 0.5cm width strips.

4) In a small bowl, add in 1 teaspoon of light soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of sesame oil, 2/3 teaspoon of salt, around 2 (or more) tablespoon of sesame paste, 1 teaspoon of sugar. Mix everything well, until the sesame paste dissolves into the liquid.

5) Chop a few leaves of coriander.

Mixing

Pour the seasonings onto chopped beancurd sheet, and add in coriander, mix everything well. If you like spicy, add a few drops of chilli oil . It can be as a main salad dish, or side dish. Good to go with different kinds of rice and beer.

33. Chinese five spice adame beans

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五香毛豆

Summer! Summer! But today, there was no sun shining into my room to wake me up from the disturbing dreams… I got up, opened the curtain, grey, grey... the wind and the rain even seemed not that annoying any more, just the colour, the grey colour. I wish I could use a brush to paint the sky into yellow -- the colour of the sun...


So today’s recipe -- this pre-planned Sunday SUMMER recipe is only a wishful ‘title’. :))

Adame beans in Chinese cuisine

I guess many people are familiar with adame beans . In Japanese restaurants, you can have it as ‘starters’ or side dish, and M&S sells ‘crispy adame beans’ as snack.

But probably you don't know that boiled five spice adame bean s is one of the most popular dishes in June and July in Northeast China, and it is very tasty and very cheap.

There are two types seasonal peas / beans commonly eaten during the summer season in Northeast. In early June, it is the season for peas, but later, it is the time for ‘adame beans’. The way of preparing them is the same. However, for the taste and texture, normally people have heart for ‘adame beans’.

It is called ‘Mao dou’ in Chinese, as in ‘hairy beans’ (because surface of its skin), but it is actually just soya beans --- the very fresh ones. So needless to say, lots of the proteins, and very easy to fill up stomach.

In Northeast, during the season, you can see almost every household prepare a big ‘basin’ of adame beans, the whole family would sit or stand around the table to ‘pile up’ the skins peeled from the beans while chatting ; or the restaurants put the tables outside, then you can see almost at every table, people are having plates of adame beans with their beer. Now, I think you already understand my surprise when seeing the overpriced small portion in the restaurants here. :)

However, on the other hand, since I am rarely able to go back to my hometown in June or July, having the adame beans here becomes a treat, I am even grateful for whoever brought them here, even in frozen form.

Having small portion in the restaurants is certainly not enough for my craving towards the beans and easing my homesickness, especially the taste is not the same, so whenever we have chance to buy some, (we would buy A LOT), I prefer to make them at home. Luckily, nowadays, they are easy to get in many Chinese supermarkets, Japanese or Korean supermarkets, at very reasonable price. We always have a few packs stored in the freezer, just in case. :)

The Northeast recipe for making adame beans is very simple, but judging if it is nicely made can be very strict, so making it can be kind of challenge (small challenge though). We normally boil the beans with commonly used seasonings and salt, which is very different to the ones in Japanese restaurants. The nicely made soybeans need to be tasty (having all the seasoning soaked in), and still keep the skin green. It sounds easy, but … let’s see. (Since we all know if they are boiled or soaked longer enough, all the taste will go in better, but then, the skin will turn into ‘yellow’ instead of green, it can be disqualified as successful --- tricky, tricky).

Here is how I did. (I don’t make it right all the time as well, so here is my lucky ‘one time’.)

The recipe: five spice adame beans

Ingredients

Adame beans (Normally what we can get in England are the frozen ones, don't need to defrost before cooking. Hey, by the way, welcome to Northeast China in June then, to have the fresh ones).

Salt, anise star, cinnamon stick, sichuan peppercorn, bay leaves.

Cooking the adame beans

1） In a deep sauce pan, fill in water, and put 2 bay leaves, 2 normal size cinnamon stick, a few anise star, 1 teaspoon of sichuan peppercorn, and 2 tablespoon of salt.

2) Add the frozen adame beans in the sauce pan.

3) Turn on full fire, allow it to be boiling for around 5 minutes (time count as only after it is boiling).

4) Don’t cover the lid, otherwise, the skin will lose the green colour.

5) Turn down the fire, cover the lid now for about 2 or 3 minutes - this is for helping the seasonings settling in. (Not longer than 2 or 3 minutes, otherwise, the colour will turn to yellow as well)

6) Take the adame beans out, and raise in the cold water immediately. If the colour turned a bit yellow before, this can help get back to green -- only a little bit. But not too long in the cold water either, as it might raise all the seasonings away as well, just enough to get rid of the ‘hot’ steam among them to prevent it from the further colour changing.


---- Serve as snack or ‘starters’ with beer.

How to eat it: I have seen many people really trying hard to ‘peel’ it. :)) If this way, you will never wish to eat with me, because I can quickly finish the whole plate. Here is normally how we have it --- pick up one, bring it close to your mouth, use both hands hold each end of the bean, the inner curve facing you, then squeeze the ends and the other curve edge at the same time, the inner edge will open, and the beans will pop to your mouth directly. :))

I hope you are enjoying this especially if where you are is hot and sunny! :)

Have a lovely Sunday afternoon!

27. Chinese stir fried soy beans with tofu and carrot

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Chinese stir fried soy beans

素炒黄豆

This is definitely a protein boost recipe (see the posting on Soy beans). As I mentioned in a  the previous posting, whenever we are having a vegetarian dinner I would always prepare a dish with soya in it (soya beans or tofu, for example), so this is one of them.

I started cooking it all by chance. One night, I soaked some soy beans with intention of making soya milk, but I completely forgot about it in the next morning, only realized at dinner time, and thought it had got to be cooked soon. So this recipe popped to my head. I don’t think I created this recipe, somewhere in the deep deep of my memory, I had it before, probably cooked by my auntie, but… I couldn’t confirm with her anymore…. Anyway I made this with a traditional stir fry method, and it turned out to be a really good one.

I don’t know the name, let’s just call it ‘stir fry soya beans’ then.

Stir frying soya beans in Chinese cuisine

Stir frying soya beans at home is actually not uncommon in the Northeast of China. The soil there is very good for growing great soya beans, and the locals often try different methods of making it. I bet if I could ask my grandma or my auntie, they could tell you about many soya bean dishes.


I say it is a quick fix, because the actual stir frying takes no time, and the only thing you need is to remember to soak the soya beans before leaving home in the morning, or the night before. I didn’t want to just chew the ‘beans’ in the mouth, (otherwise it is going to be too many ‘beans’ to eat), so I put little tofu cubes in, for accompanying the ‘hardness’ from the beans. And some carrot cubes are just for having some vegetables, and for the colour of the plate. ---- I guess it is a dish that cannot be healthier! :))

The recipe: stir fried soy beans with tofu and carrot

Here you go how I made it.

Ingredients

Soya beans,(you can get them in most of the Chinese supermarkets, and lately, you can get them in Tesco. In some supermarkets like Co-op, or Holland & barrett, they sell a pack of mixed beans, it is great alternative especially if you forgot to soak soybeans).

Tofu, carrot, garlic, spring onion, oil, cooking wine (optional), salt, light soy sauce (optional), ground sichuan peppercorn (optional). ----- (lots of ‘optionals’, but it is not necessary to use all of the ingredients, as the main contents themselves already created a good taste).

Preparation

1) Pre-soak a cup of soybeans (at least overnight)

2) Slice a small piece of tofu and one carrot into little cubes.

3) Chop two cloves of garlic and half of a spring onion.

Cooking

1) Place an inner dried wok on strong fire, and pour in 3-4 tablespoons of oil.

2) When the oil is hot, sprinkle around 1/3 teaspoon of ground sichuan peppercorn.

Stir frying spring onion and garlic

3) Then add chopped garlic and spring onion in the wok.

4) When the ingredients in the wok is well cooked -- the fresh smell rising from the work, put the soybeans in, and stir well, turn down the fire to medium for ‘slower’ cooking the soybeans.

5) Stir-fry soybeans might take 3- 5 minutes at least, if it gets too dry in the wok, add in some water -- but little by little as the dish is supposed to be dry without any sauce in the end.

Stir frying the soya beans

6) Then add in carrot cubes first, tofu last.

7) Add in a teaspoon of cooking wine and a drop of light soy sauce, a bit less than half teaspoon of salt (I have got to learn to how describe the measurement better:) Sorry for now).

8)Keep stir fry for a further 3 minutes or more, until carrot is cooked, and the seasonings go into the main ingredients.

----- Serve now!!

I think it is perfect with boiled rice or beer if you like for the summer. :))) Whichever way, this dish is definitely recommended to have for a healthy boost time to time, but I suggest that if you have this dish, the rest of the dishes are better to be lighter, after having the soy beans -- you will see what I mean. :)))   ---- too full!  :)))

Chinese Food Made with Soya

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Soya in Chinese Cuisine

Soya is an important ingredient in Northeast Chinese cuisine. The nutritional properties of soya have been well-studied. If you think that your soya intake is limited to soya beans themselves, soya milk and tofu, you are wrong :) Actually, there are many different kinds of soya-made food products in North China--- which, btw, are all among my favourite, no matter how you cook them. (Recently I learnt that Northeast produces really good soya beans because of its  weather and different soil). Here in UK, there are many kinds of vegetarian meat substitutes made from soya, but they don't have its original taste, which I like the most.

In this post, I am introducing the most popular soya-based food in Northeast China and the popular ways of making them.

Soya beans

Soya Beans

Start from the original form in which soya presents itself in nature: soya beans. I have been looking for soya beans in normal supermarkets or shops like Holland and Barrett, but didn't have any luck. Fortunately, soya beans are sold in most Chinese supermarkets in the UK. The beans are sold dried and hard, so if you decide to cook them, you need to soak them in water at least overnight to get them softer and ready for cooking.

   A popular way of cooking them is to stir fry them. I like to do it with little tofu pieces and carrots; or light frying them in the oil, until they become crispy --- they can then can be taken as snacks or side dish.

Soya milk

Soya Milk

Although it is called soya milk in English, it is slightly different in China. In China, soya milk is  slightly thicker, and is never ever mixed with any other juice (where here in the shops, they normally come with apple juice in it). Nowadays, soya milk can be made at home by using a soya milk maker. If you remember to soak the beans the evening before, the next morning you can make pure soya milk in 10 minutes. (Once, I found a type of soy milk maker sold in US which does not require you to soak the beans in advance --- which is cool, since I always forget it.) Soya milk is one of the most common food in Chinese breakfast .

Chinese tofu

Firm to medium tofu

Well, I don’t think I need to say more about tofu (especially having said a lot about it in my first Tofu recipe). It is generally very easy to cook, and of course different ways of preparing it make the taste and texture different.

For instance, if you want to make the tofu firmer, and not to break the ‘cell’ too much, you can quickly boil it or steam it -- it is good for making salad; if you only just want the the surface to get firmer, you can fry it with a little bit oil, it is good to pour the sauce on it, for example.

If you deep fry it, it is called ‘Tofu Pao’, as tofu with bubbles, the ‘cells’ in the tofu will be losen, tofu could get ‘spongy’, and can easily absorb sauces, so it is good for soup. It can be purchased in the shops, but since it is easy to make, so I normally prepare it myself -- my dad's influence, 'you never know how clean the oil is they used to fry'. :))

If your tofu is accidentally frozen, DO NOT throw it away, it is the best! It is called ‘Dong Tofu’, means frozen tofu. I think it is probably because Northeast China gets really cold in winter, tofu was easy to get frozen outside, (it was normally sold fresh in the open markets or streets), so North people created this way of preparing tofu. :)) And here, if I miss it, I would just leave the fresh tofu in the freezer for a few hours, until it is completely frozen, then take it out to defrost it for getting ready to cook. Traditionally it is cooked with pickled ‘Chinese leaves’, its taste and texture is very similar to ‘pickled cabbage’, so I use it instead. (-- improvise again. :)) Nowadays, it is very popular for having it in ‘hotpot’ -- Northeast Chinese style.

Silken tofu

Silken Tofu

Silken tofu appeared in Northeast Chinese cuisine only in the last, probably, twenty years. It is really soft, almost impossible to pick it up by chopsticks. In Northeast, apart from normal salad, soup or having savory sauce on top of it, the most popular dish is silken tofu and  preserved duck egg salad， with a drop of ‘old vinegar’ --- the taste is the best. :)) It can be found in almost all of the Chinese and Japanese supermarkets here, and they always in the similar packages.

Tofu nao

Tofu Nao

It is a kind of ‘homemade’ silken tofu -- one of the traditional foods in North China. I still remember my grandma making it, and she used to tell the me the stories of having Tofu Nao when she was young. Traditionally, it is made from soya milk. Add coagulant to get it firmer, then pour prepared soup on top of it, have it with a spoon. The common soup to go with it is eggs, black fungus (Chinese mushroom). It is another common breakfast dish. Here, I normally buy the whole set from Japanese supermarket. In the package, soay milk powder substituted fresh one, and it comes with coagulant --- very easy to make. It is our Sunday breakfast sometimes.

Dried Beancurd

In the Chinese supermarkets here, dried beancurd comes in two types, one is like ‘stick’, another one is in sheet. They both need to be soaked in water first. Since in North we normally have it in salad, I prefer when it is a bit ‘chewable’, I soak it in warm water (not hot) for a couple of hours, then make it into salad.

Soya bean skin

Actually I don’t really know how to call it English, its original name in Mandarin can be mistaken as dried beancurd sheet in Cantonese. It looks like ‘light brown paper’. I only found it couple of times in Chinese supermarket here. We normally cook it in vegetable mushroom soup.

Dried tofu sheet

Dried Tofu Sheet

  --- At least it is the name if it is translated literally. :)) It is very similar to tofu, but instead of in a soft cube, it is in sheet. It is one of most common soya bean products in Northeast China, along with firm tofu. The first time I saw it in a Chinese supermarket in Manchester, I almost jumped up and screamed --- it is not a Cantonese dish, so almost impossible to find in the restaurants or normal Chinese supermarkets, but if the buyers or the owners are from North China, it is likely to sell it there. And once you find it, you have to try it!! :)))

Well, although the ones you can find are not really fresh ones (they are packed), and a little bit dry, it is more than enough for me. It is normally made into salad or stir fried --- the recipes are on the way, since I just bought one pack two days ago. But if you could get one now, the easiest way is to spread some soy paste and put a piece of spring onion on the tofu sheet, roll it up, then -- just enjoy!!

Chinese vegetarian chicken

Ha… it is the literal translation, otherwise it is called 'Suji), so don’t get confused with the ones sold in Vegetarian section in supermarkets here. It is another form of tofu, not for making it as substitute for chicken. :) Again, very Northeast food, normally in salad or stir fry. But unfortunately, I haven’t seen any sold here, so I’d better not explain too much --- till I go back home.

Tofu gan

Tofu Gan

I even lost idea of literal translation for this one. It is very similar to ‘Pressed Five Spice Tofu’ sold in the Chinese supermarket, but without pre-prepared flavor, like ‘Five Spice’. I used to buy it in a Chinese supermarket in Manchester, not exactly the same, it is with ‘a little bit’ Cantonese touch, but, we say ‘improvise’. It is normally stir fried with green pepper, for example.


  There are also some seasonings made from soy, like soy sauce, soy paste, soy oil. Anyway, soy products are one of most important food in every household in North China. Hope this could boost your interests in soy protein intake for healthy issue, and for having different taste of tofu dishes.

   I am having to stop here, otherwise, not mention you are bored already, if you want to listen, I can keep on talking about tofu food for hours and hours. :))