Beancurd Desserts
Homemade Silken Beancurd with Longan and Red Dates Syrup
Experience the comforting texture of melt-in-your-mouth silken beancurd paired with the natural sweetness of dried longans and red dates. Known in Hokkien as 'Tau Huay' (豆花), where 'Tau' means bean and 'Huay' means flower, this recipe uses simple home tools to achieve a professional hawker-style finish.
- Prep
- 480 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Serves
- 4
- Level
- Medium
- Per serving
- 210 kcal
Method
Rinse the soya beans thoroughly. Soak them in plenty of water for at least 8 hours or overnight at room temperature. The beans should double in size and the skins should be easy to rub off.
Drain the soaking water. Place half the beans and 750ml of filtered water into a blender. Blend on high until the mixture is completely white and frothy. Repeat with the remaining beans and water.
Pour the blended mixture through a fine sieve lined with a muslin cloth or a nut milk bag into a large pot. Squeeze the bag firmly to extract every drop of soya milk, discarding the dry pulp (okara).
Bring the soya milk to a gentle boil over medium-low heat. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon to prevent the bottom from scorching. Once it reaches a rolling boil, lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes to ensure the 'raw' bean taste is gone. Skim off any foam from the surface.
Prepare the syrup: In a separate small pot, combine 500ml water, rock sugar, dried longans, red dates, and pandan leaves. Simmer for 20 minutes until the longans are plump and the syrup is fragrant. Keep warm.
In a deep, heat-proof ceramic or glass container, whisk together the gypsum powder, cornstarch, and 50ml of cool water until smooth. This is the coagulant slurry.
Ensure the cooked soya milk is at approximately 85°C to 90°C. Give the coagulant slurry a quick stir to ensure nothing has settled. In one swift, continuous motion, pour the hot soya milk from a height of about 30cm into the container with the slurry. This creates the necessary turbulence to mix without stirring.
Immediately skim off any bubbles on the surface. Cover the container with a clean kitchen towel (to catch condensation) and then a lid. Let it sit undisturbed for 30 to 45 minutes until set.
To serve, use a shallow metal spoon to scoop thin layers of the warm beancurd into a bowl. Ladle the longan and red date syrup over the top.
Notes
Do not move or shake the container while the beancurd is setting, as this will break the protein bonds and prevent a smooth curd.
A height of 30cm for the pour is essential; it uses gravity to mix the milk and coagulant perfectly without the need for a spoon, which would introduce air bubbles.
Using a kitchen towel under the lid prevents water droplets from falling onto the surface of the beancurd, which causes unsightly pitting.
Non-GMO beans generally yield a creamier milk and a more stable set.
Questions
Can I use store-bought soya milk?
Why is my beancurd watery?
What is the role of cornstarch?
How long does it stay fresh?
Another version of this dish, written for a home kitchen outside Singapore: Tofu Pudding with Longan and Red Date Syrup on Recipe.net.
