Soya Milk and Drinks
Authentic Singapore Soya Bean Milk (Tau Huay Chui) Recipe
Experience the comforting, nutty aroma of authentic Singaporean Tau Huay Chui made right in your kitchen. This recipe delivers a grit-free, creamy finish using a standard blender and a simple straining technique that rivals any hawker stall.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Serves
- 4
- Level
- Medium
- Per serving
- 271 kcal
Method
Rinse the dried soybeans thoroughly under cold water. Soak them in a large bowl of water for 6 to 8 hours at room temperature, or overnight in the refrigerator. The beans should double in size and the skins should slip off easily when squeezed.
Drain and rinse the soaked beans. Optional: Rub the beans between your palms to remove the transparent skins; discarding these results in a whiter, cleaner-tasting milk.
Place half of the beans in a blender with 750ml of water. Blend on high speed for 2 minutes until completely pulverized. Repeat with the second half of the beans and the remaining 750ml of water.
Line a fine sieve with a clean muslin cloth or a nut milk bag over a large pot. Pour the blended mixture into the cloth. Squeeze the cloth firmly with your hands to extract every drop of milk, leaving only the dry pulp (okara) behind.
Place the pot of soya milk over medium heat and add the pandan leaves. Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon to prevent the bottom from scorching. Do not let it reach a rolling boil, as it may curdle or boil over.
Once simmering, skim off any foam from the surface. Add rock sugar and stir until dissolved. Simmer for a total of 15-20 minutes to ensure the 'raw' bean taste is fully cooked out.
To drink as milk: Serve hot or chilled. To set as Beancurd (Tau Huay): In a separate heat-proof container, mix 1 tsp GDL and 1 tbsp cornstarch with 2 tbsp of room temperature water. Quickly pour 1 liter of the hot (85°C-90°C) soya milk into the container from a height of 30cm to create a self-mixing vortex. Do not stir. Cover and let sit undisturbed for 15 minutes until set.
Notes
Always use a heavy-bottomed pot to distribute heat evenly and prevent the milk from burning at the base.
Removing the bean skins takes time but significantly reduces the 'beany' astringency of the final drink.
For a richer, creamier milk, reduce the water to 1.2 liters instead of 1.5 liters.
The Hokkien name is Tau Huay Chui (豆花水), which literally means 'Bean Flower Water', while the Mandarin name is Dou Jiang (豆浆), meaning 'Bean Liquid'.
Questions
Why is my soya milk gritty?
Can I use gypsum instead of GDL to set the curd?
How long can I store homemade soya milk?
Why do I need to stir the milk constantly while cooking?
Another version of this dish, written for a home kitchen outside Singapore: Homemade Soy Milk on Recipe.net.
