Is there some kind of food that’s basically tofu but made from beans other than soy? I’ve had em whole and mashed up into a paste, but iirc soy beans are the only one’s I’ve had as their own cohesive block,
The texture of tofu is a turn off for a lot of people, but what if you make tofu from like kidney beans or something? A product that’s firmer and chewier (and probably not called ___ tofu, cuz people are idiots) could potentially be a hit.
Edit - loving the replies this is getting! Looks like I’ve got some homework to do!
Oh and to add to my other comment, there’s good reason why soy is the legume of choice, it has a very unique taste, texture, and nutritional profile compared to other legumes. If you can find some pre-cooked canned beans, having a meal with the beans themselves makes their properties very apparent. The texture is completely different to what you would expect from a bean.
As already mentioned, the Will it Tofu series is great. There’s another kind of tofu, sometimes known as Burmese tofu, which is basically the whole cooked beans mashed and chilled in a try to form up. The texture is very different since it’s literally just the whole bean.
Also need to mention soy curls. Those are also a whole bean product, with a similar texture to tvp products - makes an amazing alternative to things like chicken strips and pulled-meat products, and unlike tofu, soy curls are great flavor sponges.
Then there’s the whole world of gluten-based products, mainly known as seitan. In stores you can sometimes find plant-based sandwich slices that are overpriced. If you make it at home, you’ll be amazed at the crazy amount of super high protein food you can turn two cups of vital wheat gluten into. I like to blend a block of tofu in with mine, and usually end up with a big log that comes out to about 270 grams of protein in total.
Then if you’re not averse to synthetically augmented products, methylcellulose is the key ingredient that gives products like Beyond and Impossible their characteristic chew.
And I’m sure there’s a lot I’m missing. Plant-based proteins are more of an iceberg than most people realize.
Not what you asked but you’ll still like it: you should try chickpea pasta! Just don’t overcook it and it’s awesome!
Another vegetarian cooking tip you didn’t ask for: cook with more fat! Meat has a shiiiiiiitload of fat in it, even the “lean” stuff. You will feel much more satisfied with vegetarian meals if you just use more oil. And you will still be eating less fat than with meat.
For the longest time, I avoided vegetarian dishes and ingredients like tofu. Was introduced to Indian food - the meat options were delicious, but then I tried the paneer version, and holy fuck. The revelation that meat is infact entirely unnecessary to make a dish taste absolutely amazing was a game changer. Like owning a manual car and just assuming 1st and reverse were the only two gears - then suddenly discovering 2nd+, despite them having literally just been right infront of me in plain sight the whole time.
Morale of the story is that I (finally) learned to appreciate vegetarian cooking on its own culinary merit… there are a lot of idealogical and ecological reasons to go vegetarian or vegan or w/e, but those usually take the spotlight (I mean… because they’re actually important), but another less-touted angle is that it’s just fucking delicious.
So, vegetarian cooking tips are nothing to scoff at!
Anyway, chickpea pasta… I didn’t know that was a thing - I’ll keep an out for it. I’m wondering if I might have actually had it though and not actually known what it was. A coworker brought some pasta in for a potluck, and it had an unusually gummy texture, and just a little bit of grit they same way hummus has. I never did ask what it was, but it was good stuff. It was more dense and chewy than regular pasta, which I’ve always found to be a satisfying combo in food.
I saw a thing for making Red Lentil Tofu. I doubt it’s the same texture, but you’re essentially making a block of it and it slices. You can probably accomplish the same with mashed beans.
I can’t think of any that mimic the process of tofu, given it requires coagulation. The closest is cheese, specifically paneer. Maybe imitations, like with gelatin, but not in the same way as tofu.
So why not? I’m not sure, as you can make a paste from chickpeas (hummus), beans, or lentils. But you kind of need to make a milk out of it, coagulate that liquid, mold and press the mixture. Do those mixtures create milky liquid if cooked? Do they react to chemicals to coagulate into a curd?
Given I never see bean or lentil milk, I think that’s the bottleneck. Nor almond or oat milk tofu, although I bet that’s a safer bet. I think soy just fulfills certain requirements and it’s kind of genius that people even figured out how to make tofu in the first place!
I fuckin love paneer! I literally have some on the smoker as we speak (bite sized blocks of paneer + pretty much any sauce you’re in the mood for + lowish temp smoke for 90 minutes or so = insanely delicious).
Today’s sauce is a sesame based marinade I found in our local Asian market - was a really good dipper for meats and veggies, so I have high hopes for this batch of paneer!
Edit - snacking on it now. Errmagerd this batch turned out good!
Can’t go wrong with those! Indian food is some of the best on the planet. I think paneer tikka masala was the first time I had paneer - didn’t have a clue what it was, just know I really liked the chicken version and there was an unfamiliar word next to one of my favorite dishes. Ordered it just out of curiosity. First thought was “oh, it’s tofu” and was a bit disappointed cuz I didn’t care for that squishy texture (it’s grown on me since though… noms…). Took a bite – second thought was “this is the best fucking tofu I’ve ever had!”. Did some digging online and quickly discovered I was wrong on both counts: it’s cheese! …that doesn’t melt… hmmm…
I’ve since experimented a good bit with it and different rubs and marinades on the smoker. Garlic herb and pepper rub is probably my favorite so far. Today’s batch was “Kewpie Deep Roasted Sesame” mixed with some balsamic, and I’d say ranks #2. Terryaki + soy sauce came out decent. BBQ was meh. Pesto was (surprisingly) meh. …and by ‘meh’ I mean “still delicious, but nowhere near its potential, so not gonna bother with that one again”.
There are indeed. I’ve bought pre-made Chickpea Tofu at the store before though it has a very different texture and taste than soy based tofu. I’ve also heard of Pumfu (Pumpkin Seed Tofu) as a thing you can buy. Looking it up there’s a ton more that I hadn’t heard of like fava bean, split yellow pea, split green pea, pigeon pea tofu, red lentil, sunflower seed, and more though I’d assume those you’d probably have to make it yourself instead of being able to buy?
I think I’ve seen, will it tofu, videos on YouTube. But I have made tempeh from beans other than soy, black bean was better than chickpea, but both good.
Is there some kind of food that’s basically tofu but made from beans other than soy? I’ve had em whole and mashed up into a paste, but iirc soy beans are the only one’s I’ve had as their own cohesive block,
The texture of tofu is a turn off for a lot of people, but what if you make tofu from like kidney beans or something? A product that’s firmer and chewier (and probably not called ___ tofu, cuz people are idiots) could potentially be a hit.
Edit - loving the replies this is getting! Looks like I’ve got some homework to do!
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6QDlGTnYxpEQRrBz7aSGfVE6TAHeoQRa. The series is called Will It Tofu.
I appreciate the commitment
Oh and to add to my other comment, there’s good reason why soy is the legume of choice, it has a very unique taste, texture, and nutritional profile compared to other legumes. If you can find some pre-cooked canned beans, having a meal with the beans themselves makes their properties very apparent. The texture is completely different to what you would expect from a bean.
As already mentioned, the Will it Tofu series is great. There’s another kind of tofu, sometimes known as Burmese tofu, which is basically the whole cooked beans mashed and chilled in a try to form up. The texture is very different since it’s literally just the whole bean.
Also need to mention soy curls. Those are also a whole bean product, with a similar texture to tvp products - makes an amazing alternative to things like chicken strips and pulled-meat products, and unlike tofu, soy curls are great flavor sponges.
Then there’s the whole world of gluten-based products, mainly known as seitan. In stores you can sometimes find plant-based sandwich slices that are overpriced. If you make it at home, you’ll be amazed at the crazy amount of super high protein food you can turn two cups of vital wheat gluten into. I like to blend a block of tofu in with mine, and usually end up with a big log that comes out to about 270 grams of protein in total.
Then if you’re not averse to synthetically augmented products, methylcellulose is the key ingredient that gives products like Beyond and Impossible their characteristic chew.
And I’m sure there’s a lot I’m missing. Plant-based proteins are more of an iceberg than most people realize.
Not what you asked but you’ll still like it: you should try chickpea pasta! Just don’t overcook it and it’s awesome!
Another vegetarian cooking tip you didn’t ask for: cook with more fat! Meat has a shiiiiiiitload of fat in it, even the “lean” stuff. You will feel much more satisfied with vegetarian meals if you just use more oil. And you will still be eating less fat than with meat.
For the longest time, I avoided vegetarian dishes and ingredients like tofu. Was introduced to Indian food - the meat options were delicious, but then I tried the paneer version, and holy fuck. The revelation that meat is infact entirely unnecessary to make a dish taste absolutely amazing was a game changer. Like owning a manual car and just assuming 1st and reverse were the only two gears - then suddenly discovering 2nd+, despite them having literally just been right infront of me in plain sight the whole time.
Morale of the story is that I (finally) learned to appreciate vegetarian cooking on its own culinary merit… there are a lot of idealogical and ecological reasons to go vegetarian or vegan or w/e, but those usually take the spotlight (I mean… because they’re actually important), but another less-touted angle is that it’s just fucking delicious.
So, vegetarian cooking tips are nothing to scoff at!
Anyway, chickpea pasta… I didn’t know that was a thing - I’ll keep an out for it. I’m wondering if I might have actually had it though and not actually known what it was. A coworker brought some pasta in for a potluck, and it had an unusually gummy texture, and just a little bit of grit they same way hummus has. I never did ask what it was, but it was good stuff. It was more dense and chewy than regular pasta, which I’ve always found to be a satisfying combo in food.
Falafel is so damn easy to make vegan. And delicious.
I saw a thing for making Red Lentil Tofu. I doubt it’s the same texture, but you’re essentially making a block of it and it slices. You can probably accomplish the same with mashed beans.
I can’t think of any that mimic the process of tofu, given it requires coagulation. The closest is cheese, specifically paneer. Maybe imitations, like with gelatin, but not in the same way as tofu.
So why not? I’m not sure, as you can make a paste from chickpeas (hummus), beans, or lentils. But you kind of need to make a milk out of it, coagulate that liquid, mold and press the mixture. Do those mixtures create milky liquid if cooked? Do they react to chemicals to coagulate into a curd?
Given I never see bean or lentil milk, I think that’s the bottleneck. Nor almond or oat milk tofu, although I bet that’s a safer bet. I think soy just fulfills certain requirements and it’s kind of genius that people even figured out how to make tofu in the first place!
I fuckin love paneer! I literally have some on the smoker as we speak (bite sized blocks of paneer + pretty much any sauce you’re in the mood for + lowish temp smoke for 90 minutes or so = insanely delicious).
Today’s sauce is a sesame based marinade I found in our local Asian market - was a really good dipper for meats and veggies, so I have high hopes for this batch of paneer!
Edit - snacking on it now. Errmagerd this batch turned out good!
Oh that does sound so good! I only ever have it as saag paneer or tikka masala, but smoked and as a snack sounds great in an Asian sauce.
Can’t go wrong with those! Indian food is some of the best on the planet. I think paneer tikka masala was the first time I had paneer - didn’t have a clue what it was, just know I really liked the chicken version and there was an unfamiliar word next to one of my favorite dishes. Ordered it just out of curiosity. First thought was “oh, it’s tofu” and was a bit disappointed cuz I didn’t care for that squishy texture (it’s grown on me since though… noms…). Took a bite – second thought was “this is the best fucking tofu I’ve ever had!”. Did some digging online and quickly discovered I was wrong on both counts: it’s cheese! …that doesn’t melt… hmmm…
I’ve since experimented a good bit with it and different rubs and marinades on the smoker. Garlic herb and pepper rub is probably my favorite so far. Today’s batch was “Kewpie Deep Roasted Sesame” mixed with some balsamic, and I’d say ranks #2. Terryaki + soy sauce came out decent. BBQ was meh. Pesto was (surprisingly) meh. …and by ‘meh’ I mean “still delicious, but nowhere near its potential, so not gonna bother with that one again”.
There are indeed. I’ve bought pre-made Chickpea Tofu at the store before though it has a very different texture and taste than soy based tofu. I’ve also heard of Pumfu (Pumpkin Seed Tofu) as a thing you can buy. Looking it up there’s a ton more that I hadn’t heard of like fava bean, split yellow pea, split green pea, pigeon pea tofu, red lentil, sunflower seed, and more though I’d assume those you’d probably have to make it yourself instead of being able to buy?
you can make your own from any bean, nut, or legume
I think I’ve seen, will it tofu, videos on YouTube. But I have made tempeh from beans other than soy, black bean was better than chickpea, but both good.