Over the years, I’ve received many inquiries about tofu substitutions for people who are allergic to soy. In the back of mind, I’ve thought about Shan tofu, something that I first discovered while eating at Burma Superstar in San Francisco. However, it’s taken me a few years to actually develop a recipe for this chickpea tofu, which originates from Shan cuisine. The Shan State is located in the eastern part of Myanmar (Burma) and borders China, Laos, and Thailand. Largely a rural area, the Shan State lies within a hilly plateau with fertile soils that support local agriculture. The Shan people are part of the Tai ethnic group (they refer to themselves as “Tai” and “Shan” is the Burmese name). There are many notable dishes from Shan cuisine, including Shan noodles, sticky rice, and their chickpea tofu! (Note: I will be using “Shan tofu” and “chickpea tofu” interchangeably throughout the post.)
WHAT IS SHAN TOFU (CHICKPEA TOFU)?
If you’ve ever eaten at a Burmese restaurant, you’ve probably seen Shan tofu or chickpea tofu on the menu. This Shan-style chickpea tofu is often made with chickpea flour, water, and salt and is pale yellow in color. Often, you’ll see versions of Shan tofu with turmeric added, which deepens the yellow color of the tofu and adds a hint of earthy flavor. In the recipe below, I added turmeric along with sugar and granulated garlic, which neutralizes the beany flavor of the chickpea flour. If you’re looking for something that’s more authentic, feel free to leave out the sugar and granulated garlic. The texture of Shan tofu is quite different from soy-based tofu. Because the process of making chickpea tofu is very similar to making polenta, I think the texture of chickpea tofu is more similar to polenta than soy tofu. Compared to polenta, chickpea tofu has a smoother texture, as chickpea flour is generally more finely ground than cornmeal.
USING CHICKPEA FLOUR TO MAKE BATTER
A common way to make chickpea tofu is to make a batter with chickpea flour and water. Another way of making chickpea tofu is to soak dried chickpeas in water and blending everything into a batter. Here, I am using Bob’s Red Mill Chickpea Flour, which is readily available in the baking aisle at my local grocery stores. I love the fine grind for the chickpea flour and did not have any issues with lumps in the batter as I tested this recipe. By the way, Bob’s Red Mill Chickpea Flour is great for making gluten-free doughs. If you are looking for ideas, check out my friend Sarah’s recipes for gluten-free chickpea pasta or gluten-free dumpling wrappers over at Snixy Kitchen! Bob’s Red Mill also makes a Garbanzo Fava Flour that’s made with chickpeas and fava beans. I haven’t tried using it to make this tofu yet, but I think it could work well in place of the chickpea flour!
ADJUSTING THE FIRMNESS OF THE TOFU
You can adjust the firmness of the chickpea tofu by using more or less water. Many recipes I’ve seen use a 1:3 flour-to-water ratio (by volume). In other words, for every cup of chickpea flour, use 3 cups of water. This will yield a tofu that’s pretty soft. I like to pan fry the chickpea tofu, so I like making firmer tofu, which uses less water. Using 2 3/4 cups of water works quite well for me, though you can also reduce the water to 2 1/2 cups for an even firmer tofu. If you plan on deep frying the chickpea tofu, you probably want to use 2 1/2 cups of water for the batter.
CHOOSING THE RIGHT PAN
You can make the tofu in a loaf pan, square pan, or a round pan. If you want to make Shan tofu that’s at least an inch thick, I recommend using a loaf pan. I used a 9×5-inch loaf pan, but you can use something slightly smaller, such as an 8.5×4.5-inch loaf pan. You can also also use an 8×8-inch square pan or an 8-inch round pan to make the tofu, but it will come out much thinner, especially if you use less water for the batter.
WHY DOES MY CHICKPEA TOFU LOOK LUMPY?
When you are ready to pour the chickpea tofu batter into a pan for molding, you must work quickly in order to get a smooth top. The batter forms a crust at the top very quickly, so if you spend more than a few minutes transferring the batter into the pan, the tofu likely will look very lumpy at the top (see photo above). Whenever I make this tofu, I try to make sure I already have a greased pan and a silicone spatula ready to transfer the batter. After you’ve emptied the batter into the pan, quickly use the silicone spatula to smooth out the top. If you end up with a lumpy batter, don’t worry too much. The bottom of the tofu will be smooth no matter what. Moreover, you can always slice off a thin layer from the top to smooth out the block of tofu.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
In Burmese restaurants, you often find Shan tofu deep fried or pan fried and served in salads. My favorite way of serving Shan tofu is to pan fry it in oil and drizzle it with homemade chili oil. I typically use the same chili oil that I make for my Chinese Smashed Cucumber Salad. Essentially, you pour heated oil over chili flakes, ginger, garlic, and salt for a very aromatic, lightly spicy oil. After you pan fry the tofu, drizzle chili oil and the solids over the tofu. It is such a treat! Another way I like to eat chickpea tofu is to pan fry it and then drizzle teriyaki sauce over the tofu, until everything is coated with sauce. Then, let the sauce reduce slightly and serve.
MORE RECIPES WITH BOB’S RED MILL
Pumpkin Millet PorridgeHow to Make Tapioca Pearls (Boba)Mango Tapioca Pudding (Mango Sago)Milk Bread Cinnamon Rolls
Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Bob’s Red Mill! To learn more about their products and to get more recipe inspiration, follow them on Instagram or Facebook.
