HEALTHY TOFU aka BEANCURD and TOFU RECIPE

Beancurd actually comes from two words; bean means soya bean and curd means coagulating soya milk and pressing the resulting curds into soft delicate white blocks.

The word "tofu" originated from the Japanese while "doufu" was from the Chinese.

Beancurd was first found in China during the Han Dynasty.

Beancurd is a healthy food which is versatile and full of nutrition value such as water soluble vitamins, minerals and proteins. It is a traditional Chinese belief that beancurd helps to enhance skin smoothness and fairness. Therefore, majority pregnant mothers include beancurd as one of the healthy food for pregnant women. Normally, mothers-to-be consume soya milk and beancurd in order to have smooth and fair skin babies.

There are various of beancurd sold in the market, such as; Japanese egg tofu for braise or steam dishes, fresh and soft tofu for soups, pressed tofu for stir fry or deep fried, firm tofu for stuffing with minced meat or fish which are usually deep fried, also known as "Yong Tau Fu" and fried beancurd puff for curries, soups and rojak.

In the olden days, beancurd were sold in cloth-lined wooden trays in which they were made. These beancurd were usually sold in blocks or squares. Nowadays, fresh beancurd are sold in tubes, plastic tubs or pre-packed. Each packing is enough for 2 servings.

Japanese egg tofu (beancurd) is different from others because eggs are added to provide tantalizing taste rather than bland. It is a perfect ingredient for steamboat.

Soft tofu (beancurd) are especially suitable for light, clear soups as they are soft, smooth and easily digested.

Pressed tofu (beancurd) are usually square and have firm texture. These beancurd contain less water, not fragile and can be cut into slices or cubes without breaking them apart.

Another type which is popular in supermarket is the deep fried beancurd in cubes or squares. This type is crusty on the outer surface but full of pores inside, which means, the inside is almost empty. It is perfect for minced pork or fish paste stuffing. Many people prefers to dip them into chilly sauce for spicy taste.

Have you heard a tofu (beancurd) that smells like rotten garbage? Yes, it is "Smelly / Stinky Tofu". It is a fermented tofu with a strong foul smell. The brine to produce "Smelly Tofu" includes fermented milk, vegetables, meat, dried shrimps, mustard green, bamboo shoots and Chinese herbs which takes up several months to fermenate. It is a popular snack in Hong Kong, Taiwan and China. However, not everyone could tolerate the foul smell. It is commonly sold in fried form accompanied with chilli sauce or hoisin sauce.

Beancurd is good and healthy for us. It is included in the healthy food pyramid and proven that it helps to lose weight. However, not everyone likes its' taste. Some people find it too bland. The best way to get rid of the blandness is frying which instantly changes its texture and taste. The soft type becomes hard and crisp.

Fried beancurd should be done quickly over high heat, Once the beancurd turns golden brown, remove and drain the oil on paper towel. Eat while it is hot and crispy.

For braised dishes, beancurd should be added lastly so that it will not break into pieces while stirring.

Beancurd, whether fresh or pressed will turn sour if left unattended in warm or hot heat. Eventhough the beancurd turn sour, it is not poisonous or stale. Some people fry or braise them in order to cover up the foul smell.

The best way to keep them fresh is refrigerate them once you made the purchase. Use them by the second day for freshness.

Here is a healthy food recipe for you to try.

Ingredients

1 tube Jap .egg beancurd , sliced thickly

100g minced pork

100g minced chicken

100g minced prawns

1 small onion, diced

1 small carrot, diced

1 spring onion, diced

1 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp black pepper

Method

1. Decorate sliced beancurd on a plate attractively.
2. Mix all meats together. Mix well.
3. Add in diced carrots, onion, spring onion and seasoning.
4. Stir until all well combined.
5. Scoop 1 tsp of mixed meat and roll into a small ball.
6. Flatten slightly.
7. Place it on top of each beancurd.
8. Steam for 3-5 min or until meat is cooked.