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cubed homemade yellow chickpea tofu on ceramic plate with knife on the side
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Chickpea Tofu

How to make chickpea tofu using just 2 ingredients and two methods: with chickpea flour or dried chickpeas. The resulting Burmese tofu is an excellent gluten-free, nut-free, soy-free tofu substitute. It can be made firm or soft like silken tofu and used interchangeably in many ways; marinated, baked, fried, and more!
Course Side
Cuisine Asian, Myanmar
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 10
Author Michaela Vais

Ingredients

Quick Chickpea Flour Method

  • 1 cup (100 g) chickpea flour
  • 2-2½ cups (600 ml) of water (divided) - see notes
  • ½-¾ tsp salt (optional)
  • ⅛-¼ tsp turmeric (optional)

OR - Dried Chickpeas Method (Similar To Silken Tofu)

  • 1 cup (200 g) dried chickpeas (raw)
  • 2 cups (480 ml) water

Instructions

Quick Chickpea Flour Method

  • You can watch the video in the post for visual instructions.
    In a bowl, mix the chickpea flour and 1 cup (240 ml) of water with a whisk. Use just ½ cup (120 ml) water for firmer tofu.
  • In a saucepan, bring 1½ cups (360 ml) of water to a boil. As soon as it boils, slowly pour the chickpea mixture into the water while stirring constantly.
  • Let simmer on low heat for at least 5-6 minutes, and make sure to keep whisking frequently. Pour the mixture into a 6x6-inch mold (or several smaller molds) and let it firm up.
    Optionally, place the mold(s) into your refrigerator, to firm up even more (the longer it sits, the firmer it gets). Once the chickpea tofu is firmed up, you can unmold it and use it as you would use regular tofu. Enjoy!

Dried Chickpeas Method (Silken Tofu)

  • Add the dried chickpeas to a large bowl and add plenty of water until they are covered with at least 2 inches (5 cm) of water. Soak them overnight (or up to 1 day), then drain the water through a strainer and give the chickpeas a quick rinse.
  • Grease a mold (e.g. a 6x6-inch glass pan) or several ramekins with a little oil and set aside.
  • Transfer the chickpeas into a blender and add 2 cups of fresh water. Blend for about 20-30 seconds, then strain the mixture into a large bowl through a nut-milk bag and try to squeeze out as much liquid as possible. If you have some leftovers in the blender jug, then add 1-2 tablespoons of water and use a silicone spatula to get it all out.
  • Add the strained liquid into a medium saucepan and bring it to a boil, stirring constantly with a whisk until it starts simmering. It's important to stir a lot because the starch of the chickpeas will float to the bottom of the pan and begin to clump, if you don't stir constantly.
  • Once the mixture starts simmering, turn the heat to low and keep simmering for about 20 minutes, stirring often. The consistency will be like thick pudding. The longer you let it simmer, the firmer the silken tofu will be, as more water will evaporate.
  • Pour the cooked mixture into the prepared mold(s) and smooth the top with a spatula. Let it cool at room temperature for a few hours to set.
    Optionally, place the mold(s) into your refrigerator, to firm up even more (the longer it sits, the firmer it gets). Once the chickpea tofu is firmed up, you can unmold it and use it as you would use silken tofu. Enjoy!

Notes

  • If you are planning to make savory tofu, then I recommend adding 1/2-3/4 tsp of salt (or use veggie broth instead of water) and 1/8-1/4 teaspoon of turmeric powder. In my vegan quiche recipe, I also added onion powder, nutritional yeast, smoked paprika, and black pepper.
  • For firmer tofu: I recommend using less water (e.g. just 2 cups in total) for the chickpea flour version, if you want the tofu to firm up more. For even firmer tofu (perfect for pan-frying) I recommend adding 1 tsp of agar powder to the mixture.
  • I use the dried chickpea method to make homemade silken tofu and use it for my vegan cheesecake recipes!
  • I learned about the dried chickpea method in this video.
  • The chickpea flour method was inspired by Mary's Test Kitchen who was inspired by Girl Cooks World.
  • The total time doesn't include chill time.
Nutrition Facts
Chickpea Tofu
Serving Size
 
50 g
Amount per Serving
Calories
47
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
1
g
2
%
Saturated Fat
 
1
g
5
%
Carbohydrates
 
7
g
2
%
Fiber
 
1
g
4
%
Sugar
 
1
g
1
%
Protein
 
3
g
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.