Dish of Shan Tofu Blocks
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Shan Tofu


Burma - Shan   -   Tohu
Makes:
Effort:
Sched:
DoAhead:  		 2-1/2 #
**
20+ min
Must		 This dish would better be called "Shan Polenta" as it is similarly made. Extremely easy to make, it's a versatile ingredient, deep fried on its own or used in salads, soups, etc.   Important - see Consistency regarding your intended use, and also Comments.




2-1/2
2
2
4
ar
c
t
c
c

Besan (1)
Salt
Water
Water (more)  
Oil
Make:   -   (20 min + 1 hr to 8 hrs cooling time)
  1. Lightly oil a suitable mold. I use an 11 x 7 inch glass baking dish.
  2. Place BESAN in a large mixing bowl, preferably through a sifter. Whisk it around to make sure there are no lumps, then mix in Salt and whisk some more.
  3. Stir in 2 cups Water and whisk it well to assure there are not lumps at all.
  4. In a wide, heavy bottomed pot (I use a 5 quart tri-ply sauté pan), bring 4 cups Water to a boil over fairly high flame. With a flat spatula, stir constantly as you slowly mix in the Besan mix. Lower the heat a little and keep stirring and scraping up the bottom of the pan until the mixture is smooth and has a silky appearance (about 5 minutes). It will start to thicken immediately. I regulate the heat so I see just a couple of bubbles at the end of the 5 minutes of stirring.
  5. Pour into the prepared mold and smooth out. This is best done by two people, one to hold the pan, the other with a rubber spatula scooting it out into the mold. Especially with our 2-1/2 cup formula it's setting fast, so there's no room for delay.
  6. Set it aside to cool (don't put hot things in your fridge). When pretty cool, slide it into the fridge to set. Don't cover with plastic for awhile as it will exude some water at first.
  7. Turn out on your cutting board and cut as needed for your use.
NOTES:

  1. Besan:

      [Chickpea Flour]   Besan can be found in markets serving a South Asian community and in many multi-ethnic markets.

  2. Consisitency

      Made with 2 cups of Besan, this recipe will set to the consistency of Silken Tofu in an hour or so, and be like Soft Tofu in the morning. Made with 2-1/2 cups of Besan, it will set to Firm Tofu consistency before it even gets into the fridge. It will be excellent for deep frying, salad pieces, or cut into noodles. For Silky Shan Soup you'd want to start with 1-1/4 cup Basan.

  3. Comments

      This "Tofu" has become popular throughout Burma, but in central Burma cooks would usually add 1/4 teaspoon of Turmeric for a yellow color. Making Shan Tofu from Besan is a convenience for people who have that available. In The Shan Hills it is often made from Mung Beans or Pigeon Peas. Without access to flour, they boil the beans soft, then grind them into a mush that will set into the "Tofu".
  4. U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch, ar="as required tt=to taste
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