Homemade Pumpkin Seed Tofu
Homemade Pumpkin Seed Tofu
Ingredients
- 1 pound pumpkin seeds, soaked for 8+ hours
- 5 cups water
Instructions
- 1
Drain the soaking water from your pumpkin seeds and give them a thorough rinse under cold water.
⏱️ 5 min
- 2
Add the rinsed pumpkin seeds and 5 cups of fresh water to a high-speed blender. Depending on the size of your blender, you may need to do this in two batches to ensure a smooth consistency. Blend on high until the pumpkin seeds are completely smooth with no visible pieces remaining. This may take a few minutes.
⏱️ 10 min
- 3
Pour the blended pumpkin seed mixture into a nut milk bag. Over a large bowl, squeeze and drain the pumpkin seed milk. This process can take some time; continue squeezing until you can no longer manually extract any more liquid from the pulp. The remaining pulp should resemble soft play dough.
⏱️ 15 min
- 4
For a firm tofu, allow the pumpkin seed milk to rest in the refrigerator for 20 to 30 minutes. This step helps the starches settle. If you prefer a softer tofu, you can skip this resting period.
⏱️ 30 min
- 5
After the resting period (if applicable), slowly pour the milk into a heavy-bottomed pot, taking care not to disturb any settled starch at the bottom of the bowl. Heat the milk over high heat, stirring constantly with a flat-edged spatula to prevent sticking and scorching on the bottom of the pot.
⏱️ 5 min
- 6
As the pumpkin seed milk heats, it will begin to curdle. Once curdling starts, turn off the heat but keep the pot on the warm burner. Continue to gently stir until all the curds have fully formed and the liquid (whey) is no longer cloudy.
⏱️ 10 min
- 7
Remove the pot from the heat. Line a tofu press with a damp cheesecloth. Using a slotted skimmer utensil, carefully remove the pumpkin seed curds from the pot and transfer them into the lined tofu press. Continue this process until all the curds have been removed from the pot.
⏱️ 5 min
- 8
Fold the cheesecloth neatly over the curds in the press and place the tofu press top on. Place the tofu press in the refrigerator and allow the tofu to press overnight (for at least 8 hours) to achieve a firm consistency.
⏱️ 480 min
- 9
Once pressed, your homemade pumpkin seed tofu is ready to use as you would regular tofu. Store any leftover pulp in the fridge or freezer for use in smoothies or salads. The liquid (whey) left over from straining the curds can be used in soups or to make pancakes.
Kitchen Tools
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
Homemade Pumpkin Seed Tofu
- 1 pound pumpkin seeds, soaked for 8+ hours
- 5 cups water
Instructions
- 1
Drain the soaking water from your pumpkin seeds and give them a thorough rinse under cold water.
⏱️ 5 min - 2
Add the rinsed pumpkin seeds and 5 cups of fresh water to a high-speed blender. Depending on the size of your blender, you may need to do this in two batches to ensure a smooth consistency. Blend on high until the pumpkin seeds are completely smooth with no visible pieces remaining. This may take a few minutes.
⏱️ 10 min - 3
Pour the blended pumpkin seed mixture into a nut milk bag. Over a large bowl, squeeze and drain the pumpkin seed milk. This process can take some time; continue squeezing until you can no longer manually extract any more liquid from the pulp. The remaining pulp should resemble soft play dough.
⏱️ 15 min - 4
For a firm tofu, allow the pumpkin seed milk to rest in the refrigerator for 20 to 30 minutes. This step helps the starches settle. If you prefer a softer tofu, you can skip this resting period.
⏱️ 30 min - 5
After the resting period (if applicable), slowly pour the milk into a heavy-bottomed pot, taking care not to disturb any settled starch at the bottom of the bowl. Heat the milk over high heat, stirring constantly with a flat-edged spatula to prevent sticking and scorching on the bottom of the pot.
⏱️ 5 min - 6
As the pumpkin seed milk heats, it will begin to curdle. Once curdling starts, turn off the heat but keep the pot on the warm burner. Continue to gently stir until all the curds have fully formed and the liquid (whey) is no longer cloudy.
⏱️ 10 min - 7
Remove the pot from the heat. Line a tofu press with a damp cheesecloth. Using a slotted skimmer utensil, carefully remove the pumpkin seed curds from the pot and transfer them into the lined tofu press. Continue this process until all the curds have been removed from the pot.
⏱️ 5 min - 8
Fold the cheesecloth neatly over the curds in the press and place the tofu press top on. Place the tofu press in the refrigerator and allow the tofu to press overnight (for at least 8 hours) to achieve a firm consistency.
⏱️ 480 min - 9
Once pressed, your homemade pumpkin seed tofu is ready to use as you would regular tofu. Store any leftover pulp in the fridge or freezer for use in smoothies or salads. The liquid (whey) left over from straining the curds can be used in soups or to make pancakes.