Homemade Japanese Tofu
Homemade Japanese Tofu is a medium Japanese recipe that serves 4. 70 calories per serving. Recipe by The Yellow Rice on YouTube.
Prep: 10 hrs 27 min | Cook: 1 hr 40 min | Total: 12 hrs 27 min
Cost: $3.20 total, $0.80 per serving
Ingredients
- 250 g Yellow soybeans (To be soaked 8‑12 h before use)
- 1 L Water (for blending) (Preferably filtered water)
- 3 g Nigari (magnesium chloride) (Tofu coagulant)
- 150 ml Warm water (to dissolve the nigari) (About 10 tablespoons)
- 1 piece Cheesecloth (To filter soy milk and shape the tofu)
- 1 kg 1 kg weight (For pressing the tofu)
- 0.5 teaspoon Salt (optional) (To adjust tofu seasoning)
Instructions
Soaking the soybeans
Place the 250 g of yellow soybeans in a large bowl, cover with cold water and let soak for 8 to 12 hours (ideally overnight).
Time: PT10H
Draining and rinsing
Drain the soaked beans and rinse them thoroughly under running water.
Time: PT10M
Blending with water
In the blender, add the drained beans and 1 L of water. Blend in two or three batches according to the blender’s capacity until you obtain a smooth liquid.
Time: PT5M
Filtering the soy milk
Pour the mixture into a sieve lined with cheesecloth. Press the cheesecloth well to extract as much liquid as possible. Reserve the residue (okara) for other recipes.
Time: PT5M
Cooking the soy milk
Transfer the filtered milk to the pot, bring to low heat and let simmer for 5 minutes, stirring regularly to prevent the milk from sticking to the bottom.
Time: PT5M
Temperature: low heat
Preparing the nigari
In a small bowl, dissolve 3 g of nigari in 150 ml of warm water (about 10 tablespoons). Mix until fully dissolved.
Time: PT2M
Cooling the milk
Remove the pot from the heat and let the soy milk cool to about 80 °C.
Time: PT5M
Temperature: 80°C
Coagulation
Pour the dissolved nigari into a large mixing bowl, immediately add the cooled soy milk, stir gently, cover and let coagulate for 30 minutes.
Time: PT30M
Preparing the mold
Place a clean cheesecloth in the tofu mold (or in the first box), making sure it covers the edges well.
Time: PT5M
Pressing the tofu
Pour the curd into the mold, fold the cheesecloth over the top, place the 1 kg weight and let press for 1 hour.
Time: PT1H
Unmolding and storage
Carefully remove the tofu from the mold, place it in a container filled with cold water and keep it in the refrigerator. Change the water daily for 5‑6 days.
Time: PT5M
Nutrition Facts
- Calories
- 70
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbohydrates
- 2 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
Dietary info: Vegan, Vegetarian, Gluten‑free, Dairy‑free, low-carb, low-calorie, very-low-calorie, low-fat
Allergens: Soy
Last updated: April 6, 2026






