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Cold, light, and refreshing! Those are the words I would say if you ask me about Almond Tofu. The sweet apricot kernels’ aroma and the mild sweetness really make it a perfect summer dessert. Plus, you only need 4 basic ingredients!
I’ve been thinking about making Almond Tofu for a long time. (I know that I might already say this, like, a hundred times.) And since this recipe calls a bit more time, I’ve been quite busy with other things that I couldn’t make time for it.
It’s not until the other day when I saw a bag of sweet apricot kernels in the deeper part of my fridge, I thought I should use it. (Otherwise, I don’t know when I will see it again, let alone use it.)
What’s is Almond Tofu?
Almond tofu is a very refreshing Asian dessert that both tastes and smells unique. The shape is like small cubed tofu. Some people like it, some people don’t. But I wouldn’t say it’s like the “Marmite” situation where people hate/love so dramatically.
Common almond tofu recipes usually use gelatin, which is actually made from animal collagen. So surely we are not going to use gelatine this time. Instead, agar agar is our very best friend here.
And also, traditional almond tofu usually adds dairy milk, which is definitely not necessary because we got tons of plant-based milk to choose from. I find almond milk or apricot-kernel milk (I know this sounds weird, but you know what I’m talking about) is the best option.
Is it made from the nut: almond?
No, it’s not made from almonds. Yes, you heard me right. It’s actually made from Chinese apricot kernel.
I don’t why people call it “almond” tofu. Probably it’s because the Chinese names of apricot kernels and almonds are the same. (I mean in short, they both called “杏仁” in Chinese.)
Two Types of Apricot Kernels
So after the clarification, let’s talk about apricot kernels. There are actually two types of apricot kernels: Sweet apricot kernels and Bitter apricot kernels. (We also call them “南杏” and “北杏” in Chinese, literally meaning “South” apricot kernels and “North” apricot kernels.)
Sweet apricot kernels are sweeter but bitter apricot kernels are more fragrant. Thus, some people will use a mixture of both to make almond tofu.
But I personally don’t want to buy two bags of apricot kernels. So I got a plan to enhance the flavor with only sweet apricot kernels instead.
One extra step to boost the aroma: baking
The extra step to elevate the fragrance is baking. I like to bake them in the oven at 160°C for 20~30 minutes until the apricot kernels turn a little bit brown.
Ingredients You Need
You only need 3 ingredients to make this almond tofu. They are:
- Sweet apricot kernels
- sugar
- agar agar powder/flakes
- soy milk
You also need some water and optionally some toasted peanuts, which will give our almond tofu more flavor.
How to Make Almond Tofu
First, we need to do the extra step to bake the apricot kernels. Bake them at 160°C for 20~30 minutes until the apricot kernels got colored. Then soak them in water for 8~12 hours, drain out the water, and blend them with some drinking water.
Grab a nut milk bag and put it into a pot. Pour the apricot kernel mixture over the bag and use your clean hands to squeeze the “milk” out from the milk bag. This is just like making almond milk or other plant-based milk.
After that, add sugar and agar agar powder to the pot. Cook it over medium-low heat and for 5~8 minutes. Make sure it bubbles. Then turn off the heat. Stir in the soy milk and pour the mixture into a square mode or a square food container like I did.
Let it cool down and then cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or until it’s completely set.
Remove from the mode and use a sharp knife to cut it into 1.5 cm square cubes. Serve with additional almond milk or other plant-based milk of your choice.
I was exhausted already that day so I just added some store-bought Australian almond milk. And I was surprised that they taste really good together. (Less work and still delicious) You can also try to add other toppings if you like.
This chilling and refreshing bowl of almond tofu is really a delight, especially in summer. I hope you could give it a try and let me know your thoughts!
More Vegan Asian Recipes:
- Chinese Date Walnut Candy 南棗核桃糕
- Mango Grapefruit Sago (5 ingredients, Vegan) 楊支甘露
- Taiwanese Red Bean Soup (Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker) 紅豆湯
Chinese Almond Tofu (Vegan) 杏仁豆腐
Ingredients
- 100 g sweet apricot Kernel
- 1 Tbsp roasted peanuts, optional
- 400 g filter water, plus more for soaking
- 4 g agar-agar powder, or agar flakes
- 2 Tbsp organic sugar, or other vegan-friendly sugar, adjust according to your liking
- 80 g soymilk, both sweetened or unsweetened work
For serving
- 800 g almond milk, *
Instructions
- Bake apricot kernels at 160°C for 20~30 minutes until the apricot kernels got colored.
- Soak the roasted apricot kernels in water for 8~12 hours.
- Drain out the soaking water. Add the apricot kernels and water to a blender and blend until mostly smooth.
- Grab a nut milk bag and put it into a pot. Pour the apricot kernel mixture over the bag and use your clean hands to squeeze the “milk” out from the milk bag.
- Add sugar and agar agar powder to the same pot. Cook it over medium-low heat and for 5~8 minutes. Make sure it bubbles. Then turn off the heat.
- Stir in the soy milk. Pour the mixture into a square mode or a square food container like I did.
- Let it cool down and then cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or until it’s completely set.
- Remove from the mode and use a sharp knife to cut it into 1.5 cm square cubes. Serve with additional almond milk or other plant-based milk of choice.
Notes
- *Almond milk: You can use regular almond milk or make some apricot kernel milk to serve with almond tofu.
- Storage: Store them in a food container in the fridge for 3~5 days.
