A recipe that calls for okara, the soy bean pulp leftover from making soy milk, may seem kind of esoteric. But these last weeks, I'd been working on a how-to post for Serious Eats about silken tofu and soy milk. So the question of what to do with all the by-product of okara, was a practical one. When I made my first couple of batches of tofu, I just dumped the okara in the compost bin. But after a while, I started having a guilty conscience over wasting the stuff, considering that it's supposed to be very nutritious and that many dishes could be made out of it.
It needs to be cooked further before eating, as the soybeans aren't fully cooked. One night, I simmered them with some vegetables, ginger, soy sauce, garlic, mirin, and added lots of lime juice. That was great, but I couldn't serve okara every night this week. Then I focused on making something I could keep in the fridge and add to whatever dishes I happened to be making.
This toasted okara comes together very quickly and easily and makes a savory vegan and gluten-free substitute for breadcrumbs. It's also a nice protein-packed topping on salads and steamed or sauteed vegetables.
Makes about 1 cup
Preparation time: 25 minutes
1 cup okara
2 tablespoons roasted sesame oil
2 tablespoon raw sesame seeds
1. Preheat oven or toaster oven to 300F. Whisk together all ingredients.
2. Spread okara mixture on a baking sheet.
3. Bake until deeply golden and crisp, about 15-20 minutes, stirring halfway through to ensure even toasting.
4. Cool completely. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
wow. saw "okara" and assumed misprint - okra. But o okra in the pic, reread-a byproduct of tofu-making, huh?Learn something new. I'm going to have to make tofu and check out the byproduct-two for one (tofu and okara). Thanks!
Posted by: philandlauren | 08/01/2011 at 10:04 AM
Hmm, toasted okra...I'll have to try that one next! Good luck on the tofu-making. Would love to hear how it goes.
Posted by: Kumiko | 08/01/2011 at 01:59 PM