Black Pepper Black Pepper

Recipe and images courtesy of Romy London (@romylondonuk on Instagram)

Get ready for a bold and flavorful twist on tofu that’s 100% soy free! This Homemade “Pumfu”, aka pumpkin seed tofu, is a protein-packed treat made from only pumpkin seeds - and it’s so easy to make! Paired with a tangy black pepper sauce and some crisp stir-fry veggies, it’s tasty paired with rice or noodles to complete a healthy, hearty meal any day of the week.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Additional Pressing time: 8 hours or overnight
Cooking Time (total): 30 minutes

Ingredients (Serves 4):

For the Pumfu:

  • 250g raw hulled pumpkin seeds
  • 500ml water for blending
  • 500ml water for soaking
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch for coating
  • 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil, for frying

For the Black Pepper Sauce:

  • 2 spring onions (use the white part for the sauce, the green part for garnish)
  • 4 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 2 tsp grated ginger
  • 1 tbsp muscovado sugar
  • 2 tbsp tamari soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar
  • ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tbsp water

For the stir fry:

  • 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
  • 300g of your favourite stir fry veggies (e.g. carrot, courgette, sweetcorn, mangetout, peppers, beansprouts etc)
  • 4 portions of either cooked rice or stir fry noodles
  • Green spring onions & black sesame seeds for garnish

Instructions

Prepare the Pumfu:

  • Soak the pumpkin seeds in 500ml of water overnight. Drain and rinse the seeds.
  • Blend the soaked seeds with 500ml (2 cups) of fresh water until smooth. Strain the mixture through a nut milk bag or fine sieve, reserving the pulp (freeze it for later use).
  • Pour the strained milk into a pot and heat to 82°C (180°F), stirring continuously until the milk begins to curdle. Carefully ladle the curds into a tofu mould lined with a damp cloth. Press the pumfu and let it set.

Pan-Fry the Pumfu:

  • Heat 2 tbsp of toasted sesame oil in a pan over medium-high heat.
  • Once set, cut the pumfu into cubes. Coat the cubes lightly with cornstarch.
  • Add the pumfu cubes and fry until crispy on all sides. Reduce the heat to medium.

Make the Black Pepper Sauce:

  • In the same pan, add the white parts of the spring onions, garlic, and ginger. Sauté until fragrant.
  • Stir in the muscovado sugar, tamari soy sauce, rice vinegar, black pepper, and water. Cook until the sauce thickens slightly.
  • Remove the pumfu cubes from the pan and set aside.

Stir-Fry the Veggies:

  • In the same pan, add 2 tsp of toasted sesame oil and your favourite stir-fry veggies. Cook until tender, coating them in any leftover sauce in the pan.

Serve:

  • Serve the stir-fry veggies over rice or noodles. Place the crispy pumfu cubes on top.
  • Garnish with the green parts of the spring onions and black sesame seeds.
Calories 310Kcal
Total Fat 15g
Saturated Fat 3g
Sodium 571mg
Total Carbohydrate 40g
Fibre 10g
Sugar 14g
Protein 12g
Black Pepper Sauce Black Pepper Sauce