Black Pepper 'Pumfu' Pumpkin Seed Tofu

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.