Homemade Soy Milk + Okara Tempeh

Step 1

Drain the soaked soy beans and rinse under cold water. Add them to a high-speed blender. Add the roasted peanuts, toasted sesame seeds, salt, and 3 cups of the water. Blend on high for about 30 seconds.

Step 2

Transfer the soy mixture to a large and deep saucepan. Add the remaining 3 cups of water.

Step 3

Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Using a ladle or a tablespoon, remove all the foam that will form. There will be a lot of foam at the beginning, it's normal. Make sure to stir the mixture regularly to prevent the soy pulp from sticking to the bottom of the pot. After a few minutes, no more foam should form. Let the milk simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring regularly.

Step 4

Remove from heat and let it cool for about one hour, or until just warm. Using a nut milk bag, strain the soy milk over a large bowl. Squeeze the milk bag well to get all of the milk out. Add the optional tablespoon of sugar and stir to dissolve. At this point, you can let the milk simmer for another 10 minutes with 2 pandan leaves if you want to add a subtle vanilla flavor.

Step 5

Enjoy soy milk warm or cold! You can use it in beverages, oatmeal, baking, cooking, etc. Soy milk will keep for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.

Step 6

Line a baking sheet with a clean kitchen towel. Spread out the the soybean pulp over the kitchen towel and let it dry for about 1 hour at room temperature.

Step 7

Next, transfer the soybean pulp to a mixing bowl. Add the white vinegar and stir using a wooden spoon to combine. Sprinkle the tempeh starter and stir again.

Step 8

Prick a small freezer bag with a thin fork (or toothpick) 8-10 times to create small holes in the plastic bag. Add the soybean mixture to the freezer bag and pack it tightly into a loaf of about 1-inch thickness. I usually just fill half of the bag and fold it in half.

Step 9

Add about 1 cup of water to the Instant Pot liner. Place the loaf on top of the steam rack, making sure it doesn't touch the water. Close the Instant Pot with the lid.

Step 10

Set on yogurt mode "Less" for 20 hours. After 20 hours, you should see some while mold. Use a paper kitchen towel to remove the excess condensation on the lid and on the bag. Close the Instant Pot with the lid again and leave it inside for another 15-20 hours. If your kitchen is cold, turn the Instant Pot on yogurt mode again.

Step 11

Check again after that, the mold should have grown even more. At this point, if the loaf is firm and fully white, you can remove it from the plastic bag and use immediately, or keep in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. If your loaf is not fully covered with white mold, place it in a warm room or next to a heat source for another 10-15 hours, the mold will keep growing.

Step 12

Use the tempeh in curries, burgers, stir-fries, etc!