Kuih and Desserts
Authentic Singaporean Tau Huay (Soy Beancurd Pudding) Recipe
Tau Huay is a quintessential Singaporean hawker dessert, prized for its delicate, melt-in-your-mouth texture. This authentic recipe uses traditional gypsum powder to achieve that signature silkiness, paired perfectly with a light, aromatic pandan-infused syrup.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Serves
- 4
- Level
- Medium
- Per serving
- 185 kcal
Method
Rinse the dried soy beans thoroughly and soak them in plenty of water for at least 6 hours, or overnight, until they have doubled in size and softened.
Drain the soaked beans and blend them with 1.5 liters of fresh water in batches until the mixture is very fine.
Strain the blended soy mixture through a nut milk bag or a fine muslin cloth into a large pot. Squeeze the bag tightly to extract all the soy milk, discarding the dry pulp (okara).
Add 2 knotted pandan leaves to the pot. Bring the soy milk to a gentle boil over medium heat, stirring constantly to prevent the bottom from scorching. Once it boils, lower the heat and let it simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and discard the pandan leaves.
In a deep, heat-proof ceramic pot or container, whisk together the gypsum powder, cornstarch, and 3 tablespoons of room-temperature water until smooth. This is the coagulant.
Give the coagulant a quick stir to ensure nothing has settled. Hold the pot of hot soy milk about 30cm above the container and pour it in quickly and steadily in one go. The force of the pour will mix the coagulant with the milk naturally.
Immediately skim off any foam or bubbles on the surface with a spoon. Place a clean kitchen towel over the top and cover with a lid. Let it sit completely undisturbed for 45 minutes to set.
Meanwhile, make the syrup by simmering 300ml water, 100g rock sugar, and 2 pandan leaves in a small saucepan until the sugar has completely dissolved and the syrup is fragrant.
To serve, use a flat metal spoon to scoop thin, delicate layers of the set beancurd into a bowl. Drizzle with the warm pandan syrup.
Notes
Do not move or shake the container once the soy milk has been poured into the coagulant, or it will fail to set properly.
Straining the soy milk twice through the muslin cloth will result in a much smoother and silkier pudding texture.
Using a kitchen towel under the lid absorbs steam, preventing water droplets from falling onto the surface of the pudding.
If you prefer a sweeter dish, you can substitute part of the rock sugar with brown sugar for a deeper molasses flavor.
