Paleo Cold Tofu Substitute (Keto, Soy-Free, Low Carb, Easy)
Easy Paleo Cold Tofu Substitute recipe is soy free and Keto friendly made with cashew flour, inspired by Japanese Goma tofu. Healthy low carb tofu has never tasted so creamy delicious. 4 ingredients and tastes better than chickpea tofu! Serve with my Paleo Thai 'Peanut' Sauce, chopped tomatoes, cilantro, and scallions for a quick and healthy Paleo Tofu Salad in no time!
Servings: 4 people
Ingredients
- ½ cup raw cashew nuts blend to fine ground flour alt. finely ground macadamia flour
- ⅛ tsp coarse salt
- 1 tbsp fine ground coconut flour or cassava flour see notes for vegan option
- 2 tbsp no salt added tahini paste optional flavoring choice
- 1 ¼ tbsp beef gelatin dissolved in 1 cup hot boiling water see notes for vegan option
- 1 rectangular or square shape container heatproof with flat bottom about 3 cup quantity
Instructions
- Toss the nuts in a small 4-cup work bowl. Scrap the bowl a few times until the nuts are finely ground to almost powder-ish. Add the nut flour with salt, coconut flour, and tahini paste (optional) in a large heat-proof mixing bowl. Set aside. Bring 1 cup of water to boil, gradually add-in 1 ¼ tbsp beef gelatin while stirring the water with a wooden spoon until the gelatin is completely dissolved (about 3 minutes).
- While the gelatin water is still hot (but not pipping hot), slowly add the liquid into the nut flour mixing bowl. Use a wooden spoon to stir carefully until there are no lumps (about 1-2 minutes).
- Add the entire mixture back to the same pot you used to boil the water. Heat the mixture over medium-low heat for about 2 to 3 minutes or until the mixture becomes thicker, almost like a thick grits texture. Stir frequently with a wooden spoon.
- Pour the hot mixture into a heatproof and flat bottom rectangular container. You don’t need to grease the container. Use the back of a spoon to quickly spread the mixture into all corners and gently tab the container a few times to even out the surface. Let cool then store in the fridge for 1-2 hours until it gels. Store in the fridge at all time. Best finish within 5 days.
- To serve: Slice them into cubes. Serve with my Thai no peanut ‘peanut’ dressing. Add any leafy greens, chopped tomatoes, scallions, or cilantro if you like ! Serve cold and immediately.
Video
Notes
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For vegan options: Dissolve 1 tsp agar agar powder with 1 cup hot boiling water. Skip 1 tbsp coconut or cassava flour in the recipe. And use either finely ground cashew flour or macadamia flour. Agar agar has stronger gel consistency than beef gelatin so you will not need coconut or cassava flour to bind the ingredients.
You cannot pan fry (heat) this version of the Paleo Cold Tofu. The gelatin makes this Tofu Substitute recipe low in carb but it will melt when in contact with heat. I will share a second version that can be pan fried and without nuts soon. Please check back here often ! Thanks ! :)
Not sure what agar agar powder is ? Check out this article and then decide if agar agar is okay for you or otherwise just use beef gelatin for extra protein & collagen ! I guarantee that you won’t taste the beef gelatin at all.
Beef gelatin to Agar agar ratio / conversion: 1 to 1 ¼ tbsp gelatin = 2 tbsp agar flakes = 1 tsp agar powder.
The nutrition label is calculated with beef gelatin, coconut flour, cashew flour, and without tahini paste for one serving out of four total.
Nutrition
Calories: 103kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 82mg | Potassium: 106mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 1.1mg
