Homemade Soy Milk (Doujiang)
Soy milk, or doujiang, is particularly popular in Taiwan. To make it at home, choose quality soy beans and soak them beforehand. Then grind them and mix them with water before cooking them. This delicate and slightly sweet beverage is the perfect complement for doughnuts (youtiao), as is done in Taipei, or any other pastry.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (200 g) dried yellow soybeans (preferably organic)
- 8 cups (2 litres) filtered water
- 3 tbsp (40 g) sugar
Instructions
- Place the soybeans in a large bowl. Cover with water and soak for 12 hours at room temperature. Add more water to cover the beans, if needed. Drain, rinse well and set aside.
- Line a colander with eight layers of cheesecloth, letting it hang over the sides. Place the colander over a large pot.
- In a blender, purée half of the soybeans with 2 cups of the filtered water. Pour the mixture into the colander. Repeat with the remaining beans and 2 more cups of the water. Add the remaining water to the colander. Gather the ends of the cloth and twist them together to form a pouch. Using a potato masher, press the pouch against the colander to extract the maximum amount of liquid, about 8 cups (2 liters). Discard the soy solids.
- Over medium-high heat, bring the soybean liquid to a simmer and cook, stirring and skimming the surface frequently, for about 25 minutes. Stir in the sugar. Serve hot, warm or cold. The soy milk will keep for 1 week in the refrigerator.
Soy milk, or doujiang, is particularly popular in Taiwan. To make it at home, choose quality soy beans and soak them beforehand. Then grind them and mix them with water before cooking them. This delicate and slightly sweet beverage is the perfect complement for doughnuts (youtiao), as is done in Taipei, or any other pastry.