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Taiwanese salty soy milk
Savoury soy milk with youtiao
Xián dòujiāng (鹹豆漿): hot soy milk set into soft curds with vinegar, soy and crisp youtiao
Long before sunrise, the soy-milk shops of Yonghe, just across the river from Taipei, pour bowl after bowl of this savoury breakfast for taxi drivers, students and night-shift workers. Scalding unsweetened soy milk hits a splash of vinegar and soy sauce in the bowl and splits into trembling, cloud-like curds, somewhere between a soup and a soft tofu pudding. Shops usually add dried shrimp; this vegetarian bowl gets its savoury crunch from chopped pickled radish, scallion, chilli oil and torn pieces of youtiao, with a sesame flatbread on the side. Pouring soy milk that is merely warm is where most people go wrong: it must be just off the boil, or it stays thin and never curdles. Chef's tip: pour the milk from a height in one go and don't stir, so the curds form big, soft clouds.
- Total time
- 15 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 2
Ingredients
For the soy milk
- 2 ½ cups unsweetened soy milk
In each bowl
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 2 tbsp preserved radish (cai pu)rinsed, squeezed and finely chopped
- 1 spring onionfinely sliced
- 1 youtiao (Chinese fried dough stick)day-old is fine, cut into 2 cm pieces
To serve
- 1 tsp chilli oil (optional)
- 1 pinch ground white pepper (optional)
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: If the 1 youtiao (Chinese fried dough stick) is soft or stale, crisp it in a 350°F oven or air fryer for 3–4 minutes until it crackles when pressed.
4 minStep 2: Meanwhile, put 2 tbsp preserved radish (cai pu) in a dry pan over a medium heat and toss for 2 minutes, until it smells sweet and toasty. This takes away its raw saltiness.
2 minStep 3: Divide 2 tbsp black vinegar or rice vinegar, 1 tbsp light soy sauce and 1 tsp toasted sesame oil between two deep bowls, then add the radish and half the ½ spring onion.
Step 4: Heat 2 ½ cups unsweetened soy milk in a saucepan over a medium heat, stirring the bottom so it doesn't catch, until it rises and starts to foam at the edges, about 5 minutes. Watch it closely: soy milk boils over in seconds.
5 minStep 5: Pour the very hot milk straight into the bowls from about 20 cm high, in one steady stream. Leave it for 30 seconds without stirring; you'll see soft curds float up.
Step 6: Top with the youtiao pieces, the rest of the ½ spring onion, 1 tsp chilli oil and 1 pinch ground white pepper. Eat straight away, while the youtiao is still crisp.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 290 kcal
- Protein
- 14 g
- Carbs
- 28 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does taiwanese salty soy milk take?
- About 15 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 2 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of unsweetened soy milk?
- Oat, soy or almond milk, same amount (use unsweetened for savoury dishes).
- What can I use instead of black vinegar or rice vinegar?
- Cider vinegar with a pinch of sugar, same amount.
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