What is okara and what does it eat with?
Okara is a soy product produced in the production of soy milk. After boiling in water and grinding the soybeans, the milk is separated from the undissolved portion and is used either directly or to produce tofu soy cheese or sour-milk drinks. But the pulp (undissolved part) remaining after separation (filtration and extraction) of milk is (on the one hand) a by-product of milk production, and on the other hand is a very valuable low-calorie semi-finished dietary product. This is Okara – a loose moist mass of pale yellow color, reminiscent of millet porridge. Okara can be stored frozen.
The word okara stuck in Russian (like the word TOFU) without translation from Chinese. However, the meaning of this traditional name for the East is deeply symbolic. The hieroglyph KARA literally means “China of the Tang Dynasty” (hence the origin of the word “karate” – “kara” – China, “te” – hand). So, “kara” means China, but the letter “O” before any word in almost all languages means reverence and deification. This is the kind of reverence given to this product in China.
The composition of okara is actually a concentrate of high-quality soy protein and dietary fiber. It contains up to 4% protein, 4% unsaturated fat and almost 3% of the most useful fiber, as well as lecithin, calcium, ferrous iron and other trace elements (zinc, copper, tin, selenium), and B vitamins. about 100kcal / 100g.
The main feature of okara, like tofu, is considered to be the almost complete absence of taste or aroma of the product. This characteristic feature of Okara opens up wide possibilities for its use in the manufacturing process of various culinary products. Due to the neutrality of its own taste okara well absorbs the aromatic properties of the main components of food and goes well with almost all food products. This property is based on its use in vegetable and meat cutlets, ravioli and stuffed cabbage, in which okara can make up to 30% of the mass, providing juiciness, splendor and a light nutty taste of the product. Correction of the taste and aroma of the final product is achieved through the use of additional spices and spices.
A good example of the use of okara is its use as an additive to traditional pancakes and pancakes, as well as to cheesecakes, in which its unique properties are manifested – the products acquire excellent consistency, and when these foods are heavy enough for the gastrointestinal tract, traditional discomfort is not felt .
Okara is a great addition to the dough, especially to the sand. Cookies with okara turn out to be tender, crispy and do not dampen for a long time. Okara is added to bakery and confectionery products as a substitute for eggs, and its excellent ability to retain moisture allows the bread to maintain freshness for a long time and not stale.
To enrich the diet with valuable dietary fiber, okara can be added to vegetable salads and cereals when cooking cereals (especially semolina and millet), while adding okara to any dishes does not change their natural taste and significantly reduces their calorie content. not dampen forpopular among vegetarians, since hundreds of dishes are created on its basis, and it is inexpensive.
In China, okara is mixed with other products and stewed with original Asian sauces. This product is traditionally used instead of meat filling for cooking dumplings, an important difference of which is their size: Chinese dumplings are much smaller than Russians, there are even so-called “pearl dumplings”, the size of which is not larger than a nail.
It is easy to make a popular adjika seasoning from okara by mixing it with water, tomato paste, red pepper, salt, garlic, basil, dill and vinegar. The unique texture and softness of this hot seasoning based on okara will enhance the saturation of dishes.
In just 5 minutes you can make okara even a low-calorie potato cake (or Raffaella sweets): mix okara with melted hard butter, powdered milk, cocoa, honey or sugar, form sausages or balls, roll them in coconut – dessert ready!
Thus, okara under the modest name of “food soy enrichment agent” or “phytopharsch” is actually a unique semi-finished product that every housewife can add to any dish to her taste, remembering that she not only enriches the family’s diet with complete protein and fiber, but also achieves the effect of better saturation at low calorie content. And this is the dream of everyone who wants to eat right, not to gain weight and even lose weight.
