We love tofu here at VeggieVision TV and this recipe takes things to a whole new level! 

Author Bonnie Chung tells us;

This recipe is, by far, the easiest dish in this book; but more than that, the effort-to-results ratio is embarrassingly high. This is the dish I roll out on desperate evenings, when I am so hungry and tired that I can’t even muster up the energy to heat a pan, yet need something quick and satisfying. With this dish at my fingertips I have staved off many a takeaway order.

Traditionally – and perhaps surprisingly – this is based on a breakfast dish in China, served with hot steamed rice. The tofu is chilled and cool like ricotta, but laced with zingy-hot, salty and sour flavours and finished with crunchy, mouth-popping toppings. I love it with plain rice or noodles, to soak up all those tantalizing flavours.

Serves 2 as a main course, or 4 as a side dish

 For the tofu

300g/10½ oz silken tofu block, drained for 20 minutes

1 tsp Sichuan preserved pickled vegetables (find this in Asian stores in jars or packets)

1 spring onion (scallion), finely sliced

1 tbsp Chinkiang vinegar

2 tsp light soy sauce

2 tbsp Chinese chilli oil with sediment

1 tsp toasted sesame oil

rice, or salads, to serve (optional)

 

For the topping (choose just one, or as many as you like)

fried red-skinned peanuts, or soya beans

Bombay mix

crisp fried garlic or onions

toasted seeds

  • Simply pop the silken tofu out of its box or tray, there’s no need to press
  • Place in a small deep bowl (for people to share) and top with the Sichuan  preserved vegetables and spring onion.
  • In another small bowl, mix together the vinegar, soy sauce, chilli oil and sesame oil and pour on top of the tofu.
  • Finish with something crunchy, such as fried peanuts, Bombay mix, crispy garlic or onions or toasted seeds.
  • You can eat this with rice as I do, but it’s also great as a summer dish, with salads.

TWISTS

You can quickly and easily adapt the toppings here to suit the ingredients you have at home; silken tofu loves sharp deep flavours, so have a look in your cupboards to see what you have that fits this profile. I have used capers,

chopped gherkins and pickled onions for sharpness; (vegan )Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar or date molasses for sweet acidity; and for crunch, cashew nuts and pine nuts work a treat.

Extracted from Tofu Tasty: Imaginative tofu recipes for every day by Bonnie Chung, published by Pavilion Books. Image credit to Yuki Sugiura.

Please note this recipe book is not fully vegan however many of the recipes are and can adapted to be vegan friendly too!