Tofu with Sticky rice

Asian cuisine has a huge influence on the cooking style with the use of some of their ingredients as they are easily accessible in the UK. Tofu is one of our favourite ingredients to cook with and an easy way to get your protein within the vegan diet.

Tofu (originated from china), also known as bean curd in, is prepared by adding an acid to soy milk and then pressing the curds created by this process into solid white blocks of varying softness; it can be silken, soft, firm, extra firm or super firm.

With us posting this in January we wanted to use as many seasonal ingredients as possible, to lower our carbon footprint in this recipe.

Please enjoy this recipe as it’s a quick one that I like to use to use up leftover vegetables in the fridge and pantry.

Vegan | Gluten free

Serves 4

Prep time: 15 mins

Cooking time: 35 mins

Total time: 50 mins

INGREDIENTS

Pickle carrot and beetroot salad (prepare the day before)

Stage 1

125ml white wine vinegar

250ml water

1 tbsp salt

1 tsp granulated sugar

8 black peppercorns (optional)

Stage 2

1 carrot – peeled and grated

1 beet – peeled and grated

Chinese style tofu

400g Tofu – medium to firm

2 tsp Chinese 5 spice

 2 tsp vegetable oil

 2 tbsp soy sauce

Rice stage

360g Japanese short-grain rice (“sushi rice”)

470g cold water

60g rice vinegar

4 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

Method for pickled carrots and beetroot

1.   First prep all your vegetables.

2.  Wash and dry a 500 ml glass jar with an air-tight lid. Tip: Don’t use plastic or metal containers to store your pickles.

3.   Lightly crush the peppercorns and place at the bottom of the jar.

4.   In a non-reactive saucepan over medium heat, add all of stage 1, stirring to dissolve the sugar and salt. Increase heat to high, bring to a boil and remove from the heat.

5.   Pour over the hot pickling brine, then tap and shake the jar gently to disrupt any air pockets before securing the jar with a tight-fitting lid.

6.   Refrigerate overnight before enjoying in salads, on a cheeseboard, or simply with bread and butter.  The pickles will keep in the fridge for a 2 weeks.

Method of Chinese style tofu

1.     Marinade the tofu with a spices, ensure all the tofu is well coated. Allow to marinate for at least 1 hour, if can overnight before cooking.

2.   Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees / gas mark 4

3.  Bake the marinated tofu in the oven for 20 mins. While you tofu is in the oven make your rice.

4.   Serve hot.

Method for rice stage

1.       Rinse the rice until the water runs very clear. Drain well and keep to one side.

2.       Too cook the rice combine both the rice and water in a large pan and stir well. Cover with a lid and turn heat on to medium-high and cook until the water starts to simmer. Once simmering reduce heat to medium-low and maintain cook for 15 minutes or until all the liquid has been absorbed. Turn of heat, keep the lid on and let it sit and steam for an additional 10 minutes.

3.       After the 10 minutes, Season the rice. Add you rice vinegar, salt and sugar to pan and mix well. Place lid back on to keep rice warm.

4.       Serve hot. You can also fully cool, transfer to an airtight food storage container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.