Peanut Tofu With Cucumber Pickle

• temps total: 30 minutes

Ingrédients

SPICY CUCUMBER PICKLE

500 g / 17.6 oz (1 long) cucumber

30 ml / 2 tbsp soy sauce (or tamari if GF)

30 ml / 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar

30 ml / 2 tbsp chilli oil / chilli crisp

PEANUT TOFU

600 g / 21 oz firm or extra firm tofu, well pressed

60 ml / 4 tbsp all purpose soy sauce, divided

20 g / 2½ tbsp cornstarch, potato starch or tapioca

20 ml / 1½ tbsp high smoke point oil, I used peanut

120 g / ½ cup smooth peanut butter

30 ml / 2 tbsp maple syrup

30 ml / 2 tbsp all purpose soy sauce

20 ml / 1½ tbsp rice wine vinegar

2 tsp toasted sesame oil

1 garlic clove, minced

1-2 tsp minced ginger

½-1 tsp Chinese 5 spice (optional)

hot water

EXTRAS

300 g / 1½ cup rice, cooked, to serve

50 g / ½ cup roasted peanuts, crushed

fresh coriander, chopped (optional)

Instructions

SPICY CUCUMBER PICKLE

Cut cucumber in half lengthwise. You can core it if you want the salad less watery then slice into thin slices using a sharp knife of a mandoline.

Combine soy sauce with chilli oil and rice vinegar and dress the cucumber. Set aside to soften.

PEANUT TOFU

Cut well pressed tofu into 2 cm / 0.8″ cubes, place in a shallow baking dish and toss in two tablespoons of soy sauce to season. Set aside while you make the peanut sauce, but give the tofu a stir a couple more times so that it’s seasoned evenly.

Combine remaining soy sauce with all of the peanut sauce ingredients – peanut butter, maple syrup, vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger and Chinese 5 spice – in a medium size bowl. Whisk well, then add 4 tbsp of hot water to thin.

Using a small sieve or a tea strainer, dust seasoned tofu in a thin layer of starch (I used cornstarch) on all sides. If you would rather, you can also bake the tofu at 180° C / 355° F for about 30 minutes. If going that route, you don’t need cornstarch.

Add 2 teaspoons of oil to a pre-heated well seasoned wok or a non-stick pan.

Continue on comment