Chinese

Tofu rice bowl

Salt and pepper crispy tofu with jasmine rice and garlicky greens.

450g extra firm tofu, drained, patted dry and cut into roughly 2cm cubes
3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for frying
6 tbsp cornflour
240g jasmine rice
0.5 tsp fine sea salt
0.5 tsp white pepper
0.5 tsp caster sugar
0.5 tsp garlic powder
2 tbsp vegan oyster sauce (or regular oyster sauce)
400g Asian greens (such as choi sum or pak choi), roughly chopped with green and white parts separated
4 large garlic cloves, sliced
sliced spring onion, to garnish

Method

Coat the tofu cubes with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a bowl, then toss with the cornflour, adding a tablespoon at a time.
Heat just enough oil to cover the bottom of a large non-stick frying pan over a high heat. Once the oil is shimmering, fry the tofu until golden on all sides, working in batches if needed. This should take around 15 minutes. Set aside on a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain.
Meanwhile, cook the jasmine rice as per the packet instructions.
Stir together the sea salt, white pepper, sugar and garlic powder in a small bowl and set aside. In another small bowl, whisk the oyster sauce with 8 tablespoons of water.
In another pan, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil over a medium-high heat. Cook the white parts of the greens until tender, then stir in the sliced garlic and the green parts. Cook until the garlic is soft and the greens have wilted.
Stir the oyster sauce mixture into the greens and let it bubble down into a thickened sauce; this should only take a couple of minutes.
Just before serving, toss the cooked tofu with the salt and pepper mixture.
Divide the rice between four warm bowls, then top with the greens and their sauce, followed by the tofu and spring onions, if using.