If you choose to marinate the tofu, don’t waste the actual marinade, but reduce it in the same pan and serve it as a dipping sauce alongside it.
Toppings
The crispy rice sandwich is the perfect opportunity for a fridge raid. I added sliced avocado, tofu, leftover kimchi, a few coriander leaves and toasted sesame seeds. For a Sichuan spin, try these Sichuan-Style Brussels Sprouts.
serves 2
Ingredients
Crispy Rice
-
200g sushi rice (or 410g leftover sticky rice)
-
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
-
1 tsp golden caster sugar
-
1 avocado
Marinated Tofu
-
60 ml soy sauce
-
1 tbsp sugar
-
2 tsp chilli oil
-
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
-
450g firm tofu
Toppings
-
Avocado
-
Kimchi
-
Coriander
-
Toasted sesame seeds
Method
If you’re cooking the rice from scratch, try to cook it the day before. Wash the rice several times in plenty of water to remove the excess starches. Then place it in a saucepan along with 260 ml water. Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Now turn off the heat, remove the lid, gently fluff up the rice with a fork and place the lid back on to let the rice steam for another 5 minutes. Scrape it into a bowl and, once cooled off, refrigerate overnight.
Ideally, marinate the tofu the night before. If you’re making this the same day, you can either skip the marinade or let the tofu soak up the flavour for at least 1 hour. Simply combine the soy sauce, sugar, chilli oil and rice wine vinegar. Cut the tofu into 0.5 cm thick and two-finger wide slices. Then place in a container, cover with the sauce and refrigerate overnight.
The next day, measure out your rice, you should have around 410g. Mix together the vinegar, sugar and 1 tsp salt and stir until most of the sugar and salt have dissolved, then pour it over the leftover rice and gently mix to coat evenly. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and spread out the rice into a 1 cm thick layer. Now fold over the paper and use another baking tray or something flat to press the rice down firmly so that the grains stick together. Freeze it for 1 hour.
When the hour is nearly up, remove the tofu slices from the fridge and transfer them onto some kitchen paper to drain off the excess marinade. Then toss the slices in 1 tbsp cornstarch and pan-fry in a glug of oil until golden on each side. Don’t waste the marinade. Just reduce it in the pan you used for the tofu and serve it as a dipping sauce.
Remove the trays from the freezer, lift out the parchment paper with the rice and cut the rice into four squares. It’s easiest to slice it with a clean wet knife, so wipe and moisten it after every slice. Heat enough oil in a frying pan to coat the bottom, then fry the squares on medium-high heat until they begin to turn golden around the edges (5 minutes). Use two spatulas to gently flip the squares over and fry them on the other side until golden as well.
Transfer the squares to a rack lined with kitchen paper to let any excess oil drain off. Then serve the crispy rice and add the toppings of your choice like sliced avocado, the crispy tofu, kimchi, picked coriander leaves and toasted sesame seeds, before adding another square of crispy rice to turn it into a sandwich.
Crispy Rice Sandwich
Ingredients
Crispy Rice
- 200 g sushi rice or 410g leftover sticky rice
- 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 1 tsp golden caster sugar
- 1 avocado
Marinated Tofu
- 60 ml soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2 tsp chilli oil
- 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 450 g firm tofu
Toppings
- Avocado
- Kimchi
- Coriander
- Toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- If you’re cooking the rice from scratch, try to cook it the day before. Wash the rice several times in plenty of water to remove the excess starches. Then place it in a saucepan along with 260 ml water. Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Now turn off the heat, remove the lid, gently fluff up the rice with a fork and place the lid back on to let the rice steam for another 5 minutes. Scrape it into a bowl and, once cooled off, refrigerate overnight.
- Ideally, marinate the tofu the night before. If you’re making this the same day, you can either skip the marinade or let the tofu soak up the flavour for at least 1 hour. Simply combine the soy sauce, sugar, chilli oil and rice wine vinegar. Cut the tofu into 0.5 cm thick and two-finger wide slices. Then place in a container, cover with the sauce and refrigerate overnight.
- The next day, measure out your rice, you should have around 410g. Mix together the vinegar, sugar and 1 tsp salt and stir until most of the sugar and salt have dissolved, then pour it over the leftover rice and gently mix to coat evenly. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and spread out the rice into a 1 cm thick layer. Now fold over the paper and use another baking tray or something flat to press the rice down firmly so that the grains stick together. Freeze it for 1 hour.
- When the hour is nearly up, remove the tofu slices from the fridge and transfer them onto some kitchen paper to drain off the excess marinade. Then toss the slices in 1 tbsp cornstarch and pan-fry in a glug of oil until golden on each side. Don’t waste the marinade. Just reduce it in the pan you used for the tofu and serve it as a dipping sauce.
- Remove the trays from the freezer, lift out the parchment paper with the rice and cut the rice into four squares. It’s easiest to slice it with a clean wet knife, so wipe and moisten it after every slice. Heat enough oil in a frying pan to coat the bottom, then fry the squares on medium-high heat until they begin to turn golden around the edges (5 minutes). Use two spatulas to gently flip the squares over and fry them on the other side until golden as well.
- Transfer the squares to a rack lined with kitchen paper to let any excess oil drain off. Then serve the crispy rice and add the toppings of your choice like sliced avocado, the crispy tofu, kimchi, picked coriander leaves and toasted sesame seeds, before adding another square of crispy rice to turn it into a sandwich.
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