I have always loved silken tofu but I’ve never used it at home. No idea why because it’s so easy! In this recipe you don’t even need to cook it and the creamy texture is so lovely with spicy mushroom sauce.

This is sort of a vegan version of ma po tofu. Except I forgot I didn’t have Szechuan pepper at home and didn’t buy any so made this without it and have decided I still love it so am leaving it out… this time. It doesn’t have the mouth numbing ma po tofu thing going on but the mushroom sauce is spicy and flavoursome and perfect with the creamy smooth texture of that tofu.

The mushrooms make the sauce kind of meaty and have plenty of umami flavour. Which is exactly what you want with the subtlety of the silken tofu.

The sesame seeds also add a nuttiness that I really love, toasted sesame has been one of my favourite flavours for ages. I love it in sweet and savoury dishes and it’s perfect in this sauce.

Serves 2

Ingredients

1 tsp Chilli oil

1 clove garlic

1 tsp freshly grated ginger

250g mushrooms (brown and cup both work well), finely diced

1 shallot, finely diced or replace with 1/4 cup green spring onion for low fructose

1 Tbs Chinese cooking wine

2 tsps soy sauce

1 tsp gochujang (korean fermented chilli paste)

1 tsp chow chiu chilli oil

1-2 cups water

1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

1 cup brown rice

2 cups snow peas

400g silken tofu, cubed

1 birdseye chilli, to serve – finely sliced

Extra sesame seeds and spring onion to serve

Directions

Rinse brown rice well. Combine with 3 cups of water and a pinch of salt in a medium pot. Bring to a boil and simmer for 25 minutes or until water is absorbed and rice is tender.

Meanwhile, combine oil, mushrooms, cooking wine, garlic, gingeg and onion in a small pan. Cook over a medium heat stirring frequently for a few minutes and then add the chilli paste, soy and gochujang. Cook for 20 minutes on a low heat, add water a little at a time if the sauce evaporates. you want there to be some liquid left at the end.

Steam the snow peas for a couple of minutes until bright green and tender.

To serve, place rice on the bottom of bowls, top with snow peas. Gently place the cubes of silken tofu on top and cover in sauce. The heat of the other ingredients should gently warm the tofu. Sprinkle with extra sesame seeds and spring onion.

HH. x