Let’s face it. The basic Chinese food, and especially vegan Chinese food, you get from Chinese restaurants is pretty bland and boring. Or at least that’s the case here. We aren’t saying that we don’t occasionally crave some veggies and tofu covered with sweet, tangy and salty goo, but lately we have been wanting to eat Chinese food that’s different and has more varied flavors.
That’s why I made this dish, and it made me excited about Chinese food again. It has a pickled ginger cucumber salad, some sesame kale and the kind of garlic chili tofu that will make your tastebuds explode! It has a perfect balance of flavors, won’t leave you bored and is completely goo-free. Enjoy!
Ingredients for the sesame kale
Kale
Toasted sesame oil
Salt
Garlic
Sesame seeds
Wash the kale and remove the stem. Tear the kale. The pieces can be quite big, since they will shrink when you cook them.
Fry the garlic with oil on medium heat. Add the kale and some water. Cook the kale until it’s soft and all of the water has evaporated.
Finally, add the seeds, sesame oil, and salt to taste.
Ingredients for the cucumber salad
1 cucumber
2 tbsp of salt
1 carrot
thumb-size piece of ginger
4 tsp of chili oil
4 tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 tsp of soy sauce
2 tsp of sugar
Chop the cucumber into wide sticks, and rub the salt onto the cucumber. This will cause the cucumber to lose some of its water. Let it sweat for about 20 minutes in a container.
Meanwhile, slice the carrot and ginger into thin pieces.
Rinse the salt away, add the other ingredients and mix well.
Let the mixture sit for at least an hour, preferably overnight.
Ingredients for the garlic chili tofu
2 tsp of chili oil
2 tsp of toasted sesame oil
3 tbsp of soy sauce
2 tsp of rice wine vinegar
Block of smoked tofu
4 cloves of garlic
Oil for frying
Start by drying the tofu by pressing it under a plate and a weight. This way you get crispier and firmer tofu in the end. Press the tofu.
Prepare the sauce by mixing all the ingredients together: sesame oil, soy sauce and rice wine vinegar.
Tear the tofu block into medium-large chunks. Heat the pan, and add oil and the tofu. Fry the tofu until it’s crispy.
Add the garlic with some oil and fry. Add the sauce and simmer for couple minutes.
I used chili oil with fermented soy beans, which gave the sauce some umami flavor.
A handy way to peel ginger is to use the edge of a spoon instead of a knife. This way you can't hurt yourself and you can cleanly remove the peel without wasting any of the ginger.
Remember to shake or turn your container so every piece gets covered.
The kale will shrink so don't be afraid to use a bit more than you think you will need.
