Rice Noodles with Fried Tofu & Pickled Vegetables
This recipe serves 4, but can always be multipled for a dinner party.- Main Components
- 4 Servings Thin Rice Noodles (ex: BUN - Vietnamese)
- 1 lb Tofu, drained and cut into 1/4" strips
- 1 Tbsp Corn Starch
- Oil for frying
- 2 Cups Mixed Vegetables for the Pickle, julienned (Daikon Radish, Carrots, Bean Sprouts etc)
- 1 Tbsp Salt
- 3/4 Cup Rice Vinegar
- 3/4 Cup Granulated Sugar
- Condiments
- Fish Sauce (BEWARE - do not use straight fish sauce (dark brown). Find a prepared dressing-like sauce that is orange in color.)
- Chili Garlic Sauce
- Roasted Peanuts
- Fresh Cilantro
- Green Onions
- Bean Sprouts
- Shredded Lettuce
Prepare the pickle. Julienne the vegetables and mix with 2 Tablespoons of salt. Leave in a colander to drain for at least 30 minutes. Rinse and squeeze out any liquid. Put vegetables in a container with a tight fitting lid. Bring the vinegar and sugar to a boil over medium high heat. when the sugar is dissolved, remove from heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Pour the vinegar mixture over the vegetables and refrigerate (can be made 3 days in advance).
Prepare the rice noodles. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Meanwhile, soak the noodles in cold water to soften and wash (can have strings and various shrubbery included). Drain the noodles and add to the boiling water. Reduce the heat to medium and check the noodles often. They can take anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes, depending on the thickness. Drain the noodles and agitate with chopsticks to prevent sticking.
Fry the tofu. Slice the tofu and pat dry with a paper towel. Heat 1/4" of canola oil in a frying pan over medium high heat. Dust the tofu strips with cornstarch and fry in batches. Be sure to wear an apron because there will be a lot of oil spitting initially. Let the tofu sizzle for 10 minutes (don't worry, this is very hard to burn because of the tofu's moisture). Using a flat spatula, flip the tofu and continue frying until brown (another 4 minutes). The successive batches will cook faster so keep an eye on things. Drain the fried tofu on paper towels and season with salt.
Serve! Lay out all of the components and let each person make their own bowl. Start with the noodles, tofu and pickled vegetables and layer on the condiments. If you are not able to find a suitable fish sauce dressing, just drain a teaspoon of the pickling liquid and mix with 1 Tablespoon of pineapple juice and a dash of soy sauce. It's not as good, but will do the trick
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