Tofu Gado Gado

My husband made this Indonesian Tofu Gado Gado for me in the early stages of our relationship. It’s a great example of our mutual love for food — fresh flavors, filling, light, and exotic without being too fiery. A classic you’ll come back to again and again.

I’ve tweaked some ingredients to maximize the use of dried pantry goods. For the salad — feel free to substitute with bean sprouts, julienned carrots, purple cabbage, radishes, or top with crispy shallots. I’ll say that the warm potatoes with crispy napa cabbage are the highlights for me here.

Halve or double the portions depending on the party size you’re serving.

Tofu Gado Gado

Serves 4 people as a main course, 6 as a side dish

Ingredients

Salad

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil

• 1 pack of fried tofu*

• 500 grams potatoes, cubed into 1-inch pieces

• 4 eggs (omit for vegan)

• 200 grams green beans, ends trimmed and halved lengthways

• 200 grams Napa cabbage, washed and finely shredded

• 1 Persian cucumber or 1/2 cucumber, sliced into thin rounds

• a handful of coriander leaves, picked and roughly chopped

• 4 tbsp roasted peanuts, chopped

Spicy Peanut Dressing

• 50g peanut butter

• 2 1/2 tbsp soy sauce 

• 1/2 tbsp honey

• 1 tbsp fish sauce* (omit for vegan/vegetarian)

• 1 tbsp cane sugar

• 1 garlic clove

• 1-inch piece of ginger

• 2 fresh or dried red chilies (optional)

• Juice of 1 lime

• 75 ml coconut milk

Instructions

1. Using a large pot, bring 1.5 liters of salted water to a boil. Add the potatoes, and eggs and cook for 9 minutes. While the ingredients are cooking, prepare an ice bath. When the timer goes off, transfer the eggs into the ice bath and chill. Continue cooking the potatoes until fork tender.

2. Using a blender or food processor — blend all of the peanut dressing ingredients. Adjust the salt and spices to taste. Add more coconut milk or water for desired consistency. Set aside.

3. When the potatoes from step 1 are almost tender, add the green beans, fried tofu, and boil for 1-2 minutes until tender and bright green. Drain the vegetables, tofu and run under cold water until chilled. Slice the fried tofu into bite-sized pieces.

4. Peel and cut the chilled eggs in half. Assemble the salad by layering potatoes, green beans, tofu, sliced cucumber, and eggs. Serve immediately with peanut sauce, chopped peanuts, and cilantro.

Cooking Tips:

1. Substitute fried tofu with firm tofu (cubed and fried) or with tempeh.

Japanese Onion Salad Dressing (Wafu)

Wafu (和風) is a popular Japanese salad dressing which is basically an onion vinaigrette. It takes 5 ingredients to make and pairs perfectly with greens, lettuce, cucumber for an appetizer or a refreshing side.

This dressing brings me back to my high school days when I worked at Mos Burger — a Japanese chain restaurant that specializes in rice burgers. Boy, I loved everything on the menu — fish fillets, pomelo ice teas, organic rice patties (some of my coworkers used them to make fried rice). It was a memorable and delicious time.

Among their menu, Wafu salad was a bestseller. It had completely slipped my mind until I came across it on Adam Liaw’s social media. Making it brings me back to the school days — walking home after an evening shift, the jasmine-scented gardens of Chang Kai Shek memorial hall, koi fish ponds, and the many meals I shared with my friends. I will be eating lots of Wafu dressing on salads this summer.

Japanese Onion Salad Dressing (Wafu/和風醬)

Ingredients

1. 1/2 onion, roughly chopped (around 1 cup)

2. 1 tbsp soy sauce

3. 2 tbsp rice vinegar (sub-seasoned rice vinegar and omit the sugar)

4. 1 tbsp cane sugar

5. 1/2 cup grapeseed oil (sub olive oil)

6. 1/2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds (optional)

Instructions

• Add all of the ingredients aside from the oil into a blender or food processor. Pulse and blend into a thick dressing. Don’t overblend.

• Top with oil of choice and sesame seeds. Seal the jar, and give it a good shake until the ingredients emulsify. Serve over salad or soba/rice noodles. Dressing keeps for 3-4 days in the fridge

Cooking Notes:

• Traditionally, the onions are grated with a Microplane grater to preserve texture. I find the blender method easier with limited time on my hands.

• If making beforehand, give the dressing jar a good shake before serving.

Smashed Cucumber Salad

In Taiwan, one cannot eat at a restaurant without ordering 小菜 “Little Plate” or side dishes. Usually consisting of vegetables, marinated firm tofu, soft boiled peanuts, or black wood ear mushrooms. Little Plate is a part of Taiwanese restaurant culture and something I look forward to every time I eat out. It is also a good way to get your veggie fix as Taiwanese cuisine can be heavy and salads are not really a thing.

This cucumber salad is a 涼拌, which translates into “Cold Toss”. Similar in cooking style compared to a green papaya salad — I would say it is a signature “little plate” in Taiwan. I enjoy making this as an appetizer when friends come over. It’s refreshing yet flavourful. The peanuts make it indulgent, the birds-eye chilli gives it a good kick, and one can not eat too many cucumber dishes in summer weather.

Smashed Cucumber Salad 涼拌小黃瓜

Ingredients

5 mini Japanese or Persian cucumbers (around 350 grams)

2 Tbsp Kosher salt

4 red or green Thai chiles, halved lengthwise keeping stem end intact

2 garlic cloves, minced

½ cup unseasoned rice vinegar

2 Tbsp fish sauce

1 Tbsp sugar

Chopped unsalted or salted roasted peanuts

Instructions

Smash cucumbers with a rolling pin or a wine bottle. Careful not to smash too close to the cutting board now, you want some crunch in them. Tear into 2-inch pieces, place in a medium bowl and season with salt. Let sit for 30 minutes.

In the meantime, add chillies, garlic, vinegar, fish sauce and sugar to a medium bowl. Whisk until the sugar dissolves.

Drain cucumbers, rinse with cold water and squeeze to release salty water. Add to bowl with dressing and toss to combine. Chill in the fridge for an hour and serve topped with peanuts.

These cucumbers will keep in the fridge for 2 or 3 days.

Cilantro Salad with Shallot Oil

I had a bunch of cilantro sitting in the fridge leftover from a week of recipe shooting. It felt like a problem waiting for a creative solution. I researched some recipes online and came across the delightful site of Madame Huang, a California native who lived in Taiwan for a number of years.

I love this recipe because I now have a way to use up all my extra cilantro. I also rediscovered a lovely substitute for sesame oil if I ever need something that tastes a little lighter and fragrant —shallot oil.

I grew up eating fried shallots in lots of dishes — a topping over rice noodle soups, folded into steamed turnip cakes or served over vegetables. I usually avoid store brought fried shallots, not trusting the quality of oil they were fried in. A good reason to make one’s own.

This salad calls for an entire bunch of cilantro. Not brown, wilted ones but fresh, vibrant cilantro. I substituted peanuts for cashews and yellow pepper for red since I cannot drop by the grocery store as easily these days. Toasted peanuts on the top of my shopping list next week. 

Shallot Oil

Ingredients

1 cup thinly sliced shallots (around three shallots)
1.5 cup fresh rice bran oil ( sub peanut or grapeseed oil)

*Make this oil at least a day ahead before you want to use it to flavour your dish.

Instructions

Slice shallots into thin rings, as evenly as you can. Heat oil over medium-high heat in a pan. You can tell the oil is ready when there are small ripples on the surface. Test by inserting a chopstick into the oil, it should be covered in bubbles immediately. Sprinkle in the shallots, reduce heat to medium and fry them until they turn a golden brown. Stir often so they fry evenly. Turn the heat off when they are a light golden brown, and fry with the residue heat.

Strain the shallots over a sieve into a vessel. Reserve the shallots as a topping, and use the oil for stir fry, a sesame oil substitute or in other dishes. Alternatively, you can add the cooled oil back into the shallots and use as a topping over rice, noodles or steamed greens

Cilantro and Peanut Salad

Ingredients

1 bunch fresh cilantro*
½ cup fried or toasted peanuts
½ sweet bell pepper 
1 tsp soy sauce
½ tsp sugar
¼ tsp sea salt
2 tbsp shallot oil (sub sesame oil)
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Instructions

Trim and remove the tough or browned stalks of cilantro. Wash in water, shake dry, cut into 1-inch pieces and transfer to a mixing bowl. Prep the bell pepper and slice into small pieces, around the size of a peanut. Add peppers to the mixing bowl.

Toss cilantro with pepper, peanuts and the rest of ingredients. Taste and add more seasoning if you’d like. I added some fried shallots from the shallot oil. Serve as an appetizer or as a side. Also great as a chilled dish, just toss in the peanuts and dressing before serving. 

*As cilantro is the main ingredient, use the nicest bunch you can find.

Spicy Cucumber Fans

I will call these quarantine cucumber fans, as a cure for worrying — making something is better. They do take some time to produce and is a great way to add veggies to your meal. If you are looking for a simpler recipe with no cooking — my Smashed Cucumber Salad is a great alternative.

This recipe is adapted from Barbara Troops, author of the China Moon Cookbook. I am savouring the pages of her recipes and cooking notes. There is nothing more lovable and inspiring than a tiny American lady, traveling through China, recreating dishes from different regions, and serving them to people who think Sichuan peppercorn is a complete novelty. Give it a read, the recipes will take time to put together and a trip to the Asian grocery store will be needed. I am loving her Sichuan Peppercorn Salt and Hot Chilli Oil, which I am using liberally in my cooking as of the last two weeks. It is also a cookbook that reinforces my dream of getting a gas stove and a smoking hot wok.

This cucumber dish is not quite a salad, but more an appetizer or little dish (小菜) as we call it in Mandarin. I enjoy making this as a side for dumpling nights or simply have in the fridge to add to a heavier meal. You can chop, smash, slice, the cucumber however you please, I do find the fan a delightful change in appearance and texture. Recipe adapted from China Moon Cookbook.

Spicy Cucumber Fans 麻辣黃瓜條

Ingredients

Ingredients

• 5 Persian or Japanese cucumbers

• 2 tbsp kosher salt

• 2 wooden chopsticks

Aromatics

Aromatics

• 1 1/2 tsp finely julienned fresh ginger

• 1 tbsp minced garlic

• 1/2 tsp dried red chilli flakes

• 1/2 tsp Sichuan peppercorns

Seasoning

Sauce

• 1 tsp soy sauce

• 2 tbsp unseasoned rice vinegar

• 3 tbsp sugar

• 1 tbsp peanut or vegetable oil

• A few drops of sesame or shallot oil

Instructions

Instructions

1. Remove the ends from the cucumbers. Set two chopsticks in a V-shape on the cutting board and pin the cucumber inside the point of the V. Cut the cucumber crosswise at 1/8 inch intervals. The chopsticks prevent the knife from cutting all the way into the cucumber, leaving you with a lovely fan shape.

2. Toss the sliced cucumber with salt and set aside for 30 mins. The salt will soften and drain the cucumber of liquid. Drain the cucumbers, rinse with cold water, squeeze to set aside.

3. Combine the aromatics in a small dish, combines sauce ingredients in a small bowl.

4. Heat a skillet over moderate heat until hot. Add the oil, swirl to cover the bottom, reduce heat to low. When the oil is hot enough to sizzle a bit of garlic, add the aromatics. Stir until fragrant, around 10 seconds. Watching the heat so it foams without browning. The smell should be punchy when you take a whiff.

5. Add the cucumber, toss to combine, then add the sauce. Toss gently to mix and dissolve the sugar. Taste and add more sugar if you’d like. Remove from heat and toss again.

6. Layer the cucumbers, fan side down in a shallow bowl. Scrape the liquids over top. Seal and chill in the fridge for an hour, or overnight. Do not eat this warm! Serve slightly chilled. The cucumbers are good for a few days in the fridge, although they will lose some of that vibrant color.