about 250 - 300 g tofu
16 g corn starch
3 tbsp water
15 g coconut flakes (toasted)
15 g vegetable oil
0.5 g salt
50 g rice noodles (thick and flat type)
50 g carrot (peel into ribbons with peeler)
1½ lime (½ zest, ½ juiced, ½ cut to wedge)
40 g cucumber (sliced thinly into rounds)
15 g red radishes (thinly sliced)
5 g jalapeno (sliced into rounds)
50 g red cabbage (shredded)
50 g white/ green cabbage (shredded)
1 pc scallion (sliced)
10 g peanuts (toasted & crushed)
sweet chilli sauce:
60 ml rice vinegar
90 ml water
75 g white sugar
3 garlic cloves (minced)
½ tbsp soy sauce
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
1½ tbsp sambal oelek
2 tsp corn starch + 1 tbsp water (Corn Starch mixture)
Slice tofu into 6 steaks.
In a bowl, add the 16g corn starch and 3 tbsp water to a bowl and mix well to combine.
Coat the tofu steaks in the corn starch mixture and then press into the coconut flakes to coat evenly.
Set aside
Place a large non-stick pan over medium heat with vegetable oil.
Once the oil is hot, cook the coconut crusted tofu until browned, about 3-5 minutes per side.
Transfer to a paper towel lined plate and immediately sprinkle with a pinch of salt.
Add the vinegar water, sugar, garlic, soy sauce, and cayenne pepper into a saucepan.
Heat over medium heat while stirring, to dissolve the sugar.
Increase the heat to medium-high and bring it to a boil.
Let it simmer for about 2 minutes.
Add the sambal oelek and mix well. Let it cook for a few minutes until it’s slightly thickened (2-5 min).
Add the corn starch mixture into a smooth slurry to the sauce.
While stirring frequently (to prevent from burning at the bottom), simmer the sauce for a further 2-5 min or until it reaches a desired thickness.
Remove from heat and set aside.
Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to boil.
Add the rice noodles to the boiling water and remove from the heat.
Soak until tender, about 2-3 minutes.
Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.
In a big bowl, combine the carrot ribbons, ½ tsp lime zest, juice from half a lime, cooked noodles and a pinch of salt
Divide the noodles between 2 shallow bowls.
Top with sliced cucumber, sliced radish, and sliced jalapeno
Add the coconut crusted tofu to the bowls
Drizzle sweet chilli sauce on to the bowls (if the sauce is too thick, add a little water to dilute it)
Top with shredded red and green cabbage, and lime wedges. Garnish with crushed peanuts and serve.