Norwegian Tofu Salad

Whilst I was gathering my thoughts for a blog post on my epic bus journey and reflecting on sustainable transport, I invented myself a tofu salad. There is nothing Norwegian about this salad in any way. Other than the fact that the recipe was requested by my friend Matt, who lives in Norway. Not even he's Norwegian. But there we go. Things aren't always what they seem.

Leftover wholegrain rice is the best to make this recipe with - basmati just won't cut it. I used a really nutty organic wholegrain that is almost like pearl barley in texture, and it worked really well.

Norwegian Tofu Salad

Serves 2

Marinade:
100g Tofu, the squidgy uncooked kind (I'm guessing at the quantity cause my scales are broken, so feel free to adjust this if it doesn't look like enough).
3 tablespoons Sesame oil
1 tablespoon Soya sauce
1 cm Fresh ginger root cut into matchsticks or grated
2 cloves Garlic
2 tsp Chinese 5-spice powder

Small portion of wholegrain rice, cooked.

Salad leaves such as rocket, lettuce, celery leaves.
6 radishes
Half a cucumber
3 spring onions

Lime juice
Linseeds or sesame seeds (optional)


Cut the tofu into 1/2cm cubed pieces, place into a shallow dish and add all the other ingredients. Leave to marinade, turning occasionally, for as long as you can (at least 30 mins).



After this time, place the tofu and marinade in a medium-sized pan over a medium heat. Let it fry until nice and brown. Add the rice and turn it over in the mixture so that it gets a good coating of oil (sesame oil is really good for you!). Set aside while you make the rest of the salad.





Wash the leaves, tear them up and pile on one side of a plate. Slice the radishes and spring onions really thinly. Cut the cucumber into thin matchsticks. Arrange them on top of the leaves. My salad came with some nice vegetable flowers that I decorated with. Fun. Squeeze some lime juice over the top; it cuts through the sesame oil really nicely.

Now pile the rice and tofu mixture on the other half of the plate.
I threw some linseeds over the whole plate for added health benefit. Sesame seeds would work nicely too.

Eat. Goes nicely with some Chinese beer.