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Rice Salad With Peanuts and Tofu
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- Total Time
- 30 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
- ½cup red rice, soaked for 1 hour and drained
- 1cup basmati or jasmine rice, rinsed
- 2½cups water
- Salt to taste (I use about ¾ teaspoon)
- ½cup chopped cilantro
- ½cup lightly toasted unsalted peanuts, chopped (about 2 ounces)
- 1cup English peas, steamed for 5 minutes if using fresh, thawed if frozen
- 1bunch green onions or, chopped, or ¼ cup chopped chives
- 1 to 2serrano chiles or bird chiles, minced
- Romaine or leaf lettuce for the platter or plates
- 1avocado, sliced, avocado for garnish (1 avocado)
- Black sesame seeds for garnish
- ½tablespoon minced ginger
- 2tablespoons soy sauce, preferably tamari
- 114-ounce block of organic extra-firm tofu (find one that is not too dry)
- 1garlic clove, minced
- ½tablespoon minced shallot
- ½teaspoon cumin seeds, lightly toasted and ground
- ⅛teaspoon of cayenne
- 1tablespoon honey or agave nectar
- 2tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
- 3tablespoons toasted peanut oil
- 3tablespoons grapeseed grape seed oil or canola oil (use 6 tablespoons if toasted peanut oil is not available)
- Chopped cilantro (whatever is left of the bunch you use for the salad) or cilantro sprigs
For the Salad
For the Tofu and the Dressing
Preparation
- Step 1
Combine the two kinds of two rices in a medium saucepan. Add water and salt to taste and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 15 to 20 minutes, until rice is tender and all of the liquid in the pan has been absorbed. Remove from heat. Remove lid, place a clean dishtowel across the pan (not touching the rice) and return lid to the pan. Let sit undisturbed for 15 minutes or longer. Remove lid and towel, transfer to a bowl and allow to cool. Add cilantro, peanuts, peas, scallions or chives and chiles and toss together.
- Step 2
While rice is cooking, preheat oven to 375 degreesºF. Line a sheet pan with parchment. Pat tofu dry with paper towels and cut laterally into 4 equal squares, then cut squares into strips.
- Step 3
In a large, wide bowl whisk together soy sauce, ginger, garlic, shallot, cumin, cayenne, honey or agave nectar, 2 teaspoons of the lime juice, 3 tablespoons of the grape seed or canola oil, and cilantro to taste. Pat each square of tofu dry with paper towels, then dip into marinade, making sure to coat both sides. Transfer to baking sheet. Do not drain the marinade.
- Step 4
Bake tofu for 10 to 15 minutes, until the edges are just beginning to color and marinade sets on the surface. Remove from heat.
- Step 5
Add remaining lime juice to the marinade and whisk in remaining oil. Add to rice mixture and toss.
- Step 6
Line a platter or wide bowl, or individual plates with lettuce leaves and top with rice mixture. Lay tofu strips on top, garnish with avocado slices, black sesame seeds if desired, and cilantro, and serve.
Private Notes
Cooking Notes
Labor intensive--way longer than 30 minutes. Worth trying again, a hit for summer weeknight. Marinate tofu overnight or a few hours. Switch ratio of red rice to white, rice not chewy enough as cooked, so will soak less next time. Needed 2x more Thai peppers, lime, sesame oil, and fish sauce to pop. Served with torn leaves of mint, Thai basil, and cilantro along with pea shoots, extra peanuts.
Make with basmati rice. Made with wild rice and rice was too mushy and did not work with the Asian flavors of the dish
Made with wild rice and was too mushy. In addition wild rice does not work with flavors of dish. If red rice is not available, suggest trying with all basmati rice.
This is great! Used 1/2 cup black rice and 1 cup Korean mixed rice, and it's excellent. Make a little extra dressing. Added cucumbers.
Made it with left-over brown rice simmered in broth. Tofu wouldn't take on color, broiled it instead. The spicing is wonderful. Will return to this recipe often.
I substituted shaved, raw Brussels sprouts for the lettuce and peas, and cut the red rice out. It was crunchy and delicious.
Really good! Double or triple dressing recipe and marinate tofu overnight. Used rice cooker on regular rice setting. Baked tofu for about 25 minutes and was nice and crispy. Don't bake any longer than that. Rice reheats well.
This is a great rice and tofu dish served hot.... Just forget the salad stuff!
I substitute toasted sesame oil for the toasted peanut oil. Our local PCC (Pacific Northwest) carries the red rice. It is worth finding the red rice it adds a delicious note to this recipe. I have made this recipe at least 4 times and we are having it again tonight. A bit labor intensive but if you make the marinade up the night before and marinate the tofu over night it helps with the prep work.
Labor intensive--way longer than 30 minutes. Worth trying again, a hit for summer weeknight. Marinate tofu overnight or a few hours. Switch ratio of red rice to white, rice not chewy enough as cooked, so will soak less next time. Needed 2x more Thai peppers, lime, sesame oil, and fish sauce to pop. Served with torn leaves of mint, Thai basil, and cilantro along with pea shoots, extra peanuts.
HELP! Where, oh where can you buy toasted peanut oil? All I can find at the store is ROASTED peanut oil. Is that the same thing? I have found only one source of toasted peanut oil online, and the product description refers to it as roasted, although the bottle says toasted. I'm so confused...
Labor intensive--way longer than 30 minutes. Worth trying again, a hit for summer weeknight. Marinate tofu overnight or a few hours. Switch ratio of red rice to white, rice not chewy enough as cooked, so will soak less next time. Needed 2x more Thai peppers, lime, sesame oil, and fish sauce to pop. Served with torn leaves of mint, Thai basil, and cilantro along with pea shoots, extra peanuts.
Where the heck do you find red rice? I've tried Whole Foods, Giant, and a local Asian market – no luck at any of those stores.
Shrimp would have been better.
Tanya liked it, took a long time to make (1.5 hours)
I made this and thought it was EXCELLENT! Some notes/substitutions:
- Couldn't find red rice, subbed Lundberg Wehani rice. Didn't presoak (because I'm lazy). Worked great!
- Used frozen regular peas (not English) since I already had them on hand.
- The leaf-lettuce garnish looked nice but was tiresome once I started eating. Forego it, or chop and add in.
- Used roasted sesame oil instead of roasted peanut oil.
Leftover rice mix was SO tasty with a fried egg on top!
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