Dragon Bowls

When I moved to Vancouver this was the first meal I ate at a restaurant called Naam on the east side. I had never eaten fried tofu before so that is where my love affair with fried tofu began. Dragon bowls are basically a bowl full of texturally varied ingredients including rice and vegetables that are dressed with sauce. Don’t worry about exact measurements of what goes in the bowl, just make sure there’s enough dressing for everything. The sauce is what makes the dish and I tend to choose a nut based sauce that has a salty, smooth consistency. Dragon bowls are a delicious way to use up the bits in your fridge and cupboards. A couple of lonely carrots suddenly become something bright and surprising.

INGREDIENTS Serves 2 Adults
for the rice
100g brown rice
240ml water
1/4 tsp salt
for the pickled carrot
1 large carrot
1 lime juiced
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp honey
1/4 tsp salt
for the tofu
300g firm tofu
cornflour
vegetable oil
for the bowl
2 cloves garlic
1 thumb-sized piece of ginger
150g broccoli
80g frozen edamame beans
80g sugar snap peas
80g Chinese cabbage
1/2 red pepper
red chilli (optional)
60g spinach
cress
peanuts
sesame seeds
for the sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp tahini
1 tbsp miso paste
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp peanut butter
1 tbsp curry paste
1 tsp sugar
165ml coconut milk

• Wash the brown rice in a sieve (brown rice can be a little dusty) then place in a small pan (that has a lid) and add the water and salt. Bring to the boil then immediately turn the heat down to medium low and cook for 40 minutes then fluff with a fork.
• Put the pickling ingredients for the carrots into a small jar then shake it to combine. Use a julienne peeler to make ribbons of carrot then put the ribbons in a bowl and pour over the dressing. Leave to soften.
• Put all the sauce ingredients into a large jar and shake vigorously then set aside.

• Dry the tofu with some kitchen roll then cut into large cubes. Put the cubes on a tray or in a large bowl and sift over with cornflour. Turn the tofu and repeat.
• With 10 minutes left to go on your rice, pour half a centimetre depth of veg oil into a large skillet over a medium high heat. Once the oil is hot, carefully add the tofu and fry until brown on 3 or more sides. Use a slotted spoon to remove the tofu to some kitchen roll to drain.
• Cut the broccoli, pepper and Chinese cabbage into bite-sized pieces. Heat 1 tbsp of veg oil into a wok or large frying pan then add the peeled and chopped garlic and ginger for 30 seconds. Add the chopped veg, edamame beans and sugar snap peas then fry for two minutes. Add the peanuts and chopped chilli (deseeded if you want less heat) then pour over the sauce and cook for another two minutes.
• Divide the cooked rice and raw spinach between two deep bowls then add the veggies and sauce, tofu, cress and pickled carrots. Sprinkle over with sesame seeds and serve.