Quick cucumber and tofu noodles with cashews, grapefruit nam jim and herbs

Quick Cucumber and Tofu Noodles with Cashews, Grapefruit Nam Jim and Herbs (Vegan)

SERVES 4

For the tofu

• 350g of tofu, cut into 2cm pieces
• 1 clove of garlic, peeled
• 2 tablespoons of soy or tamari
• 1 tablespoon of maple or honey
• Pinch dried chilli
• 1 small cucumber
• 1 red chilli
• 2 spring onions
• A handful of sugar snaps

For the sauce

• 2 teaspoons of raw basmati rice
• ½ dried red chilli
• 1 small bunch of coriander, stalks finely chopped, leaves chopped
• 2 pink grapefruits
• 1 tbsp of maple
• 2 tbsp soy
• 2 tbsp veg fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon of tamarind paste
• 1 banana shallot or 2 small shallots, finely chopped

Instructions

First, marinate the tofu, cut it into 2cm cubes and add to a bowl with the maple and soy and grate in the clove of garlic.

To make the sauce, toast the rice in a small pan for 2-3 mins until golden brown and toasty. Add it to a pestle and mortar with the dried chilli and coriander stalks. Bash until fine. Juice the grapefruits into a bowl with all the other ingredients and the rice and coriander root mixture.

Cook the noodles according to the packet instructions.

Add some oil to the pan with the tofu and cook on medium-high heat until browned on all sides. Take off the heat.

Drain the noodles and toss them in the sauce. Top with the tofu and toasted cashews and the cucumber, sugar snaps, chilli and spring onions.

You can adapt the noodle recipe using other proteins:

• Tofu - firm or smoked would work
• Egg - whisked with a drop of soy add these to the pan of noodles for the last few minutes

Ingredient swaps

• Orange or lime will work in place of the grapefruit, if using lime use less due to the Acidity

• Swap out the cucumber and spring onions for any other seasonal veg, most will need some cooking in the pan with the tofu - favourites are; pak choi, purple sprouting broccoli, grated carrot, finely sliced sweet potato, charred sweetcorn.