Jim Webster
THE WASHINGTON POST – There was a time when an egg roll and hot-and-sour soup was my favorite way to start a meal of Chinese takeout before proceeding to an entree that usually involved some combination of vegetables, probably with chicken, bound by a sauce that was either spicy, sweet, rich – or some combination of those – all on top of rice. It was always a little bit of a celebration.
But at some point, something changed. It wasn’t my love of the food, and it wasn’t a matter of newfound restraint. It was my appetite.
Even if I want to eat that much food, it’s not as easy as it used to be. The egg roll and soup went from being my takeout appetisers to my entire takeout experience.
That’s not a complaint. I kind of miss the days when I could easily devour a container of sweet-and-sour this or kung pao that. (Maybe there would be leftovers for tomorrow’s lunch, maybe there wouldn’t). But I really like egg rolls and these days, I’m completely comfortable making them the star of a meal.
So imagine the gymnastics my eyebrows performed when I was flipping through Mostly Veggies, a new cookbook from blogger and holistic nutritionist Brittany Mullins, and I came across this recipe for tofu egg roll in a bowl.
It has a lot of my favourite things. A colorful stir-fry. The bright bite of ginger. A light sauce built on umami (tamari or soya) and spice (sambal oelek).
All on top of a bowl of rice. That’s the biggest deviation from a traditional egg roll, of course, but the truth is anything can become one of my favourite things when piled on a bowl of rice.
And since it isn’t fried and relies on some pre-prepped veggies, the mess it takes to make it would be minimal.
But I’m an editor, and the hardest part of editing is noticing what isn’t there.
I immediately sensed something was missing: the crunch.
I’m also a chronic tinkerer, and immediately knew that I had the answer to that problem in my pantry: wonton chips. I keep them around to toss on top of salads, and they’re a reasonable analogue to the fried noodles that come with takeout to garnish soup. Sprinkled on top of the bowl, the egg roll experience felt satisfying.
Next time, maybe I’ll make a batch of hot-and-sour soup and complete the evolution of the memory.
TOFU EGG ROLL IN A BOWL
Ingredients:
– Two tablespoons toasted sesame oil
– One medium yellow onion (eight ounces), chopped
– Two cloves garlic, minced or finely grated
– Two teaspoons minced or grated fresh ginger
– One (14- to 16-ounce) package extra-firm tofu, drained and crumbled into bite-size pieces
– Half ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and chopped
– Half teaspoon fine salt
– Half teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
– A quarter cup reduced-sodium tamari, soya sauce or coconut aminos, or more to taste
– One tablespoon chili-garlic sauce, or a chili paste such as sambal oelek, or more as needed
– One tablespoon rice vinegar, or more as needed
– One (12-ounce) package coleslaw mix (may substitute five cups of a mix of shredded green and red cabbage)
– One cup (four ounces) matchstick or shredded carrots (two medium)
– Three cups cooked white or brown rice, for serving (from one cup uncooked)
– Two scallions, thinly sliced, for garnish (optional)
– Chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish (optional)
– Crispy wonton chips or fried Chinese noodles, for serving
– Sriracha for serving
Directions:
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the sesame oil until it shimmers.
Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until it begins to soften, about six minutes.
Add the garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, about one minute.
Add the tofu, mushrooms, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms begin to soften, about three minutes, then add the tamari, chili-garlic sauce and rice vinegar. Cook, stirring, until the mushrooms have softened and the tofu begins browning in spots, about four minutes. Add the coleslaw mix and carrots and cook, stirring frequently, until the cabbage begins to wilt, about four minutes. Taste, and season with more tamari, chilli-garlic sauce and/or vinegar, if desired.
Divide the rice among four bowls, then top with the stir-fry. Garnish with the scallions, cilantro, and wonton chips or fried Chinese noodles, if using, and serve with sriracha.
