Two light Asian vegetarian dishes: steamed tofu with ginger and glass noodles with cabbage and mushrooms
- Steamed tofu with ginger, garlic, spring onion and chillies is bursting with flavour, not calories
- Glass noodles with Chinese cabbage and mushrooms is a delicious break from heavy festive fare
After the indulgences of the winter holidays – and with more feasting to come with the Lunar New Year in just a few weeks – it’s a good time to give your body a break by eating lighter meals. These vegetarian dishes are healthy and easy to make.
Steamed tofu with ginger, garlic, spring onions and chillies
I love this light but flavourful dish, which can be ready in about 15 minutes. For a more substantial meal, serve with stir-fried green vegetables.
I use Thai soy sauce for this recipe; it’s lighter (in colour) and saltier than Chinese soy sauce. If you don’t have it, use regular Chinese soy sauce, although the colour will be darker.
2 blocks soft tofu, about 200 grams each
15 grams peeled ginger
4 garlic cloves
3-4 spring onions
2-4 red bird’s-eye chillies
A small handful of fresh coriander leaves (optional)
30ml Thai soy sauce
5 grams granulated sugar
10ml fresh lime juice
1 Cut each block of tofu into four pieces, then lay them flat on a heatproof dish that will fit all of them in one layer.
2 Cut the ginger into thin slices, then finely julienne the pieces. Lay the ginger over the tofu.