Vegan pho and Thai fishless cakes: Richard Makin’s southeast Asian-style tofu recipes | Food
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Whether you love it or loathe it, tofu is one of the most versatile ingredients in any kitchen. For me, it’s the saviour of stressful dinner times, because it cooks in minutes, absorbs flavour like no other and packs a real nutritional punch. Here, it plays two very different roles: crisped until golden in a fragrant, spice-infused Vietnamese-style pho, and mashed to give body and bite to bold, punchy Thai-ish fishless cakes.
Pho now or pho later (pictured top)
The best bit about pho, IMO, is the broth; unfortunately, it’s also the most time-consuming part. But don’t fret, I’ve streamlined the process for you. Once made, the broth can sit in the fridge for up to a week, ready to be reheated and poured over noodles and vegetables at a moment’s notice. And, because it’s full of spices and aromatics, it’ll taste even better with time.
Prep 10 min
Cook 30 min
Serves 2
1 tsp vegetable oil
200g extra-firm tofu, drained and cubed
2 shallots, peeled and roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly crushed with the flat of a knife
2½cm piece fresh ginger, roughly sliced
2 star anise
4 cloves
2 tsp coriander seeds
2 green cardamom pods
1 cinnamon stick
½ tsp chilli flakes
½ tsp fennel seeds
1½ litres vegetable stock
150g long-stem broccoli, ends trimmed
170g flat rice noodles
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp fine sea salt
2 tbsp white rice vinegar
To serve
1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped
1 red chilli, stalk, pith and seeds removed, flesh finely chopped
1 small carrot, peeled and julienned or grated
Fresh coriander, mint and basil
2 lime wedges
Put the vegetable oil in a large saucepan on a medium heat, then fry the tofu for five minutes, turning often, until browned all over. Lift it out of the pan, stir the shallots, garlic, ginger and spices into the hot oil left in the pan and cook, stirring, for two minutes, until fragrant. Pour in the stock, bring to a boil over a medium heat, then leave to bubble for 10 minutes.
Put the broccoli in a steamer basket (or sieve) and place it over the top of the simmering pot. Turn down the heat to a simmer, cover the pan with a lid and steam the broccoli for five minutes, until tender. Take out the broccoli and set aside.
Strain the stock to remove the spices and aromatics, then return the clear broth to the pan and put it on a medium heat. Add the rice noodles and cook for five minutes, or until tender.
Divide the noodles between two deep bowls, and top them both with half the steamed broccoli and fried tofu. Stir the soy sauce, brown sugar, sea salt and rice vinegar into the hot broth, then take it off the heat.
If serving straight away, pour the seasoned broth over the noodles, broccoli and tofu in each bowl; if serving later, leave the broth to cool to room temperature, then transfer to an airtight container. Cover the noodle bowls (or transfer to a heat-proof jar) and keep in the fridge for up to a week.
When ready to serve, bring the broth back to a boil, then pour it over the noodles. Garnish with chopped shallot, red chilli, julienned carrot, fresh herbs and a lime wedge.
Red curry fishless cakes with peanut slaw
This recipe is for my mum. She went vegan not long after I did, back in 2017, and although she doesn’t say as much explicitly, I know that she misses seafood. She also loves Thai food, so these fishless cakes are a win–win. They’re gently spiced and super fragrant, with a light, flaky texture; they’re also freezable and, because they’re dinky, they don’t need to be defrosted before frying.
Prep 15 min
Cook 20 min
Serves 2
For the fishless cakes
1 400g tin hearts of palm, drained and roughly chopped
150g medium-firm tofu, drained
2 spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped
1 tbsp vegan red curry paste
1 tsp ginger paste, or 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
1 tsp brown sugar
Finely grated zest of ½ lime
1 small bunch coriander, leaves and tender stems chopped
3 tbsp plain flour, plus extra for dusting
1 tbsp vegetable oil
Lime wedges, to serve
For the peanut slaw
50g shredded red cabbage
50g shredded white cabbage
1 small carrot, peeled and cut into thin matchsticks
50g cooked edamame beans
1 spring onion, trimmed and finely chopped
40g salted peanuts, roughly chopped
1 tbsp agave syrup
1 tbsp rice vinegar, or lime juice
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp smooth peanut butter
2 tsp sriracha
1 tsp ginger paste
Wrap the chopped hearts of palm and the tofu in a clean kitchen towel and wring out as much moisture as possible. The tofu will get mushed up, but not to worry: that’s what you want.
Put the hearts of palm and tofu in a large bowl, add the spring onions, curry paste, ginger, garlic, brown sugar, lime zest, coriander and flour, then mix thoroughly with your hands until well combined.
Form the mixture into six patties and dust the outsides with the extra flour. If you’re making the fishless cakes in advance, put the patties on a small baking sheet and freeze until solid. Transfer them to an airtight container or zip-lock bag, and freeze for up two months.
To cook, put a large frying pan on a medium heat, add the vegetable oil, then fry the patties for five to eight minutes on each side, until lightly browned (if cooking from frozen, you’ll need to add a few minutes to the cooking time ).
While the fishless cakes are cooking, in a large bowl mix the two cabbages, carrot matchsticks, edamame, spring onion and chopped peanuts. In a small bowl, whisk the agave syrup, rice vinegar, olive oil, soy sauce, peanut butter, sriracha and ginger paste, pour half of this dressing over the slaw and toss to coat.
Serve the fishless cakes with the peanut slaw on the side, with lime wedges alongside and the remaining dressing for dipping.
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These recipes are edited extracts from Stress-Free Dinners: Over 90 Quick and Delicious Everyday Vegan Recipes, by Richard Makin, published by Bloomsbury at £22. To order a copy for £19.80, go to guardianbookshop.com
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