This Japanese spin on coleslaw is a refreshing salad, and serving it with crispy fried tofu coated with sesame seeds makes for a great, quick dinner. Even though the tofu is fried, you only need a little bit of oil, so it’s still a nice light meal.

　　

Ingredients

serves 1

　　1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger

　　Canola oil

　　2 teaspoons rice vinegar

　　1 teaspoon soy sauce

　　1 small daikon radish

　　1 carrot

　　4 ounces extra-firm tofu

　　1 tablespoon flour

　　1 tablespoon sesame seeds

　　

Step 1

Combine the ginger, 1 teaspoon of the canola oil, rice vinegar, and soy sauce in a bowl. Peel the daikon and carrot and cut them into matchstick-sized pieces (about 1/8 by 1/8 by 2 inches). Add the daikon and carrot to the bowl and toss well.

　　

Step 2

Cut the tofu into 3/4-inch cubes and place on a paper towel. Cover the cubes with another paper towel and gently press on the tofu to remove the excess liquid. Combine the flour and sesame seeds in a shallow bowl, add the tofu cubes, and gently turn to coat with the flour mixture. Pour about 1/2 inch of oil into a saucepan and place over medium-high heat until very hot. (A tiny drop of water flicked into the pan should immediately cause the oil to bubble up.) Add the tofu cubes to the pan and cook for 1 minute on each side, or until lightly browned.

　　

Step 3

Place the daikon salad on a plate and top with the fried tofu.

　　

cooking 101

Step 4

Daikon is a long, white radish that is less spicy than most other radishes. They are generally about 2 inches in diameter and 8 to 14 inches long. They’re available in most grocery stores, and they’re delicious sliced onto green salads or to give your coleslaw a little extra zip.

　　College Vegetarian Cooking