This is a warm salad, combining a wide range of textures and flavors, great as a light lunch or a starter for any Asian meal. Although you can buy packaged fried tofu at many Asian markets—and that is undeniably convenient—it is much better homemade. Just be sure to remove as much of the water as you can, by firmly pressing the tofu between paper towels as detailed on page 491. For information on shrimp paste, see page 9; for information on nam pla, see page 500.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　Neutral oil, such as corn or grapeseed, for deep-frying

　　1/2 pound firm tofu, drained, dried, and cut into 2-inch cubes

　　3 small fresh chiles, preferably Thai, stemmed and seeded

　　2 garlic cloves, peeled

　　1 teaspoon shrimp paste or 1 tablespoon nam pla

　　1 tablespoon sugar

　　1 tablespoon soy sauce

　　1/2 cup peanuts, chopped

　　Salt to taste

　　1/4 cup bean sprouts

　　1/4 cup Chinese yard-long beans or haricots verts, trimmed

　　1 small cucumber, peeled and sliced

　　

Step 1

Heat 2 inches of oil in a deep, heavy pot over medium heat to 400°F. When the oil is hot, carefully slide in the tofu cubes and fry, turning occasionally, until golden brown and puffy, 5 to 10 minutes. Work in batches to avoid overcrowding. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

　　

Step 2

Put the chiles, garlic, and shrimp paste in a food processor. Process into a paste. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a small skillet over medium heat and fry the chile paste until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the sugar, soy sauce, and 1/4 cup water. When the sugar has dissolved, remove from the heat. Stir in the peanuts and season with salt.

　　

Step 3

Toss the peanut sauce with the bean sprouts, long beans, and cucumber. Transfer to a serving plate and top with the fried tofu.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.