Tohu Thoke

Recipe from Thin Thin Le

Adapted by Francis Lam

Published August 22, 2015

  • Grant Cornett for The New York Times. Food stylist: Maggie Ruggiero. Prop stylist: Theo Vamvounakis.
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Total Time
1 hour
Rating
4(64)
Comments
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This “tofu” comes together fast; it’s essentially a quick chickpea flour porridge that you cool and slice. The tart, savory tamarind dressing and crispy shallots and garlic with oil give the dish tons of flavor. As an untraditional addition, you could also add corn and diced tomatoes for a fresh summer meal. —Francis Lam

Featured in: Myanmar’s Many Funks and Flavors

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Ingredients

Yield:4-6 servings as an appetizer or light meal

FOR THE CHICKPEA ‘‘TOFU’’

  • 1 ½ cups superfine chickpea flour (gram flour)

  • 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt

  • ½ teaspoon turmeric (optional)

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

FOR THE TAMARIND-GARLIC DRESSING

  • 3 ounces tamarind pulp (3-by-3-by-¾-inch block)

  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt

  • 2 teaspoons Sriracha, or to taste

  • 5 cloves garlic, grated

  • ¼ teaspoon MSG (optional)

  • 2 teaspoons fish sauce, or to taste

  • 4 teaspoons sugar, or to taste

FOR THE SALAD

  • ¼ cup shallot-garlic oil (see recipe)

  • ¼ cup tamarind-garlic dressing

  • ¼ bunch cilantro, chopped

  • 3 makrut lime leaves, sliced very thin (optional)

  • 1 ½ tablespoons minced Asian dried shrimp (optional)

  • Red-chile flakes or powder, to taste

  • ¼ cup crispy shallots and garlic (see recipe)

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 to 6 servings as an appetizer or light meal)

32 grams carbs; 263 calories; 8 grams monosaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 13 grams fat; 4 grams fiber; 249 milligrams sodium; 7 grams protein; 13 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Make the chickpea ‘‘tofu.’’ In a large bowl, whisk together the chickpea flour, salt and turmeric, then gradually whisk in 3 cups of water to create a smooth batter. (Pass through a strainer if it’s lumpy.) Let rest 10 minutes.

  2. Step 2

    Pour half the mixture into a deep-sided sauté pan, and place over medium heat. Cook, stirring the bottom constantly in quick, spiraling circles with a rubber spatula. When curds start to form and the mixture starts to thicken, about 3 minutes, add the rest of the mixture, turn heat to medium-low and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until you see more curds and it resembles very thick cake batter, another 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the oil. Turn heat to high, and stir, until the mixture steams, 1 more minute. Turn mixture out onto a rimmed baking sheet, and shake it to settle (it will be very thick; just do your best).

  3. Step 3

    Let cool until firm enough to slice, and cut into bite-size strips. (This is best served at room temperature the day it’s made; it gets stiffer after refrigeration.) Dress just before serving.

  4. Step 4

    Make the dressing. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the tamarind pulp and 1 ½ cups water. Break up the tamarind with a spoon; cook until the chunks are all broken up and the liquid looks thick and syrupy. Pass the mixture through a strainer.

  5. Step 5

    Combine the tamarind liquid with the salt, Sriracha, grated garlic, MSG, fish sauce and sugar. Adjust with more fish sauce, sugar, Sriracha or water to taste. Extra dressing keeps for 1 month in the refrigerator.

  6. Step 6

    Make the salad. In a large bowl, gently toss the chickpea tofu, shallot-garlic oil, dressing, cilantro, lime leaves, dried shrimp (if using) and chile. Top with crispy shallots and garlic, and serve immediately.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
64 user ratings
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Comments

intero

For Westerners, maybe. As a child, there was always a container of MSG right next to the salt and sugar for my father to use while cooking.

monica

To those upset with the addition of MSG, MSG is not inherently evil. It is a common ingredient in many western and non-western foods, AND it is simply a synthesized version of powder that naturally occurs on Kombu (seaweed used in dashi). The lab-created version is an exact molecular copy of naturally occurring MSG. Glutamates also exist naturally in Parmesan, anchovies, fish sauce, tomatoes, etc. It has also been theorized that MSG headaches are a result of a placebo effect rooted in racism.

Kate

Visited Myanmar last year. Food was awesome. Thanks for this recipe and reminder of the kindness of people there.

monica

To those upset with the addition of MSG, MSG is not inherently evil. It is a common ingredient in many western and non-western foods, AND it is simply a synthesized version of powder that naturally occurs on Kombu (seaweed used in dashi). The lab-created version is an exact molecular copy of naturally occurring MSG. Glutamates also exist naturally in Parmesan, anchovies, fish sauce, tomatoes, etc. It has also been theorized that MSG headaches are a result of a placebo effect rooted in racism.

PJ

This turned out well, and I loved the chickpea tofu- I added the tumeric and the flavor of the tofu on its own was good. I didn't add shrimp or the fish sauce (we're nominally vegan) or the kaffir lime leaves (someone had accidentally tossed out the lime leaves), and the flavor was still very good.

citizenj

Didn't care for the bland chickpea tofu. The sauce helped but not enough to make me want to cook this again.

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Credits

Adapted from Thin Thin Le

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