Sook Mei Faan (Cantonese Creamed Corn With Tofu and Rice)

By Hetty Lui McKinnon

Updated August 24, 2020

  • Christopher Simpson for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
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Total Time
25 minutes
Rating
4(1,114)
Comments
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Creamed corn over rice is a quintessential Cantonese dish often served at cha chaan tengs, casual diners that are ubiquitous in Hong Kong. There are many variations of sook mei faan, or corn rice. Some include chunks of pork or chicken, while another rendition has the creamy corn ladled over fried fish fillets. While this dish is traditionally made with canned creamed corn, this vegan version uses fresh corn, which offers a well-rounded sweetness that still feels bright, and is served over cold silken tofu, offering a pleasing contrast in texture and temperature.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • 2 (14-ounce) packages silken tofu, drained

  • 3 cups corn kernels (1 pound), from 3 large cobs or thawed from frozen

  • 1 tablespoon neutral oil, such as grapeseed, vegetable or canola, plus more as needed

  • 1 (1-inch) piece ginger, peeled and finely chopped

  • 1 garlic clove, finely chopped

  • 2 scallions, finely sliced, plus more for serving

  • 1 ½ cups vegetable stock

  • Kosher salt

  • White pepper

  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water

  • Steamed rice, for serving

  • Cilantro leaves and tender stems, for garnish

  • Sesame oil or chile oil, for drizzling

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

55 grams carbs; 431 calories; 5 grams monosaturated fat; 7 grams polyunsaturated fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 17 grams fat; 7 grams fiber; 1102 milligrams sodium; 24 grams protein; 5 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

    Carefully pat the tofu dry with a clean kitchen towel, and cut each block into 8 slices.

  2. Step 2

    Place half the corn kernels into a blender or food processor, and blitz until creamy but still chunky.

  3. Step 3

    Heat a medium saucepan or deep skillet over medium-high. When hot, add 1 tablespoon oil. Add the ginger, garlic and scallions, and cook for 20 seconds until aromatic. (They shouldn't brown too much.) Add the remaining corn kernels, along with the blitzed corn and vegetable stock, season well with salt and white pepper, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes to bring the mixture to a boil. Stirring constantly, slowly add the cornstarch slurry, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture is slightly thickened.

  4. Step 4

    Divide rice among bowls. For each serving, lay 4 slices of silken tofu on top of the rice and top with a few spoonfuls of the creamed corn. Finish with scallions, cilantro and drizzle with sesame or chile oil.

Tip

  • If you don’t have cornstarch, you can thicken the creamed corn by adding an egg. Beat 1 egg, reduce heat to low, and slowly pour the egg in a steady stream into the corn mixture. (Do not stir.) Allow to cook for 30 seconds, then slowly stir with chopsticks or a fork to create long strands of egg. This dish can also be eaten with pasta or noodles.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
1,114 user ratings
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Comments

STLCooks

Such a delicious recipe. The textures are everything. Using fresh sweet corn was a fantastic choice to balance out the ginger-garlic-scallion mix. To those wondering, no, you do not cook the tofu. Placing the slices on top of the hot rice and ladling the hot creamed corn over it just gently warms it, though. We drizzled chile crisp over the top, which really took the dish to the next level. Best of all: it's so darn easy and quick to make!!! Dinner was ready in 20 minutes.

Caryle

Does the tofu not need to be cooked?

lizinboston

I whipped it up for lunch with corn left over from last night's dinner; it was easy and comfort food-ish to the point of being a little bland. Some gochujang took care of that (sriracha also would have worked.) Next time, I might add some soy sauce and some sprouts and crushed peanuts on top for some crunch. I also "wrung out" the corn cobs and added that liquid to the veggie stock. Thanks!

Regina

I didn’t have rice ready for dinner and so had it over sliced baguette. It was fabulous and would work very well for vegan brunch.

Nancy

Added a few veggies had on hand: half red onion, half a fennel bulb, green bell pepper. Also, didn't have tofu handy so used some leftover cubed chinese BBQ pork (and pork bouillon cube for the broth). Was generous with the garlic and ginger. Flavour was a nice melange (white pepper discernible) with corn flavor (4 cobs worth) still predominant. Will be a go to from now on.

Matt

I didn’t taste it before adding the chili crisp. It was fantastic once assembled. And pretty easy.

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