This dish reminds me of our summer. Oh what a great summer it was! It was like the summers I had when I was a kid. So much sun, swimming and enjoying every minute of it. Our usual summer day: after a good night sleep in our cabin, we ate a hearty breakfast, soaked up all the sun, went for a trail run in a gorgeous forest nearby and had a refreshing swim in a lake afterwards. We also had delicious summer barbecues and some pretty crazy parties. And don't forget all this beautiful fresh produce and all the lovely people we spent time with. Fall has been my favorite season for years, but for the first time since a very long time, I dwell on the summer. It was a truly special one and I am thankful for it!
Lets get back to this dish. I have written before that I'm not the biggest fan of rice. I usually prefer pasta, but Basmati was a game changer for me. What a beautiful fluffy creation! It's almost like mini noodles. So we ate a lot of Basmati during summer. I just boiled it and served it with some veggies and creamy tomato salad. This tomato salad is a must in an Estonian summer. All Estonians know and love this kind of salad. It's usually made with sour cream, but I used regular vegan kitchen cream instead. It turned out fantastic.
One time I made garlic fried rice with crispy tofu and served it with the same salad. Perfection! Next time I made it, I also wrote down the recipe and took the photos. Summer or not, this dish rocks with every season. Soft and fluffy rice, crispy tofu and soury creamy tomato salad. We practically inhaled the dish. So simple yet so special. I recommend you to make it ASAP!
Preparation time: 10-15 minutes
Serves: 3 - 4 people
Ingredients:
For the garlic fried rice:
- 9 oz / 250 g firm tofu
- 3 Tbsp oil
- 4 cups / 500 g boiled (Basmati) rice (cooled)
- 4 bigger cloves of garlic
- ½ tsp salt
- 3 Tbsp soy sauce or tamari
For the tomato salad:
- 4 ripe medium tomatoes
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- ¼ - ½ tsp salt
- 4-5 Tbsp vegan cream (I used Alpro Soya) or some vegan mayo
Directions:
Dry the tofu with a clean kitchen towel. Heat up a bigger pan and pour some oil in it. Add small tofu cubes and cook them for a few minutes, until they are golden brown and crispy. Add rice and cook for a couple of minutes. Add thinly chopped garlic and salt. Cook for a minute. Add soy sauce or tamari and cook for a minute. Remove the heat.
For the salad, cut tomatoes into cubes, add black pepper, salt and vegan cream. Mix everything together. Serve with rice.
