Credit: Sorted Food
Strong Women
Make this immunity-supporting vegan dan dan rice noodle dish the next time you’ve got a cold
2 years ago
3 min read
Dan dan noodles are Sichuan’s answer to comfort food – so give this spiced tofu version from Sorted Food a go.
When you’re sick, you need something warm, comforting and packed with nourishing ingredients. You don’t want to spend hours faffing in the kitchen either – the perfect dinner for a bad cold has to be whipped up in under 20 minutes. Mercifully, this vegan dan dan noodle dish ticks all the boxes.
You’ve got a hearty dose of protein from the tofu (you need protein to build and repair body tissue and fight viral and bacterial infections), while getting a glut of inflammation-busting spices in the form of ginger, cinnamon, allspice and cumin. Allspice is thought to boast anticancer, antifungal, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties, as well as helping with blood sugar control. Cinnamon does the same kind of thing while being known to be loaded with antioxidants. In fact, the antioxidant effects of cinnamon are so powerful that you’re supposed to be able to use the spice as a natural food preservative.
Ginger, meanwhile, is a go-to cold remedy. Its medicinal properties are again thought to reduce inflammation and soothe sore throats. It’s also thought to speed up cold recovery time by enhancing immunity, with one lab study finding that ginger stimulates the immune system to kill viruses.
serves
2
Ingredients
3 tbsp vegetable oil
280g extra firm tofu
2 tbsp tahini
10g fresh ginger
1 clove(s) garlic
1 tsp caster sugar
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground allspice
½ tsp ground cumin
100g flat rice noodles
3 spring onion(s)
20g fresh coriander
1 tbsp light soy sauce
Method
1. Fill a kettle with water and put it on to boil. This will be for the noodles later.
2. Next, place a large frying pan over a high heat and drizzle in 3 tbsp of vegetable oil.
3. Once the oil starts to shimmer and loosen, crumble in the 280g block of tofu. Fry the tofu for 6-8 minutes, tossing occasionally, until golden and crisp in places. Get on with the rest of the dish in the next steps while you wait.
4. Add 2 tbsp of tahini and 1 tbsp of soy sauce to a large mixing bowl. Peel, then finely grate in 10g of ginger and 1 clove of garlic. Add 1 tsp of sugar.
5. Give everything a good mix and season to taste with a little more soy sauce if necessary.
6. Once the tofu is crisp in places, tip in ½ tsp each of cinnamon, allspice and cumin. Toss and fry for a further 1-2 minutes, then take the pan off the heat. Season to taste with salt.
7. Now, cook the noodles. Add 100g of noodles to a medium saucepan and tip in enough boiling water from the kettle to just cover them. Place the pan over a high heat and boil for 3-4 minutes, until soft but still with a slight bite.
8. While the noodles cook, thinly slice 3 spring onions.
9. When the noodles are ready, use tongs to transfer them into the bowl with the sauce. Add spring onions and 15g of the coriander – you’ll use the rest for garnish later. Toss everything together, and loosen with a splash of the noodle’s cooking water if necessary. The sauce should coat the noodles in a silky sauce.
10. Divide the noodles between bowls and spoon over the spiced tofu. Dress with the remaining 5g of coriander and serve.
Images and recipe courtesy of Sorted Food’s Sidekick app, which is packed with smart recipes and money-saving hacks.
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