Rice Tofu, with Chili Sauce (凉拌米豆腐)

Rice tofu does not contain a lick of soybean, this 'tofu' could be thought of as more of a... jiggly, slippery rice cake that has a totally different texture than the chewy rice cake.

Rice Tofu is a classic from the Chinese southwest, and despite the name doesn't contain a lick of soybean. This is a rice product through and through – and while there is a ton of ways to eat this stuff, one of our all time favorites is in the Guizhou style, smothered in a mountain of chili sauce.

Now, rice tofu is one of those dishes that was probably borne out of necessity. You see, in China farmers are contracted to sell a portion of each rice crop to the chubeiliang [储备粮], the State granary system, where it stays in case of famine for three years.

It's a system that's pretty much as old as the Chinese state is, dating all the way back to the start of the Qin dynasty. But. Assuming no famines, at the end of those three years that rice will be a bit of a different beast than when it started.

As rice sits in storage, the grains start to form this thick skin… making the rice harder, dryer, and less sticky when cooked. Old granary rice is one of the cheapest rices you can buy at a Chinese market. But sometimes – sometimes, that hard rice curse can also be a blessing.

For example, for Cantonese Cheong Fun rice noodle rolls [肠粉], the rice batter pretty much requires old rice in order to get it to its characteristic smooth, slippery texture. Rice Tofu is also in that tradition – a way to transform that cheap-o granary rice into something truly special.

So right. I promise, there's nothing really magic about the aging process – if you just happen to have some old rice from 2018 sitting there in the back of your cabinet, congratulations. But for most of us, while I don't think you'll ever be able to find any old Chinese granary rice, what you can buy pre-aged is Basmati. Prized in Indian cooking, and for this recipe, also works beautifully.

Rice Tofu:

• Aged Basmati Rice, 100g. Or, if you happen to be China based you can find the granary rice as 陈米, or in Guangdong as 肠粉米.

• Calcium Hydroxide (熟石灰), 2g.

• Water, 250mL-750mL. Water quantity depends on your desired ratio. Use 250mL for the firmer sort, 750mL for jiggly.

Note: If going for the jiggly one, we like to first blend it with 250mL of water, then add an additional 500mL after it's well blended. Less messy that way. Also, feel free to scale up. If you're going for the firm sort of rice tofu, I'd recommend doubling the recipe.

Process:

Mix together 100g rice, 2g calcium hydroxide, and enough water to come up about ~1cm above the rice. Let it soak for ~3 hours.

Rinse the rice ~10 times, or until the water runs completely clear.

In a blender, blend the rice on high together with 250ml of water, scraping once or twice till the batter is smooth.

If going for the jiggly rice tofu (1 part rice : 7 part water), add the extra water now and mix well.

Cook the rice tofu. First heat it up until it's beginning to clump, which would be around 53C. Then swap the flame to medium low, continue to cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring constantly, until the starch tastes cooked (a bit like a boba) and not mealy, and the rice batter develops a sort of sheen.

Pour into a bowl, let it cool down, cover then toss in the fridge for at least four hours, or overnight.

It comes off the bowl very easily after sitting in the fridge. Cut it into cubes or sticks when serving.

Rice tofu with chili oil topping:

• Rice tofu; one batch of the above recipe if using the firm sort/half batch if using the jiggly sort.

• Two types of chili oil(s):

  Lao Gan Ma Fried Chili in Oil (老干妈油辣椒), 2 tbsp.

  Homemade red chili oil, 2 tbsp or using a shortcut of 2 tbsp Lao Gan Ma Fried chili in oil cooked with 2 tbsp of peanut oil/caiziyou. Note: for the homemade red chili oil, you can also totally sub in the Lao Gan Ma chili crisp if that's what's in your cupboard.

• Light soy sauce (生抽), 1 tbsp.

• Dark Chinese vinegar (陈醋), ½ tbsp. Or you can try to sub with a 2:1:1 ratio of balsamic to white vinegar to water.

• Seasoning:

  Salt, ¼ tsp.

  Sugar, ⅛ tsp.

  MSG (味精), ~1/16 tsp.

• Sichuan peppercorn powder (花椒粉), ½ tsp.

• Garlic, 2 cloves worth. Minced.

• Cilantro and Scallion, for garnish.

Process:

If using our shortcut - heat up 2 tbsp of the caiziyou or peanut oil until smoking, then shut off the heat. Wait til the oil's down to ~180C, ~90 seconds later, then add in the Lao Gan Ma and mix. Use the red oil in the mixture.

To assemble, mix together all condiments in a bowl and smother the sauce over the rice tofu. Finally top with chopped cilantro and sliced scallions.