Brown Rice Bowl with Crispy Tofu and Vegetables

By DreiFromBK

Japanese rice bowls often contain many of the same flavors as sushi, but without the fussy rolling steps. For our vegetarian version, we spoon seasoned brown sushi rice into individual bowls, top it with crumbled nori, then arranged sliced avocado, cucumber, and radish along with fingers of crispy tofu over the rice. A sprinkle of scallions and a drizzle of an assertive citrus dressing provides the finishing touch to our easy, elegant rice bowl.

Rather than using a lot of oil to crisp up the tofu during the cooking process, we have found that a coating of cornstarch and cornmeal does a great job. Cutting the tofu into fat “fingers” gives us a high coating-to-tofu ratio, which provides the right balance of crispy crust to creamy interior. Simply slice the tofu into slabs and then cut each slab in half. There’s no need to weight the tofu (as many sources recommend). Just let the sliced tofu rest on paper towels for 20 minutes and press down on the tofu with towels to wick away excess moisture. We think soft tofu offers the best textural contrast but other varieties will work with this technique.

In Japan, this dish is generally made with short-grain white rice. For a boost in nutrition and nutty flavor, we use short-grain brown rice. Brown rice takes much longer to cook but you can use this time to prepare the tofu and vegetables. By moving the cooking of the rice to the oven, we make this operation hands-off and foolproof.

Ingredients

• Rice and dressing
• 2 1/3 Cups short-grain brown rice *
• 3 1/2 Cups water
• 2 Teaspoons vegetable oil
• salt
• 6 Tablespoons rice vinegar
• 6 Tablespoons mirin
• 1/2 Teaspoon sugar
• 3 Tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 Teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• 1 orange
• 1 lime
• Vegetables and tofu
• 28 Ounces soft tofu * *
• 3/4 Cup cornstarch
• 1/4 Cup cornmeal
• salt
• pepper
• 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
• 6 radishes
• 1 avocado * * *
• 1 cucumber
• 4 scallions , sliced thin
• 1 (8 by 7 1/2-inch) sheet nori , crumbled (optional)

Details

Adapted from onlinecookingschool.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. PREPARE RICE AND DRESSING: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Spread 2 1/3 cups short-grain brown rice in 8-inch-square baking dish.
3. Bring 3½ cups water and 2 teaspoons vegetable oil to boil in small saucepan. Once boiling, stir in ½ teaspoon salt and immediately pour water over rice in baking dish.
4. Cover dish tightly with double layer of aluminum foil. Transfer baking dish to oven and bake rice until tender, about 1 hour.
5. Remove baking dish from oven and uncover. Fluff rice with fork, then cover dish with clean kitchen towel; let rice stand 5 minutes. Uncover and let rice stand 5 minutes longer.
6. Meanwhile, bring 6 tablespoons rice vinegar, 6 tablespoons mirin, and ½ teaspoon sugar to boil in small saucepan, then remove from heat. Measure 1/3 cup of mixture into small bowl.
7. Grate ½ teaspoon zest from 1 orange and ½ teaspoon zest from 1 lime. Squeeze 1 tablespoon juice from orange and 1 tablespoon juice from lime.
8. Add zests and juices to vinegar mixture in bowl, along with 3 tablespoons soy sauce, and 1 teaspoon grated ginger. Reserve dressing for serving.
9. Transfer rice to large bowl, sprinkle with remaining vinegar mixture, and toss occasionally with wooden paddle or spoon until cool, about 20 minutes.
10. PREPARE VEGETABLES: Thinly slice 6 radishes and set aside for serving.
11. Peel and halve lengthwise 1 cucumber. Use spoon to scoop and discard seeds. Slice seeded cucumber crosswise into thin half circles.
12. PREPARE TOFU: Cut 2 (14-ounce) blocks soft tofu crosswise into ¾-inch-thick slabs, then slice each slab into two fingers.
13. Spread tofu over paper towel–lined baking sheet and let drain for 20 minutes. Gently press tofu dry with paper towels.
14. Adjust oven rack to middle position, place paper towel–lined plate on rack, and heat oven to 200 degrees.
15. Place wire rack over rimmed baking sheet. Whisk ¾ cup cornstarch and ¼ cup cornmeal together in shallow dish.
16. Season drained tofu with ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
17. Working with a few pieces at a time, coat tofu thoroughly with cornstarch mixture, pressing to help it adhere, then transfer to prepared wire rack.
18. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in large nonstick skillet over medium‑high heat until shimmering.
19. Carefully lay half of tofu in skillet and cook until crisp and lightly golden on all sides, 10 to 12 minutes.
20. Using spatula, gently transfer tofu to plate in oven.
21. Return skillet to medium‑high heat and repeat with 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and remaining tofu.
22. Halve, pit, and peel 1 ripe avocado. Slice avocado thin.
23. Portion rice into six individual serving bowls, sprinkle with 1 (8 by 7½-inch) sheet crumbled nori.
24. Top with tofu, radishes, avocado, and cucumber.
25. Sprinkle with 4 thinly sliced scallions and drizzle with reserved dressing. Serve, passing more crumbled nori, if desired.