Coconut and Lemongrass Black Bean Bowl

An aromatic bowl of creamy beans and crispy tofu, topped with a zingy salad that makes the perfect dinner on a spring evening.

10 minutes prep

35 minutes cook

Serves 2

Mia Jacobs

Ingredients

Creamy coconut black beans:

1.5 tbsptoasted sesame oil

1 shallot, finely diced

2 stickslemongrass, tough outer layers removed and finely chopped

1 knobginger, peeled and grated

3 -4 clovesgarlic, grated

1 tinblack beans

1/2 tincoconut milk

1 tbspsoy sauce

1/2 tspsugar

1/2 lime, juice

Crispy tofu:

400 gtofu, cut into slabs

35 gplain flour

75 gsoy or oat milk

10 gdesiccated coconut

10 gsesame seeds

15 gpanko breadcrumbs

to taste salt

2-3 tbspvegetable oil

Sugar snap salad:

10 sugarsnap peas, thinly sliced diagonally

2 spring onion greens, thinly sliced

1 red chilli, thinly sliced

small bunch fresh coriander, roughly torn

2 tspsesame oil

to taste lime juice

to taste salt

To serve:

to garnish sesame seeds

to garnish desiccated coconut

Coconut and lemongrass black beans and with crispy tofu and a zingy salad to see us into warmer spring days. This delivers flavour and texture in a big, bright way. I happily devoured this for 2 consecutive lunches before mixing the leftover beans into a crispy rice salad. It's delightful and so much more than the sum of its parts so go and make it!

Method

Heat a frying pan over medium heat and add the sesame oil. Once hot add the finely diced shallots and fry for a few minutes until softened. Add the garlic, ginger and lemongrass and fry for another few minutes until everything is mellow and aromatic.

Add the drained beans and toss it all together. Pour in the coconut milk and soy sauce then simmer on low for 30 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened.

Whilst the beans simmer, dab the tofu slabs dry with a paper towel then arrange 3 bowls - one with plain flour and a pinch of salt, one with milk and the last bowl with a mix of the panko, sesame, desiccated coconut and a pinch of salt. Dip the tofu in the flour and coat it completely then dip in the milk. Repeat then take from the milk to the panko mix and cover them completely, pressing them down on all sides to ensure the coating is stuck on.

Heat a frying pan with a thin layer of vegetable oil to coat the bottom of the pan (alternatively air fry). Once hot add the slabs of tofu and fry on each side for a few minutes until golden brown. Remove and place on a paper towel or rack to drain excess oil then slice into strips.

Combine all the ingredients for the salad and season to taste. Serve the beans topped with the tofu and salad. Enjoy!