Tohu thoke is a chilled Burmese salad (thoke) composed of tohu (similar in texture to both tofu and polenta, but made with chickpea flour) tossed with a tamarind–hot pepper–herbed dressing and topped with crisp fried shallots. Intrigued by this curious array of ingredients? Try this refreshing salad for something different. You can serve it plain, or with some of the extras that we think make it most interesting and delicious.
Chickpea flour is available in the gluten-free and Indian foods sections of well-stocked supermarkets. A thermometer is a useful tool for deep-frying the shallots, but we also give you directions for deep-frying in two batches without a thermometer.
Serves 4 to 6
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cooling and chilling time: 1½ hours
2 cups vegetable stock
1 cup chickpea flour
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
1 cup cold water
2 cups vegetable oil (peanut, canola, sunflower, coconut, or safflower oils)
2 cups thinly sliced shallots
2 tablespoons tamarind concentrate
3 tablespoons water
2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
1 fresh hot pepper, seeded and minced
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon oil from cooking the shallots*
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro, mint, and/or Thai or regular basil
Salt
Hot sauce
4 cups chopped romaine lettuce
2 cups chopped cucumbers
¾ cup sliced radishes
2 cups steamed green beans
½ cup sliced scallions
⅓ cup chopped fresh cilantro
*Or a mild vegetable oil if you opt to not make the shallots.
Make the tohu: Bring the vegetable stock to a rolling boil. In a bowl, whisk together the chickpea flour, turmeric, and cold water until smooth. Stir the chickpea flour mixture into the boiling stock, lower the heat to its lowest, and stir vigorously for 5 minutes. Pour into a 9-inch square pan and spread evenly. Cool to room temperature, then chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
Fry the shallots: Heat the oil in a saucepan on medium heat until it shimmers and a slice of shallot bubbles and sizzles when dropped in (275°F). Fry the shallots, stirring often, for 8 minutes, until lightly golden. Using a skimmer or strainer, transfer the shallots to a plate. Increase the heat to medium-high (350°F). Set up a strainer over another saucepan or a heatproof bowl. Carefully pour the shallots into the hot oil and sizzle for just 2 or 3 seconds to brown and crisp, and then immediately pour the hot oil and shallots into the strainer to drain the oil from the shallots. When well drained, empty the crisp shallots onto a paper towel–lined plate. Lightly salt the cooked shallots and set aside at room temperature, uncovered, for use the same day. (Cool the shallot-infused oil to room temperature and then refrigerate to use in future cooking.)
Make the dressing: In a bowl, dilute the tamarind concentrate with the water. Add the remaining ingredients and whisk until smooth. Season the dressing with salt and hot sauce to taste.
Assemble the tohu: At serving time, cut the tohu into strips about ½ inch wide by 2 to 3 inches long and remove from the pan with a spatula. Place the tohu strips in a bowl and toss gently with about three-quarters of the dressing. Top with the fried shallots and serve with the remaining dressing. Or serve on a bed of greens topped with any or all of the suggested extras. Serve with the remaining dressing.
NOTE: Plain tohu keeps refrigerated for 4 to 5 days; drain the liquid that gathers in the bottom of the container. The cooled shallots will keep in an airtight container until the next day.
Another excellent opportunity to employ those Monsoon Pickles waiting in your fridge.