Hello! You can often find me in Thursday’s and Saturday’s New York Times Cooking newsletter (which I’m sure you subscribe to, of course), but today I’m hopping in for Tanya. Delighted to be here!
Whenever I’m stuck on what to make for dinner, nine times out of 10 the answer is: something on rice. (Otherwise, I’m polishing off a bag of chips I’ve unsuccessfully hidden from myself.) My rice cooker has a “quick” setting, which means that a pot of hot, plush and plump white Calrose rice is done in 40 minutes — plenty of time to cobble together something salty, savory and saucy to eat on top.
No rice cooker? I’ve turned out a pot of white rice in about 20 minutes in an Instant Pot. And while Eric Kim and Sonoko Sakai’s basic white rice recipe does take a bit of time, a majority of that is hands-off soaking. You could, in theory, wash and soak your rice in the morning before you head to work, and then pop it on the burner for a quick 35-minute cook and steam when you get home.
OK, that’s the rice sorted. Let’s make something to go on that rice!
First up, Hetty Lui McKinnon’s sook mei faan, or Cantonese creamed corn with tofu and rice. I will be making this until summer’s fresh corn dries up, at which point I’ll switch to thawed frozen corn. This dish is gentle in the best way; the sweet, almost milky flavors of the corn and soft tofu mirror each other, with the fresh kernels providing just the slightest snap. Add chile crisp to give the dish a sharp kick, or don’t. Eating this feels as if you’ve done something really nice for yourself.
Sook Mei Faan (Cantonese Creamed Corn With Tofu and Rice)
More tofu: Hetty’s new vegetarian mapo tofu with tomatoes, and Ham El-Waylly’s kung pao tofu. I haven’t made that first one yet, but I’m certain it’ll be an instant hit, seeing that it’s from Hetty and it gives that classic funky-tingly mapo treatment to meaty mushrooms, silken tofu and fresh tomatoes. Ham’s tofu dish comes recommended by more than 4,000 five-star reviews, and by Sam Sifton. (As his editor, I have to gently remind Sam not to include it in every single one of his newsletters.)
I have a particular fondness for eggplant dishes on rice. I love the way that eggplant soaks up flavor like a sponge and then slumps into the rice. Kay Chun’s eggplant adobo is what I make whenever I crave the one-two punch of soy and vinegar, and her eggplant and bean chili is an inspired way to more or less hide the vegetable from any eggplant skeptics. (Yes, I eat my chili on rice! Always have, always will.)
Speaking of melting into rice: Priya Krishna’s coconut saag is like a culinary magic trick. Watch a pound of greens disappear into this velvety gravy, which in turn disappears when I inhale two servings over rice.
Perhaps you’re looking for a bit more texture and resistance with your something-on-rice dinner. This chickpea picadillo from Rick Martínez is a delightfully nubby and comforting hash, with chickpeas simmered with tomatillos, poblano and scallions. And I must share Nisha Vora’s I can’t believe it’s not chicken, or super-savory grated tofu. I’m envisioning her dish spooned atop some hot white rice with some cucumber-avocado salad, and I do believe that’s a really nice dinner.
By the way, all of the recipes in today’s newsletter are vegan! Enjoy, and thanks for reading.
Coconut Saag
I Can’t Believe It’s Not Chicken (Super-Savory Grated Tofu)
Vegetarian Tomato Mapo Tofu
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