Burmese Chickpea Tofu, Part 2 of 2 – Vegan Shan To Hpu Thouk (Tofu Salad) & Vegan Shan To Hpu Gyaw (Fried Tofu)

Today we will use chickpea flour. Here we have two cups of chickpea flour in the bowl. Add one teaspoon of salt and one teaspoon of turmeric and mix well. Gradually add 800 milliliters of water into the bowl and continue thoroughly stirring until there are no more lumps in the chickpea batter.

Next, we will prepare some Chili Soy Sauce. Cut two chili peppers crosswise into small pieces and mix them in a bowl containing two tablespoons of soy sauce. We will also slice two pieces of large chili to use for our Shan Tofu Salad.

Next, we will cook the chickpea batter to make the Shan Tofu. Give the rested chickpea batter a good stir, then pour it into a deep pan. Turn on the stove to start cooking for between eight to ten minutes. We use low heat, so the batter will not become lumpy right away; easier to work with. In about ten minutes ̶ the chickpea batter will become creamy, smooth, and very sticky. Scoop it into a mold and spread the cooked batter evenly over the top of the mold. Then leave it aside to cool and set.

We will use some of the tofu that's for deep frying and some for making tofu salad. To make our Shan Tofu Salad, we will cut the rest of the tofu into square shape sticks; that look like potato chips. Now we can start gently adding the pieces of tofu into the hot oil. When the tofu turns golden brown, use a pair of chopsticks or tongs to retrieve them onto a plate.

Next, we will prepare some Sesame Chili Oil. In a bowl containing one teaspoon of sesame seeds, one teaspoon of chili flakes, and one teaspoon of paprika ̶ add some of the hot oil from the frying pan. The fragrance of sesame and chili can trigger one’s appetite. Mix well. And our sesame chili oil is now ready.

Into a bowl, add some fresh shredded cabbage, coriander, deep-fried shredded cabbage, crushed peanuts, lemon juice, palm sugar syrup, sesame chili oil, and soy sauce. Add the Shan Tofu Sticks into the bowl. Top with some sliced red chili pepper and drizzle some more sesame chili oil. Finally, garnish with some coriander leaves. This Shan Tofu Salad is an example of a typical Burmese cuisine characterized by its sour, spicy, and salty tastes. We have finished preparing our Shan Tofu Salad.