012 / 75 · Cold Lunches and Simple Assemblies

Tofu and Crunchy Cabbage Sesame Box

2 lunch boxes, each with half the tofu, cold rice, shredded vegetables and sesame dressing · Active 25 min · Total 1 hr 40 min

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Brown tofu, cold brown rice and a crisp cabbage salad make a lunch box with separate textures. The rice must already be cooked and promptly chilled. This is a cooking-and-cooling recipe rather than a ten-minute assembly: the tofu needs time in the refrigerator before it joins the cold ingredients. Keep the dressing in its own small container until eating.

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Original hand-drawn illustration of tofu and crunchy cabbage sesame box.

Let the surface dry

Firm tofu browns more readily when surface water is removed. Drain it, wrap it in a clean towel and press gently with your hands; there is no need to build a precarious tower of tins. Cut even cubes so they contact the pan evenly. Give the pieces space and leave them alone for a few minutes before turning. If a cube resists the spatula, wait briefly instead of scraping away its browned surface. Use the measured oil rather than adding a new splash at every turn.

Pack cool food, keep crunch

Spread the cooked tofu in a shallow container and refrigerate promptly; do not leave it on the counter until the whole batch feels cold. The total time allows about an hour for chilling, but the real endpoint is refrigerator-cold food. Rice carries the clock from its original cooking, not from the moment it is packed here. Keep the cabbage and carrot in a dry compartment and shake the dressing before using it. Finely shredded vegetables are easier to mix through the rice than thick wedges. The toasted sesame seeds provide the sesame flavor without a bottled sauce. This is a perishable lunch even though it contains no meat or dairy, so pack two cold sources and use the rice within its original 24-hour limit.

Ingredients

  • Plain firm calcium-set tofu, drained (300 g/about 10 1/2 oz)
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil (10 ml/about 9 g)
  • 1 1/4 cups cooked brown long-grain rice, promptly chilled (240 g)
  • 2 cups finely shredded green cabbage (150 g)
  • 1 medium carrot, washed and grated (100 g)
  • 1 tablespoon toasted hulled sesame seeds (10 g)
  • 1 tablespoon regular soy sauce (15 ml/about 16 g)
  • 1 tablespoon cider vinegar (15 ml/about 15 g)
  • 1 teaspoon sugar (4 g)
  • 1 tablespoon drinking water (15 ml)

Set out

28 cm/11-inch nonstick skillet, Spatula, Clean towel, Knife and board, Kitchen scale, Shallow cooling container, Refrigerator, 2 lunch boxes and 2 small dressing pots

Allergens

Soy, Sesame, Wheat in ordinary soy sauce; check tofu and sauce labels. Check labels and substitutions.

Make it

  1. Drain and gently squeeze the tofu in a clean towel. Cut into 2 cm/3/4-inch cubes. Heat oil in the skillet over medium-high heat; add tofu in one layer and brown for 10–12 minutes, turning on several faces without crushing it.
  2. Transfer tofu to a shallow container in a single layer and refrigerate promptly. Allow about 60 minutes, or longer as needed, until cold at 40°F/4°C or below. Meanwhile shred cabbage, grate carrot and keep both refrigerated.
  3. Stir soy sauce, vinegar, sugar and water until the sugar dissolves, then add sesame seeds. Divide dressing between small leakproof pots.
  4. Divide the cold rice, cold tofu and dry vegetables between 2 boxes. Refrigerate immediately and add the dressing only when ready to eat.

A useful kitchen skill

Judge tofu by a dry surface and gentle release from the pan, then cool it safely in a shallow layer before building a cold lunch.

A useful detail

The 100-minute total includes roughly 60 minutes to chill the tofu; a crowded or warm refrigerator may take longer. Rice starts cooked and cold, within 24 hours of its original cooking. The rice estimate uses cooked weight, not 240 g dry rice.

Another way

  • Swap the carrot for 100 g thinly sliced red pepper; the estimate changes.
  • Use the same measured quantity of tamari only after checking its ingredients and nutrition. It does not automatically make the whole recipe free of wheat.

Keep it well

Refrigerate all components at 40°F/4°C or below. Eat on the preparation day and within 24 hours of the rice’s original cooking. Do not restart that clock by assembling this box. Carry with two cold sources in an insulated bag and refrigerate on arrival. Discard food left above refrigerator temperature for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F/32°C.