• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • About
    • My Story
    • Portfolio
    • Subscribe!
    • Privacy policy
  • Recipes
    • By Diet
      • Vegetarian
      • Vegan
      • Gluten-free
    • By Series
      • 5 Ingredients or less
      • Table for two
      • BAKED not Fried
      • On-screen Food
    • By Meal
      • Breakfast
      • Appetizers
      • Lunch/Dinner
      • Desserts
      • Sauces and curry
      • Drinks & Beverages
      • Snacks
      • Dips and Sides
  • Resources
    • For Bloggers
    • Travelogue
    • Kitchen Wisdom
  • Perspective
  • Green Life
  • Shop
  • Contact

Love is in my Tummy

Plant-based flavor

July 28, 2017 By Tina Dawson 10 Comments

Burmese Chickpea Tofu Salad ( Tofu Thoke )

Burmese Chickpea Tofu Salad (Tofu Thoke) – a non-soy, protein rich and beautifully flavored dish! VEGAN + Gluten-Free!

Burmese Chickpea Tofu Salad (Tofu Thoke) - a non-soy, protein rich and beautifully flavored dish! VEGAN + Gluten-Free!

*** This post contains affiliate links. I only recommend products I personally use and love.  ***

Ok, so I gotta say it – if I were served this at a restaurant, I don’t think I’ll be making yummy noises at first sight – this Burmese Chickpea Tofu Salad isn’t really the prettiest dish, but don’t let that fool you! This right here, is a deceptively flavorful dish, my friends, a proverbial wolf in sheep’s clothing, if you will.

It all began when I discovered Burmese Chickpea Tofu that you can make at home! Soy-free, vegan and gluten-free, it’s been an exciting find for me! And since I made that first slab, I’ve been on a full-on-mad-scientist-mode, trying to figure out different ways that I can enjoy this new addition to my vegan palette! My favorite so far seems to be lightly toasted in a smidgen of oil – the outside becomes crisp while the insides become molten, like a french fry! It’s absolutely divine! I could just snack on it, sans any more added fixings.

Full disclosure – I’ve never tasted this dish the way the Burmese traditionally make it – but I am familiar with the general flavor of Burmese cuisine, and I drew inspiration from my favorite Burmese Green Mango Salad, and let this recipe published on the NYT act as a guide.

Burmese Chickpea Tofu Salad (Tofu Thoke) - a non-soy, protein rich and beautifully flavored dish! VEGAN + Gluten-Free!

There are three ingredients that are key to achieving that perfect Burmese flavor – fried onions, fried garlic and fried red chilli flakes. You may wonder what fried things are doing in a salad, whose sole purpose is to be light and healthy. You must understand, that although called ‘salads’, Burmese salads are more a quick snack, or at a stretch an appetizer, and not really eaten as a meal by itself. Rice/noodle dishes are meals, while these are more of an accompaniment.

If you are still confused, know that most Burmese dishes (including this salad) is finished off with a dash of the oil that the onion and garlic were fried in. I usually fry all three (onion, garlic and chilli) in one go and bottle up the oil (once cooled) in a specially labeled bottle. Whenever I need a boost of flavor with very few ingredients, this oil gets called to duty, and it works it’s magic unfailingly!

Now at first glance, this Burmese Chickpea Tofu Salad might seem like an extremely complicated cocktail of flavors that probably take a very long time to assemble – but if you smart-prep ahead, you can have this salad at a whim’s notice.

My kitchen (like all Burmese kitchens) is perpetually stocked with the fried condiments, something I picked up from my grandmother! I use the tamarind pulp extensively in Indian cooking, so I always extract a large batch about once in two months and refrigerate. Roasted peanuts are another permanent feature in my pantry. I buy raw peanuts, microwave-roast them, and once cool, peel and bottle it. It’s the perfect activity while watching TV after dinner (also doubles as a snack when you get tired peeling peanuts – an excuse my husband never fails to use). It might seem like a lot of work, but these simple tasks are usually reserved for the most boring or particularly uninteresting of weekend afternoons. Space it out, and it won’t even feel like a chore!

I’ve made this salad two ways – the traditional way with plain slices of chickpea tofu (2nd photo) and my way with toasted slices of tofu (1st photo). And I must say, I am a little partial to the toasted version. I love the texture change this Chickpea Tofu undergoes under a little heat, and it translated beautifully under the flavor-bomb of a dressing!

Make the dressing ahead of time (can be refrigerated for a week), and toast the tofu just before eating. Assemble while still slightly warm (I know, the idea of a warm salad is irksome, but don’t treat this like a regular salad!) and dig in! Although it’s not really eaten as a meal traditionally, I did enjoy having this Burmese Chickpea Tofu Salad over a bed of lettuce and other shredded vegetables! But when you do that, serve the tofu cold and pile on an extra dollop of dressing!

Notes:

Roasted Gram is just split chickpeas that are soaked+roasted till it can be eaten raw. It’s a common ingredient in the Indian/Burmese household, so you should be able to find this ingredient (at cheaper prices) in all Indian Grocery stores. It finds use as a wonderful protein-rich thickener. Powder this in a powerful blender till smooth and store in an air-tight container for up to a month. Adjust quantity listen in the recipe to vary the thickness of the dressing, or omit it entirely for a more runnier, spicier, tangier dressing.

When you make these (which I really think you SHOULD!), be sure to SHARE YOUR PHOTOS with me through Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. I’d love to see what you cook from here!

Burmese Chickpea Tofu Salad

Created by Tina Dawson on July 25, 2017

Burmese Chickpea Tofu Salad (Tofu Thoke) - a non-soy, protein rich and beautifully flavored dish! VEGAN + Gluten-Free!

  • Prep Time:10m
  • Total Time:15m
  • Serves: 2
  • Yield: About 2 cups

Ingredients

For the dressing

  • 1/4 c tamarind pulp
  • 1 tsp. sambal oelek
  • 1 tsp. fried red chilli flakes
  • 1 1/2 tbsp. ground roasted gram (see note at end of post)
  • 1 tbsp. fried onion + more for the salad
  • 1/2 tbsp. fried garlic + more for the salad
  • 1 tsp. onion-garlic oil
  • Salt to taste

For the salad

  • 1 c shredded chickpea tofu (raw or lightly toasted)
  • 1/2 mango, sliced (optional)
  • 1/4 c red onion slices

Garnishes

  • 1 tbsp. crushed peanuts
  • a handful of chopped cilantro

Instructions

  1. Make the dressing by combining the tamarind pulp, sambal oelek, fried red chilli flakes, roasted gram flour*, fried onion, fried garlic and the onion-garlic oil (that you saved after frying the onion and garlic).
  2. *Adjust the quantity of the roasted gram flour to make this dressing as thin or thick as you like.
  3. Season with salt, and adjust the remaining ingredients according to taste. (different brands/batched of tamarind tend to vary in sourness).
  4. The dressing can be refrigerated for a week.

Assemble the salad

  1. Slice the chickpea tofu in 1/2" thick slices. Toss the slices with the mango, sliced onion (raw), fried onion, fried garlic until combined.
  2. You can also toast the tofu for a more crunchier skin. I personally prefer it toasted.
  3. Top with 2-3 tsp of dressing and toss to combine. Garnish with crushed peanuts, cilantro and serve immediately.
  4. You can make a meal of this by serving it over a bed of lettuce and other salad greens of preference, and doused with an extra dollop of dressing.
Source: Adapted from NYT
  • Print

You might also like

  • Burmese Chickpea BowlBurmese Chickpea Bowl
  • Ohn no Khao Suey | Burmese Noodle CurryOhn no Khao Suey | Burmese Noodle Curry
  • Vegan Spicy Ramen NoodlesVegan Spicy Ramen Noodles
  • Burmese Balachaung – My grandmother’s versionBurmese Balachaung – My grandmother’s version
  • Burmese Thoke – Spicy Green Mango saladBurmese Thoke – Spicy Green Mango salad
  • VEGAN Chickpea Pulao/PilafVEGAN Chickpea Pulao/Pilaf

Filed Under: All Recipes, Burmese, Cuisines, Gluten-free, Lunch/Dinner, Table for two, Vegan, Vegetarian Tagged With: chickpea tofu, flavored oil, fried garlic, fried onion, fried red chilli flakes

Previous Post: « Soy-Free Burmese Chickpea Tofu
Next Post: Non-Alcoholic Vanilla Mango Shrubs »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kavey Favelle says

    July 28, 2017 at 12:07 pm

    I’ve become a little familiar with just a small part of the Burmese food traditions via a Burmese friend of mine here in London who has cooked some great Burmese feasts that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed, including some of her thoke / salads. I think you are right that visually, some of the dishes may not catch your eye on first glance (though I think you’ve presented it beautifully), but as soon as you taste… oh MY!

    Reply
    • Tina Dawson says

      July 28, 2017 at 12:15 pm

      So true Kavey! I’m so glad you agree, and envy you your Burmese friend who cooks all these lovely things for you!

      Reply
  2. Cynthia | What A Girl Eats says

    July 28, 2017 at 11:14 am

    What a stunning looking plate! I’d eat that any day!

    Reply
    • Tina Dawson says

      July 28, 2017 at 12:16 pm

      Me too Cynthia, thanks!

      Reply
  3. Ginny McMeans says

    July 28, 2017 at 10:57 am

    What a flavorful and delicious meal. That salad is so unique and special .

    Reply
    • Tina Dawson says

      July 28, 2017 at 11:12 am

      Thanks Ginny!

      Reply
  4. sue | theviewfromgreatisland says

    July 28, 2017 at 10:39 am

    This is so exotic to me, I’m pretty sure I’ve never tasted anything like it ~ and love your moody shots!

    Reply
    • Tina Dawson says

      July 28, 2017 at 11:13 am

      Thanks Sue!

      Reply
  5. Jagruti says

    July 28, 2017 at 10:16 am

    What a delicious way to eat tofu!

    Reply
    • Tina Dawson says

      July 28, 2017 at 10:33 am

      Isn’t it?

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Tina Dawson Profile Picture

Hi! I'm Tina - the human behind all the content you see on this blog. Welcome to my little corner of the internet where I create flavorful and unique plant-based recipes.

Read More…

Let’s Connect!

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Subscribe to Email Newsletter

5 Ingredients or Less Ebook Cover

The Blank Canvas Store - Food Photography Backgrounds and Props Store

BUY CUSTOM FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY BACKGROUNDS + PROPS

Don’t Miss These!

VEGAN Pumpkin Shaped Rolls

VEGAN Pumpkin Shaped Rolls

Caramelised Onions in a plate

Caramelized Onions

VEGAN Iced Mocha Latte on wooden plate with coffee beans strewn on table

VEGAN Iced Mocha Latte

Raspberry Iced Tea

Raspberry Iced Tea

Dairy-free Mocha Hazelnut Cappuccino

[V] Mocha Hazelnut Cappuccino

Puff Pastry Voodoo dolls on a table with Halloween things

Puff pastry Voodoo Dolls

Copyright © 2023 · LOVEISINMYTUMMY · PRIVACY POLICY · CONTACT · StudioPress Themes

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.AcceptReject Learn More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Non-necessary

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.

SAVE & ACCEPT