Recipe: Chrysanthemum and Tofu Salad (Ma Lan Tou)
Not to be confused with the Sichuanese dish ma po tofu, ma lan tou is a refreshing and easy-to-compose cold salad that is frequently served as part of a selection of small plates at the start of a Shanghainese feast.
Along with crumbled firm tofu, chrysanthemum leaves (known as shungiku leaves in Japanese, or tong ho in Cantonese) are the co-star of the dish. They impart a fragrant and mildly grassy note to this herbaceous salad, and are easily found in Asian groceries. Excellent raw, young chrysanthemum greens are also a great addition to soups and the Japanese hot pot, shabu shabu.
Chrysanthemum and Tofu Salad (Ma Lan Tou)
Serves 6
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup
light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon
rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon
sugar
- 1 teaspoon
sea salt
- 1 teaspoon
ground white pepper
- 1/4 cup
Asian sesame oil
- 1 bunch
chrysanthemum leaves, thick stems discarded, leaves finely chopped (about 2 cups)
- 1/2 bunch
fresh cilantro, stems discarded and leaves coarsely chopped (about 1 cup)
- 2
scallions (green and white parts), finely chopped
- 1 pound
firm tofu
Instructions
Whisk the soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, sea salt, white pepper, and sesame oil together in a small bowl.
Combine the chrysanthemum leaves, cilantro, and scallions in a large bowl.
In another large bowl, crumble the tofu with your hands. Add the salad mixture to the tofu and toss to combine. Then add the dressing, toss, and let the salad marinate for about 15 minutes in the refrigerator to let the flavors mingle. Do not leave the dressed salad for more than an hour, or the greens will start to wilt. Serve the salad chilled.
Recipe Notes
- This dish is for cilantro lovers. If you don't fall into that category, feel free to substitute flat-leaf parsley for the cilantro.
Reprinted with permission from Lucky Rice by Danielle Chang, copyright (c) 2016. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of Penguin Random House.
