Tofu & Mushroom Bulgogi

1. Fill your kettle and boil it. Rinse the rice under cold water, then tip it into a small pan. Pour in 150ml hot water from the kettle. Add a pinch of salt, cover and bring to the boil. Turn the heat right down and very gently simmer for 20-25 mins till the rice has absorbed the water and become tender. Take the pan off the heat and set aside to steam the rice in the pan, lid on, for 5 mins to finish cooking the rice. The rice will keep warm in the pan while you finish preparing the dish.

2. While the rice cooks, peel and finely grate the garlic and the ginger into a bowl. Peel and core the apple, then coarsely grate it into the bowl. Pour in 2 tbsp tamari, 2 tbsp mirin and 1 tbsp sesame oil and stir well. Pop the bowl to one side.

3. Remove the packaging from the marinated tofu and pat dry with kitchen paper or a clean cloth. Slice the tofu into 2cm-thick pieces. Roughly slice the mushrooms. Peel and thinly slice the onion. Peel the carrots and slice them on an angle into ½cm-thick pieces.

4. Pour a little oil into a large frying pan and warm it over a high heat. When the pan is hot, add the tofu pieces. Fry the tofu for 5 mins, turning once or twice, till golden and crispy on the outside. Scoop the tofu into a bowl and pop to one side.

5. Reduce the heat under the pan to medium-high. Add the mushrooms, onion and carrots. Season with a pinch of salt and stir fry the veg for 5-6 mins, till just tender.

6. Return the tofu to the pan and pour in the apple and tamari sauce. Stir well and continue to stir-fry for 4-5 mins, till the sauce thickens and clings to the tofu and veg.

7. Use a fork to fluff up the cooked rice and divide it between warm plates. Spoon the tofu and veg over the top and serve.

8. No Waste, More Taste
Save up any leftover peelings from veg such as carrots, parsnips and potatoes. They can be easily fried into vegetable crisps, or mixed with a little flour and turned into röstis.