Sesame Oil
5 recipes found
Bibimbap-Style Soba Noodle Salad
In this meal-prep friendly twist on bibimbap, the kaleidoscopic Korean mixed rice dish, simple vegetable sides seasoned with sesame oil or soy sauce (called namul) are served with nutty soba noodles, and lavishly tossed in a spicy-sweet gochujang dressing. Blanching is a great way to lock in the vibrant hues, distinct textures and fresh flavors of vegetables. While it’s a very simple process, it does require some precision to ensure optimal results: Season the blanching water generously, cook the vegetables briefly, and, after cooking, expel as much water as possible. The different vegetables and noodles are prepared separately, so they can be easily packed away individually, ready for assembling a quick weekday lunch or a future dinner. Use whatever vegetables you have on hand. (Carrots, daikon, broccoli, kale and corn would also work well.) For extra heartiness, top with a fried egg.
Spicy Curried Potatoes
This is more a stir-fry than a curry in spite of the name, which, like the recipe, comes from “Classic Indian Vegetarian and Grain Cooking” by Julie Sahni (William Morrow, 1985). The potatoes get no sauce, just a coating of curry powder that adheres to their flesh as they crisp in the pan. Grinding your own curry powder is not strictly necessary, especially if you have a brand you like in your cupboard. But this is a very, very nice blend, unusually fragrant and nuanced. The quantities below will give you more than you need for the potatoes. Make half a batch if you wish, or make the whole amount and start thinking of things you’ll do with the rest.
Cucumber-Tomato Salad With Sesame Whipped Tofu
Silken tofu can be an incredible creamy base for sauces, dips and even soups. It’s packed with protein and is a great way to enhance a simple light salad. The neutral flavor of silken tofu makes it a flexible blank canvas to highlight strong flavors like toasted sesame oil. Here, whipped tofu is a pedestal for simple peak summer tomatoes and cucumbers that are roughly chopped and salted. The simplicity of this salad means that everything needs to be well seasoned. Serve the salad with some crusty sourdough bread, creating a DIY tomato toast situation.
I Can’t Believe It’s Not Chicken (Super-Savory Grated Tofu)
Grating super-firm tofu is one of the best party tricks in the kitchen. It makes tofu not only quicker to prepare (no pressing required!) but also deceptively meaty. In this recipe from my book “Big Vegan Flavor” (Avery Books, 2024), the grated tofu is pan-fried until golden, then coated in an extremely good, flavor-rich sauce featuring some of my favorite pan-Asian condiments: fruity yet smoky gochugaru, nutty toasted sesame oil, plus umami-rich Chinese black vinegar and soy sauce. The result is delightfully crispy, chewy and super-savory tofu that is shockingly meaty. It’s been described as “spicy ground chicken,” “larb-esque,” and “I can’t believe it’s not chicken.” It’s delicious for dinner, but also tastes great at breakfast. Serve with stir-fried or steamed green beans or broccoli for a quick yet delicious meal. To make ahead, you can grate the tofu and prep the aromatics the night before.
Broccoli Soba Salad
Inspired by the flavors of crave-worthy yamitsuki, a Japanese cabbage dish named for its addictive qualities, this broccoli soba salad is an assured crowd pleaser. A brief marination in salt tenderizes the broccoli, making it more receptive to a humble yet powerful trio of seasonings: salt, garlic and sesame oil. The unlikely addition of vegetable stock paste or bouillon powder bolsters the emphatic umami of this dish; if you have MSG in your pantry, you could add a few pinches of that instead. Using both the flower and stalk of the broccoli adds both texture and crunch to the foundation of nutty soba noodles. This is the perfect prep-ahead dish, as it benefits from chilling to allow the flavors to meld and the soba to become firmer and less fragile.