Marinated Tofu and Watermelon Salad

A watermelon salad was just what the doctor ordered when my stomach needed rest from rich, heavy food. Watermelon and feta salads are popular but this post is an Asian take on that classic combination. This watermelon salad has silken tofu marinated in a tangy, savoury dressing – it’s lighter with a beautiful balance of sour, sweet and salty flavours.

Why you should marinate the tofu

I like the soft, delicate, steamed- pudding-like-texture of silken tofu For my watermelon salad.  It’s a healthy, vegan protein that sits light in the tummy and is easy to digest. Use the ‘firmest’ silken tofu you can find. Preparing silken tofu is the only thing you need to do a little carefully. Since it’s so tender, smooth and glossy, use a light touch while cubing it and ‘handle’ it as little as possible. 

Marinating the tofu in thin dressing of dark, fish sauce (optional) or light soy, black Chinkiang vinegar, sugar and sesame oil, infuses the salad with umami and deep savoury flavours. The tofu drinks up the dressing. So, when you bite into these soft cubes, you get a burst of the salty tang, which along with the sweet watermelon, creates a  perfect bite of salad. Chinkiang is a rice-based, dark vinegar with a hint of sweetness. Although, it’s not as sweet as balsamic vinegar or apple cider vinegar (ACV). If you don’t have Chinkiang on hand, you could substitute it with ACV, sherry vinegar, rice wine vinegar and even balsamic vinegar. 

The intense sweet-tinged saltiness of syrup-like dark soy, the umami funk of fish sauce and the smoky notes of toasted sesame oil build layers of flavours that hit all parts of the mouth. These full flavours are the reason why it’s so satifying to eat this salad.

A salad of textures

This watermelon salad with marinated tofu is not only delicious, it also has a lot going on, texturally. The crunchy, juicy watermelon, the soft and velvety tofu, fresh and sharp scallions and crunchy peanuts; all together have a little circus going on on your tongue.To keep the textures intact, combine the ingredients and dress the salad just before eating. Only the tofu needs marination for about 30 minutes before you put together the salad. 

Marinated Tofu and Watermelon Salad

An Asian-style tofu and watermelon salad.

Servings 4

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

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Ingredients

  

• 600 g watermelon, seeds removed and cut into medium cubes
• 1 tbsp cornflour or cornstarch
• 120 g coconut milk
• 70 g fresh lemon juice
• 1/8 tsp turmeric powder (optional), for colour

For the cake

• 180 g all-purpose flour
• 60 g almond flour
• 220 g buttermilk
• 60 g light olive oil or any other flavourless vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp soda bicarbonate (baking soda)
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 140 g sugar
• 20 g fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp lemon zest

Instructions

 

• To make the lemon curd, whisk the sugar and the cornflour in a saucepan. Add the lemon juice, coconut milk and turmeric and whisk to get a lump-free mixture.
• place the saucepan on low to medium heat and continue to whisk vigorously (ensure there are no lumps) for at least 5-7 minutes till the mixture thickens to a glossy, custard-like consistency. Remove from the flame, cool and store in the fridge. The curd will continue to thicken as it chills.
• Preheat the oven to 176°C. Lightly grease and line a 9" round springform pan or an 8" square cake pan with baking parchment. Leave some parchment overhanging on 2 sides of the square pan to easily lift the cake out.
• Whisk all the dry ingredients, except the sugar, together in a large bowl.
• In another bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, oil, sugar, lemon zest and juice.
• Pour the wet mixture into the dry one and gently mix until the batter is smooth without any lumps. Do not overmix.
• Pour the batter into the prepared tin, drop spoonfuls of lemon curd curd all over, gently swirl with a skewer, leaving about ½ an inch of batter around the edges.
• Bake the cake for 30-35 mins till the top is golden and the lemon curd has set. Cover the cake with foil midway through the baking if the top browns too fast.
• Cool the cake in the tin for 10 mins before gently lifting it out or un-molding it. Cool on a wire rack before slicing.

Author: Quiche ‘n’ Tell