Rukmini Iyer's quick and easy recipe for cashew rice bowls with stir-fried tofu, broccoli and kimchi

The Guardian

14-07-2025

These were an absolute hit with my children, albeit minus the cashews, and as any parent with toddlers who refuse to let their food touch other food will know, that's a breakthrough. It's well worth making the whole quantity here, because any leftovers are perfect for fried rice the next day – just make sure you cool the rice after making it, then refrigerate immediately and reheat until piping hot the next day.
Kimchi brings a lovely contrast, so if you have or can get some, do add it.
Prep 15 min
Cook 20 min
Serves 4
200g white or basmati rice4 garlic cloves, peeled, 3 finely grated, 1 left whole
75g cashew nuts2 tbsp sesame oil 7-8cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated2 spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced1 small head broccoli, roughly chopped into 1cm pieces280g firm tofu, roughly chopped into 1cm cubes1 tsp flaky sea salt½ tsp turmeric Juice of 1 lime
To serveKimchiSliced red chilli (optional)
First, cook the rice, and this is my magic microwave method: you'll need a large Pyrex bowl and a plate that will neatly cover the top and act as a lid. Put the rice, 400ml just-boiled water and the whole garlic clove in the bowl, cover with the plate and cook on medium (that is, if your microwave's maximum power setting is 1,000W, you want to cook it at 800W) for 11 minutes. Then leave to stand, still covered, for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, put a large frying pan or wok on a medium heat and toast the cashews, shaking the pan frequently, for four to five minutes, until evenly golden brown. Tip into a small bowl.
Return the pan to the heat, add the oil, then fry the grated garlic and ginger and the sliced spring onions for 30 seconds. Add the broccoli and tofu, stir-fry on a high heat for four to five minutes, until the broccoli is just cooked through. Turn down the heat, add the salt and turmeric, and stir-fry for a further minute. Season with the lime juice, then taste and adjust the salt as needed.
Divide the rice between four bowls, and top one half of each serving with the stir-fried tofu mix. Top another third of the remaining exposed rice with kimchi and another with the cashews, scatter over the sliced red chilli, if using, and serve hot.