Oven Baked Spicy Black Bean Tofu & Pak Choi With Rice

Before you begin...

This recipe takes around 5-10 min to prep, so get your casserole dish and all your ingredients ready, then wash your fruit and veg

Note: Make sure your dish is oven-proof and safe to use on the hob. Don't have one? Start cooking in a large, wide-based pan then transfer to an oven-proof dish and cover tightly with foil

Now, let's get started!

Preheat the oven to 220°C/ 200°C (fan)/ gas 7 and boil a kettle

Add your basmati rice to an oven-proof dish with 300ml [390ml] [600ml] boiled water

Cover tightly with tin foil and put the dish in the oven for 25-30 min or until all the water is absorbed and the rice is cooked – this is your baked rice

Deseed your pepper[s] (scrape the seeds and pith out with a teaspoon) and chop into bite-sized pieces

Wash your pak choi and slice in half lengthways, then pat dry with kitchen paper

Heat a large, wide-based, hob-safe oven-proof casserole dish with a matching lid with a generous drizzle of vegetable oil over a high heat

Once hot, drain your tofu and crumble it into large chunks with your fingers directly into the dish

Add a pinch of salt and pepper and cook for 1-2 min or until starting to brown

Once brown, add your Chinese rice wine, ginger & garlic paste, black bean paste and chilli flakes (can't handle the heat? Go easy!) then cook for 30 secs or until fragrant

Once fragrant, add the chopped pepper, toasted sesame oil, cornflour, soy sauce, 2 tsp [3 tsp] [4 tsp] sugar, a generous grind of black pepper and 150ml [225ml] [300ml] cold water to the dish

Give everything a good mix up

Bring to the boil over a high heat, then put the dish in the oven, uncovered, for and initial 15 min

Use this time to clear up, set the table, have a cup of tea or simply chill!

Once the tofu has had 15 min, top the dish with the pak choi halves

Return the dish to the oven, covered, for a further 10 min or until the veg is tender – this is your oven baked spicy black bean tofu & pak choi