Fill-in-the-blank-prompt:
Gefilte Fish is to Jewish Food as ________________ is to American Jewish food.
Gefilte Fish is to Jewish Food as Chinese Food on Christmas is to American Jewish food.
Eating Chinese food on Christmas is a beloved Jewish American Christmas ritual.
During her 2010 confirmation hearing, Justice Elena Kagan’s marshaled this private family tradition into a public Jewish American cultural custom.
Some of my favorite memories from growing up Jewish in rural Maine are eating Chinese food on Christmas and Sundays with my parents, brothers and grandparents.
To honor my memory and our tradition, here is a simple, delicious and healthy oil free vegan fried rice with tofu recipe. Enjoy it on Christmas, Sundays or any other weekday. Children love this recipe!
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From the Jewish Food Hero Kitchen: Jewish Christmas Chinese Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups Jasmine rice (to get 3 cups cooked)
- 1 block of extra-firm organic tofu (14 oz, diced small) or 1 ½ cups of chickpeas
- 1 cup of green beans, diced extra- small
- 1 ½ cup of carrots, diced extra-small
- 2 tsp soy sodium
- 2 tsp sweet chili sauce (or more)
- ½ cup vegetable broth or water
- Cilantro
- Salt, to taste
- Pepper, to taste
- Optional: Sriracha hot sauce
Instructions
Prep:
- Cook the rice according to the directions, making sure to rinse it before cooking
- Dice the vegetables to uniform extra-small size and set aside in a prep bowl. This is important for the overall appearance of the rice and keeping it from looking like “fried rice mush”
- Dice the tofu into uniform extra small cubes and place in a prep bowl, set aside
- Put the rice in prep bowl and add soy sauce, sweet chili sauce, salt and pepper and mix with hands gently, set aside
- Heat skillet over medium heat.
- Sprinkle 1-2 tsp of vegetable broth of water into the skillet/wok to make sure it is hot.
- Add tofu and stir regularly, allowing it to brown slightly.
- Remove the tofu and set aside
- Sprinkle 1-2 tsp of vegetable broth of water into the skillet
- Add the rice and vegetables and stir fry for 5 minutes
- Add the tofu and continue cooking for 2 minutes
- Season to taste with salt and pepper and garnish with cilantro
- Optional: place Sriracha hot sauce and more sweet chili sauce in small bowls and place on the table
Notes
Tools:
- Medium nonstick or ceramic coated skillet (these work best when not using oil)
- Prep bowls
- Rice cooker
- Spatula, a thin flexible one works best for stir frying
If you like this recipe, you’ll love The Jewish Food Hero Cookbook: 50 Simple Plant Based Recipes For Your Holiday Meals
Your Turn: Share your favorite Jewish Christmas Chinese food story with us in the comments!
