Landing Deck Salad

Ingredients

• 2 cucumbers
• 2 large carrots
• 200 g firm tofu
• 100 g bean sprouts
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 small red onion
• 1 lime
• 4 tbsp salted peanuts
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp palm sugar (or brown sugar)
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 red chili
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• oil for frying

Method

1. Cut the tofu into thick 1 cm slices and pat dry. Dust lightly with cornstarch.
2. Heat oil in a pan and fry the tofu until golden brown. Drain on kitchen paper.
3. Slice the cucumbers lengthwise into 5 mm thick strips. Set aside 4 nice long strips.
4. Cut the carrots into thin long julienne strips.
5. Slice the bell pepper into thin strips and the onion into half rings.
6. Make the dressing: mix soy sauce, fish sauce, rice vinegar, palm sugar, finely chopped garlic, and finely chopped red chili.
7. Mix carrot, bell pepper, onion, bean sprouts, and peanuts with the dressing.
8. On a large platter, lay out the 4 long cucumber strips parallel as the ship's hull.
9. Arrange the fried tofu in a row on top of the cucumber as the deck.
10. Lay some carrot strips crosswise over the tofu as runways.
11. Place a lime slice upright on one end as a radar tower.
12. Garnish with extra peanuts and optionally some fresh coriander.

Serving notes

• Serve on a rectangular platter for the aircraft carrier effect.
• Place a small bowl of extra dressing next to the 'ship'.
• Let guests make their own 'landing' with extra carrot strips.