Before you start, take out all the ingredients for this recipe (see picture above) and rinse any raw grains, herbs or vegetables.

STEP 1

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Take out a saucepan and a wok (recommended) or large frying pan.

STEP 2

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Place the rice in your saucepan and cover with 2.5x its volume in water. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and cover. Allow to cook for 5 minutes, then stir through the desiccated coconut and continue cooking for a further 3-5 minutes or until tender but al dente.

STEP 3

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Tear the tofu into bitesized pieces with your hands, then place into a bowl and toss through the cornflour until evenly coated. Add a drizzle of a neutral oil (e.g. vegetable, sunflower or groundnut, but not olive oil) to your frying pan or wok and once hot, add the tofu and fry until golden and crunchy on all sides, around 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl lined with kitchen towel.

STEP 4

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In the meantime, deseed the red pepper and cut it into bite-sized pieces. Peel the onion, trim the top and base, and cut it into bite-sized pieces as well.

STEP 5

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Wipe the pan clean with a kitchen towel, then place it back on a medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the prepared red pepper and onion, and stir-fry until softened and lightly browned. Add the black pepper sauce and cook until simmering, about 2–3 minutes. Once the sauce is hot, return the tofu to the pan and stir through for 1–2 minutes, then remove from the heat.

STEP 6

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Finely slice the spring onions. Slice the base off the pak choi stem and pull apart the leaves with your hands. Place a frying pan over a medium heat and add a drizzle of oil. Once hot, fry the pak choi until tender, around 3-5 minutes. Season to taste with soy or salt.

STEP 7

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Serve the black pepper tofu alongside the coconut rice and charred pak choi. Scatter over the spring onions and sesame seeds to garnish and enjoy!