Recipe: Tofu Pastries

I found this recipe in an old Family Circle "Complete Vegetarian Cookbook" and it has become a bit of a family favourite.

Makes: 8 triangles

250g (5 oz) firm tofu
2 spring onions, chopped
3 tsp chopped fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves
1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest
2 tsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
2 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 tsp cornflour
2 sheets ready-rolled puff pastry
1 egg, lightly beaten

Drain tofu, then pat dry and cut into small cubes (mine usually end up being around 1cm cubes - you wouldn't want them any bigger than that). Put the spring onion, coriander, zest, soy and chilli sauces, ginger, cornflour and tofu in a bowl and gently mix. Cover, then refrigerate for 3-4 hours.

Preheat oven to hot 220C (450F/Gas 7). Cut each pastry sheet into 4 squares. Distribute the filling amongst the eight squares. Brush the edge of each square with egg and fold into triangles, sealing edges with a fork.

Put the triangles on two lined baking trays, brush with egg and bake for 15 minutes (or until golden).

The recipe also includes a dipping sauce:

1/4 cup (60g/2 oz) sugar
1/2 cup (125ml/4 fl oz) rice vinegar
1 small lebanese cucumber, finely diced
1 small red chilli, thinly sliced
1 spring onion, extra, thinly sliced on the diagonal

Place the sugar and vinegar in a small saucepan and stir over low heat until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and add the cucumber, chilli and extra spring onion. Cool completely before serving.