Bi Chay

Bi chay is the vegetarian version of a Vietnamese mixture of shredded pork, pork skin, and toasted powdered rice. I am not a fan of the meat version, but I do love the vegetarian version which I first tried when my Aunt Bac Chi made vegetarian spring rolls in honor of my uncle's new girlfriend, a Buddhist vegetarian. Toasted rice powder gives this its distinctive flavor. I use bi chay as a filling for spring rolls and sandwiches.

 Take firm tofu, slice it thinly and microwave it for about a minute or so until it's hot. Then deep fry it until golden brown and delicious. Microwaving the tofu first is a trick that my Aunt Bac Lan taught my mom -- it makes the tofu puff up beautifully when being deep fried so that the texture doesn't get all heavy and greasy. After the tofu is fried, drain it and cut into long thin strips. Add in some shredded jicama and toss while the tofu is still warm and add toasted rice powder to taste.