Lettuce Cups

Rinse the rice in a fine strainer. Transfer to a small saucepan with 1 cup of water and a pinch of salt. Bring the rice to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook undisturbed for 15 to 20 minutes, or until all of the water is absorbed.

Pulse 1 clove of garlic in a food processor, or chop it if you don’t have a food processor. Gently dry the tofu with paper towels. Add the tofu to the garlic, breaking it up with your hands a bit, and pulse until a crumbly texture forms (this could also be done by hand). Put a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add the vegetable oil. Once the oil is hot, add the tofu mixture. Season with a pinch of salt, pepper, and ½ teaspoon sugar and cook, stirring infrequently, until the mixture browns a bit, 8 to 12 minutes.

Rinse and dry the chile, lettuce, herbs, lime, and radishes. Peel and thinly slice the shallot. Trim, deseed, and thinly slice the chile. Chop the herbs and thinly slice the radishes. Cut the lime into wedges.

Transfer the tofu mixture to a large bowl and toss it with the soy sauce, ½ of the chile (adding more depending on your affinity for heat), and juice from 2 lime wedges. Add the herbs and shallots and toss to combine.

Tear or cut the lettuce leaves into little serving bowls you can grab with your hands. To serve, put the lettuce on a platter with radishes and lime wedges. To eat, spoon a little of the rice and tofu into a lettuce cup, add a few of the radishes, and squeeze with remaining lime wedges; fold or roll.