Pan Seared Tofu

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the rice noodles. Peel the carrots and thinly slice on the diagonal. Peel and mince the ginger. Peel and mince the shallot. Roughly chop the cilantro. Thinly slice the scallions.

Drain the tofu, pat dry with paper towels, and cut into 1 inch cubes.

Add the rice noodles to the boiling water and stir. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the noodles are tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process.

Place a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat with 1 tbsp vegetable oil. Add the cubed tofu and cook, turning occasionally, until browned in places, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the sliced carrots, minced ginger, and minced shallot to the skillet and cook, tossing occasionally, until the carrots are tender, about 4 to 6 minutes.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the tamari, sambal, brown sugar, cornstarch, and ½ cup water. Add the tamari sauce to the skillet and toss the pan seared tofu and vegetables to coat. Cook until the sauce thickens, about 1 minute.

Divide the cooked rice noodles between bowls. Top with the pan seared tofu and vegetables. Spoon any remaining tamari sauce over the noodles. Sprinkle the bowls with chopped cilantro, sliced scallions, and cashews.