Fried Pearls

Heat the oven to 350°F. Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil and salt it. Rinse, trim, and slice the celery and scallions; combine them in a large bowl. Grease a large rimmed baking sheet with 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Add the couscous to the boiling water and cook, stirring occasionally until it’s tender but not mushy; start tasting it after 5 minutes. Rinse, trim, peel and chop the carrots.

Drain the couscous into a strainer, and then spread it out onto the prepared pan along with the carrots. Roast, stirring once or twice, until the couscous dries out a bit and the carrots are tender, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, rinse the mushrooms, trim and discard the woody stems, and slice the caps. Put 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally until they begin to brown, 2 or 3 minutes; sprinkle with salt and transfer to the bowl with the celery. Return the pan to high heat and add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Crumble the tofu into the pan with your hands, season generously with salt, and cook, stirring occasionally until the liquid evaporates and the tofu is golden, 5 to 10 minutes; transfer to the bowl with the celery.

Rinse and trim the pea shoots; cut them in half. Trim, peel, and chop 2 garlic cloves. Put the remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in the pan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly until it’s fragrant, 20 to 30 seconds. Add the pea shoots and cook, tossing until they’re just wilted, 2 or 3 minutes.

Add the couscous and carrots to the pan and cook, stirring until they’re sizzling and heated through, 2 or 3 minutes. Add the celery mixture and cook, stirring constantly until heated through, 1 or 2 minutes more. Add the tamari, sesame oil, and vinegar and stir; taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve the couscous and vegetables with the sambal oelek on the side.