Vietnamese lemongrass chili tofu
20 min · 26 g protein · 314 cals / serving
Golden cubes of tofu tossed in a crunchy, fragrant tangle of fried lemongrass, shallot, garlic and chili, the way Vietnamese home cooks make đậu hũ chiên sả ớt. Pan-fried in a nonstick skillet, the tofu gets a crisp shell with no deep-frying, and cool lettuce, cucumber and herbs on the side balance the heat.
Ingredients
- 1 lb block prepared extra firm tofu, blotted well, in 2 cm (3/4-inch) cubes
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tsp canola oil, divided
- 6 tbsp minced lemongrass, jarred or frozen, or 3 fresh stalks, tender part only, very finely minced
- 1 small shallot, minced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1–2 red chili pepper, finely chopped
- 1 3/4 tsp tamari
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 2 green onions, sliced
To serve
- 1 small cucumber, sliced
- 1 small head green leaf lettuce, leaves separated
- a handful fresh mint
- a handful fresh cilantro
Steps
- Blot the tofu cubes well between paper towels and sprinkle them with the salt.
- Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and fry the tofu in one layer, turning every couple of minutes, for 9–10 minutes until the water has cooked off and the cubes are golden and crisp on most sides. Push it to the edges of the pan.
- Add the last 1/2 teaspoon of oil to the middle with the lemongrass, shallot, garlic and chili. Fry, stirring, for 2–3 minutes until the lemongrass is golden and crunchy; lower the heat if it browns too fast.
- Sprinkle over the tamari, sugar and green onion and toss everything together for 30 seconds, until the tofu is coated in the crumbs.
- Serve hot with the lettuce, cucumber, cilantro and mint, wrapping bites of tofu in the leaves if you like.
Good to know
Using fresh lemongrass?
Allow about 5 extra minutes. Trim the dry top and the root, peel off the tough outer layers and use only the pale lower third. Slice it into thin rounds first, then chop very finely; a mini food processor does it in seconds.
Rice on the side?
It is usually eaten with plain rice and a simple soup. About 1/2 cup cooked rice per person is plenty with this much tofu.
Per
- Calories
- 74
- Protein
- (31%)
- 6 g
- Fat
- (46%)
- 4 g
- Carbohydrates
- (23%)
- 5 g
- of which sugar
- 2 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sodium
- 122 mg
More meals
Computed from the ingredients with our published formula, not yet kitchen-tested. How
As written, 628 kcal goes into the pot and 944 g of ingredients comes out as about 845 g of food: 74 kcal per 100 g. Cooking moves water and energy density is the score's biggest lever, so the dish is scored as cooked, not as an average of its parts. Every ingredient links to its food page, with the same data and score. The label's percentages are each macronutrient's share of the calories. The full formula.