I had never tasted any Vietnamese dish in my life before traveling to Vietnam, a few years back. After spending around 2 weeks in Vietnam, a new cuisine got added to my list of favorite cuisines. During that trip, I also attended a few Vietnamese cooking classes. In one such class, all the students were given a small cookery book which I keep going back to whenever I crave Vietnamese food. Today, I am sharing a simple but very tasty Vietnamese-style tofu recipe from that book called Lemongrass tofu. It has all the flavors- salty, spicy, savory, slightly sweet, and slightly tangy. It’s very easy to make and gets ready in just 25 minutes.
What goes in lemongrass tofu?
To make lemongrass tofu stir fry the ingredients shown below will be needed:
Ingredient notes
Tofu: Use firm tofu.Lemongrass: Use fresh lemongrass. Dried lemongrass will be too woody for this recipe.Chili pepper: Use a hot variety like Thai chili peppers.Brown sugar: Finely grated palm sugar can also be used.
How to make?
Bake tofu: Pat dry tofu cubes with a kitchen towel to get rid of extra moisture. You can also press tofu using a tofu press or by pressing it with something heavy. Cut into medium size cubes. Put the tofu cubes in a bowl. Add salt and pepper. Gently toss. Spread on a baking tray lined with a baking sheet and bake in a pre-heated oven for 12-13 minutes at 200°C (400°F). Mince lemongrass: Remove the leaves and woody part of all the lemongrass stalks, we will only use the soft part inside it. Roughly chop the soft part of the lemongrass and put it in a grinder/ food processor along with the garlic cloves and mince. Stir fry: Heat oil in a pan. Add sliced onion and minced lemongrass. Saute for 2-3 minutes. Add chopped chili pepper, baked tofu cubes, sugar, pepper, salt, and soy sauce. Gently mix. If the lemongrass starts sticking to the bottom of the pan, add 2-3 tablespoons of water. Cook for 2-3 minutes and then switch off the stove. Add fresh lime juice and cilantro/ spring onion greens. Enjoy!
Step by step photo instructions
Serving suggestions
Lemongrass tofu stir fry can be served as an appetizer. Prepare a quick dip by mixing soy sauce, water, palm sugar, lime juice, and chili pepper, to serve on the side with it. In the main course, this Vietnamese tofu can be served with steamed jasmine rice or sticky rice. You can also enjoy it with rice noodles. It can also be added to a Vietnamese buddha bowl.
Storing suggestions
To store, keep in an airtight container and refrigerate. It will be fine for 2-3 days.
Recipe tips and tricks
Make sure you get rid of all the woody part of the lemongrass otherwise the dish won’t be edible.Instead of baking you can also shallow or deep fry the tofu cubes.You can use more ingredients to flavor tofu cubes before baking like soy sauce, garlic powder, chili flakes, vinegar, etc.Add salt carefully and only if required as soy sauce is already salty and we have added salt in baked tofu cubes also.Feel free to add some vegetables like broccoli, carrot, or beans to this dish.
Frequently asked questions
More vegan Vietnamese recipes
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