← Nouns Cooking · Vietnamese

Ingredients

• 400 g extra-firm tofu, patted dry and cut into thick batons
• 2 lemongrass stalks, tender part finely minced
• 2 cloves Garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp Soy sauce
• 1 tbsp Sugar
• ½ tsp Curry powder
• 3 tbsp Vegetable oil
• 3 tbsp light soy sauce
• 2 tbsp Sugar
• 2 Lime, juiced
• 90 ml warm water
• 1 clove Garlic, minced
• 1 Bird's eye chilli, sliced
• 250 g Rice vermicelli
• 1 soft lettuce, shredded
• 1 Cucumber, cut into matchsticks
• 1 Carrot, cut into matchsticks
• 150 g Bean sprouts
• 1 handful Mint
• 1 handful Thai basil
• 50 g roasted peanuts, crushed
• 3 tbsp Crispy fried shallots

Method

1. Toss the tofu with the lemongrass, garlic, soy sauce, sugar and curry powder and leave it to marinate for 15 min.
2. Meanwhile, stir the dressing ingredients together until the sugar dissolves. Taste: it should be sour, sweet and salty in balance.
3. Cook the noodles according to the packet (usually 3–4 min), then rinse under cold water and drain well.
4. Heat the oil in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Fry the tofu for 8–10 min, turning every couple of minutes, until golden and crisp on all sides and the lemongrass bits are toasty.
5. Fill bowls with lettuce, cucumber, carrot, sprouts and herbs, then the noodles. Top with the hot tofu, peanuts and fried shallots, and spoon over the dressing just before eating.

Tips

• Use tamari instead of soy sauce to make it gluten-free.
• Pressing the tofu under a heavy pan for 15 minutes first gives a crisper crust.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Wok and Kin Food Network