← Nouns Cooking · Vietnamese

Ingredients

• 450 g firm tofu
• ½ tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Sugar
• 4 lemongrass stalks, tender part very finely minced (about 6 tbsp)
• 2 Shallot, finely chopped
• 3 cloves Garlic, finely chopped
• 2 Bird's eye chilli, finely chopped
• 5 tbsp oil, divided
• 1 tsp Soy sauce (optional)

Method

1. Wrap the tofu in a clean tea towel, set a heavy pan on top and leave it for 15 min to press out water.
2. Cut the tofu into 2.5 cm cubes and toss gently with the salt, sugar and 2 tbsp of the lemongrass.
3. Heat 4 tbsp oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Fry the tofu for 8–10 min, turning, until golden and crisp on all sides. Lift onto a plate.
4. Turn the heat to medium-low and add the remaining oil, lemongrass, shallot, garlic and chilli. Fry for 3–4 min, stirring all the time, until golden and crunchy. Watch closely: lemongrass goes from golden to burnt quickly.
5. Return the tofu, add the soy sauce if using and toss for 1 minute so every cube is coated. Serve with rice and a stir-fried green.

Tips

• Ready-fried tofu from an Asian grocer cuts the time in half; just warm it through with the fried lemongrass.
• Soy sauce contains wheat; use tamari or more salt to keep it gluten-free.

Sources

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

Wok and Kin Delightful Plate Milk Street