← Nouns Cooking · Vietnamese

Ingredients

• 450 g firm tofu, patted dry and cut into 3 cm cubes
• 4 tbsp Vegetable oil
• 3 cloves Garlic, minced
• 1 Shallot, minced
• 500 g ripe tomatoes, cut into small wedges
• 1 tbsp Tomato purée (paste)
• 125 ml Water
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 2 tsp Sugar
• ½ tsp Salt
• 2 Spring onion, sliced, whites and greens separated
• 1 pinch Black pepper

Method

1. Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Fry the tofu for 8–10 min, turning every couple of minutes, until golden and crisp on most sides. Lift onto kitchen paper.
2. Pour off all but 1 tbsp of oil. Over medium heat, fry the garlic, shallot and spring onion whites for 1 minute until fragrant.
3. Add the tomatoes and tomato paste and cook for 5 min, pressing the tomatoes with your spoon, until they collapse into a chunky sauce.
4. Add the water, soy sauce, sugar and salt, bring to a simmer and taste; it should be gently sweet, tangy and savoury. Add the tofu and simmer for 3–4 minutes, spooning the sauce over, until it soaks in and the sauce thickens.
5. Scatter with the spring onion greens and black pepper and serve with steamed rice.

Tips

• Use tamari or extra salt instead of soy sauce for gluten-free. Many Vietnamese cooks season with fish sauce instead, or add a little minced pork; it is then no longer vegetarian.
• Ripe, juicy tomatoes are key. In winter, add a few chopped tinned tomatoes.

Sources

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

Hungry Huy Vicky Pham