Mum’s EASY Lemongrass Tofu makes feeding the family a breeze! Crispy golden tofu pillows are smothered in lemongrass until they’re jam-packed with flavor. What tops it all off is it can be on the table in just 15 minutes using only 7 ingredients. This recipe is perfect for every weeknight – emergency dinners included.
Make it a meal in our Bún Chay (Vegetarian Noodle Salad)!
Taste the difference
If you’re anything like me, there are days when you just need a dish that comes packed with flavor. Sometimes that comes in the form of Vietnamese Grilled Pork Chops while other times it’s Tom Yum Fried Rice in an extra large bowl.
But when you’re running low on time and want to keep things REALLY simple, that’s when Mum’s Lemongrass Chili Tofu comes in to save the day.
I still remember being in the kitchen when she made the dish for the first time.
One minute she was prepping all the ingredients and the next, the table was plated with delicately fried bean curd pieces smothered in fragrant lemongrass, which I could’ve sworn she had started cooking only 10 minutes earlier.
Turns out I wasn’t too far from the truth – from start to finish, it only took 15 minutes!
I can’t stress how EASY this recipe is. Just like her delicious Braised Bean Curd with Mushrooms, it’s another fuss-free weeknight side dish that can even be used as a vegetarian option for Gà Xào Sả Ớt (Spicy Lemongrass Chicken).
This recipe speaks to all the vegetarians out there (plus the Meatless Monday home cooks) and it turns your everyday tofu into a wondrous dinner-worthy meal that warrants a central place among all the other favorites like Vegetarian Spring Rolls and Buddha’s Delight.
Not to mention, it’s gone before all the meat dishes. Seriously!
How to prepare fresh lemongrass
If you prefer to use fresh lemongrass (or have it growing at home), the process is really quite simple.
Give them a thorough wash to remove any dirt, cut the tips off (roughly 1cm/0.4″) from the base and strip away the dried parts.
Then roughly chop the lemongrass into chunks and blitz using the food processor. If you prefer a bite in the lemongrass texture, leave it course. Otherwise blitz it for longer.
And if you don’t have a food processor, the lemongrass can be chopped by hand. Just make sure to set aside a little more time.
Why this recipe works
- It uses store-bought fried bean curd so you can spend more me time!
- The lemongrass is purchased from the shop already finely chopped, which means extra flavor without compromising on time.
- A touch of honey adds a sweetness that’s gentler than sugar.
What you’ll need
About the ingredients
We have used fresh pre-blitzed lemongrass sourced from our local Asian street market in the past, but it can also be found Asian grocery stores in the freezer section. Just thaw it before use and drain away any liquid.
You’ll find the fried tofu in clear plastic boxes often in rectangular or triangular prisms. Mum likes to give them a quick wash then pat them dry to remove any excess oil, but that’s entirely optional.
How to make this recipe
Cut up the fried tofu into smaller chunks (or leave as is if preferred).
Marinate the tofu with the lemongrass, honey, salt, soy sauce and chili for a minimum of 5 minutes.
Oil a wok on medium to high heat, then sear the tofu for 3 minutes on both sides or until golden brown.
Mum’s Tip: Don’t throw away the marinade in the bowl. Instead, scrape the lemongrass over the tofu as you fry.
Serve the Lemongrass Chili Tofu as is over rice!
Recipe FAQs
You sure can! Instead of frying it on the wok, cook it in the air fryer for 10-15 minutes on 190°C (375°F) or until golden brown.
This can come from having larger pieces, which need to be cut smaller or kept aside for something else, like the stock for a Vegetarian Spicy Noodle Soup.
If you’re serving Mum’s Lemongrass Chili Tofu with other ingredients like rice or noodles, you can make it extra fresh with some classic Asian herbs. As long as they’re thoroughly washed and cleaned, you can have it with any that you like. My personal favorite are the ones that go in a noodle salad like mint, perilla, Thai basil and Vietnamese coriander.
Tips for the best results
- Freeze the tofu. Judy from The Woks Of Life says that by freezing it, the cold temperature expands the liquid inside, altering its structure. This results in a firmer, ‘meatier’ texture!
- Marinate for longer. Anything that requires marinating (like our Vietnamese Shaking Beef, Chicken Curry and Fish Sauce Wings) gets much deeper flavors when it has more time to absorb the marinade.
- Sear until golden brown. This will ensure a crispy crust and develop a char that’s super tasty!
Make this easy dinner spread!
The full-bodied flavor in Mum’s Lemongrass Chili Tofu will be the star of the dinner table, which is why it’s best accompanied with:
- A delightfully simple Honey Glazed Ginger Chicken.
- Add a side of vegetables with our Chinese Brocolli (Gai Lan) with Oyster Sauce or Stir Fried Pea Shoots with Garlic to complete the dinner spread.
- Or if you’re feeling like a stir fry, try it with this Crispy Pork Belly Stir Fry with Asian Greens.
- Enjoy everything with Dried Scallop and Egg White Fried Rice.
- Canh Khoai Mỡ (Creamy Purple Yam Soup) will nourish the family.
- Cool down with some refreshingly nutritious Pennywort Drink (Nước Rau Má)!
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Lemongrass Chili Tofu (Đậu Hũ Chiên Sả Ớt)
Equipment
- Food processor (if you're blitzing the lemongrass yourself)
Ingredients
- 600 g / 1.3 lb fried tofu (we buy it fresh and pre-fried from the local Asian grocery store but any firm tofu will do)
- 4 stalks lemongrass (blitzed until fine)
- 1 tsp light soy sauce (or to taste)
- 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
- 1 tsp honey (or to taste)
- 6 tbsp cooking oil
- 2 chili (optional)
Instructions
- Cut up the fried tofu into smaller chunks (or leave as is if preferred).
- Marinate the tofu with the lemongrass, honey, salt, soy sauce and chili for a minimum of 5 minutes.
- Oil a wok on medium to high heat, then sear the tofu for 3 minutes on both sides or until golden brown. Mum's Tip: Don't throw away the marinade in the bowl. Instead, scrape the lemongrass over the tofu as you fry.
- Serve the Lemongrass Chili Tofu as is over rice!
Video
Notes
- Freeze the tofu. Judy from The Woks Of Life says that by freezing it, the cold temperature expands the liquid inside, altering its structure. This results in a firmer, 'meatier' texture!
- Marinate for longer. Anything that requires marinating gets much deeper flavors when it has more time to absorb the marinade.
- Sear until golden brown. This will ensure a crispy crust and develop a char that's super tasty!
- We have used fresh pre-blitzed lemongrass sourced from our local Asian street market in the past, but it can also be found Asian grocery stores in the freezer section. Just thaw it before use and drain away any liquid.
- You'll find the fried tofu in clear plastic boxes often in rectangular or in triangular prisms. Mum likes to give them a quick wash then pat them dry to remove any excess oil, but that's entirely optional.
Nutrition
This post was originally published on 20/11/19 and updated with new links and FAQs in November 2022.
This dish was so easy to make and so full of flavor. I love lemongrass. Yum!
Thanks, Krissy! Glad you liked it!
Such a yummy way to enjoy tofu!!
Thanks, Tawnie!
WOW! love the bold flavors that are added. Sounds hearty nonetheless.
Thanks, Mirlene!
OH, we love tofu which is what drew me to this recipe! The lemongrass flavor is a show stopper, so good!
Thanks, Cindy! We love tofu too and I’m glad you liked it!
One of the best way to prepare tofu! We’ll be making this again and again. 🙂
Agreed! Thanks, Anita!
How deep should the oil be? It it pan fry or shallow fry in a cm of oil?
Hi Helga, I go for a sear so we generally go for a pan fry with just enough oil to coat the frying surface. If you find that the oil runs dry during frying, you can always add 1-2 tbsp more at a time.
First time to your site and the first recipe is use is delicious, and you’ve done it in such an accessible and encouraging way
Thanks Jeannette, I’ll be coming back again.
Doug
Thanks for your kind words, Doug! I hope you enjoy many more of our family recipes 😀