Lemongrass Chili Tofu (Đậu Hũ Chiên Sả Ớt)

5 from 7 votes

Mum's EASY Lemongrass Chili Tofu makes feeding the family a breeze AND it can be on the table in just 15 minutes using only 7 ingredients!

Prep Time10

Cook Time5

Total Time15

Course: Dinner, Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: Asian, Vietnamese

Servings:

Calories: 622kcal

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)

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!

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.