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How to Make a Delicious Lemongrass Tofu in 30 Minutes

November 24, 2020 by woonheng 13 Comments

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This Lemongrass Tofu 香茅豆腐 (Xiāng máo dòu fu) dish is inspired by my favorite Vietnamese vegan restaurant dish – Lemongrass Chick’n. It’s simple and easy with an amazing citrusy flavor that makes me drool just by the aroma it gives off.

lemongrass-tofu

Do you like lemongrass? I really do and may have taken this amazing spice for granted when I was living in Malaysia. It’s such a common ingredient that you can get at the fresh market every morning. Luckily, it’s more readily available at major grocery store chains nowadays here in the States.

Adding lemongrass to a dish creates a wonderful aroma that immediately satiates your appetite. You only want to add the white softer part of lemongrass into your dishes. The rest of it can be used to make tea or soup stock. Let’s check out how to make this delicious dish with the easy steps below.

lemongrass-tofu

How to make Lemongrass Tofu

Prepare the lemongrass – Remove the tougher layers of the lemongrass, you’ll only need the white softer part for this dish. Some stores carry lemongrass that’s ready to use and comes in a package. You can find this along with other herbs in the refrigerated section. Then, finely chop lemongrass and garlic using a food processor or blender.

Prepare the tofu – I’m using medium-firm tofu in this recipe and slicing them into bite-sized cubes. Then, pan-fry until golden brown on both sides. Season with some salt.

Sauce – The sauce is simply a mixture of vegan ‘fish’ sauce, similar to the Vietnamese dipping sauce, sugar or maple syrup, and soy sauce. Then, use enough oil to cook the shallots, lemongrass, and garlic until the shallots turn translucent. Then, add in the chili, if using.

Once the spices turn softer, add in the tofu and toss with the sauce until well-combined. Season if needed and serve warm.

Check out my other Lemongrass recipes

  • Lemongrass Tempeh Fried Rice
  • Easy Tom Yum Zoodles Soup

This Lemongrass Tofu is

  • Fragrant
  • Easy-to-make
  • Satisfying
  • Gluten-free adaptable
  • Vegan
  • TASTY
lemongrass-tofu

If you try this recipe, I would love to hear your feedback and see your beautiful re-creation. Leave me a comment, rate it, and tag @woon.heng and #woonheng to your photos on Instagram or Facebook. Happy cooking, friends!

Lemongrass Tofu – 香茅豆腐

woonheng
This delicious and simple-to-make lemongrass tofu is my favorite go-to dish. It's loaded with citrusy chopped lemongrass which will whet your appetite in each bite. Give it a try today!
5 from 5 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Total Time 30 mins
Course Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine Asian, Chinese, vietnamese
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

  • 28 oz medium-firm tofu
  • 2-3 stalks lemongrass white part only
  • 3 Thai chilis
  • 3 shallots
  • 3 cloves of garlic

Sauce

  • 3 tablespoons vegan 'fish' sauce or Vietnamese dipping sauce (Nước mắm chay)
  • 1 tablespoon water mix together with vegan 'fish' sauce
  • ½ tablespoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce

Pairing Ingredients

  • Cucumber slices
  • Tomato slices
  • Pickled carrot

Instructions
 

  • To prepare the lemongrass, remove the tough outer layer, then cut the bulb off and roughly chop the white part. Reserve the upper stalk (the green part) for tea or soup stock.
  • Peel off the garlic skin. Place both ingredients in a food processor (I used a hand pull processor) and chop until fine.
  • To prepare the tofu, remove tofu from its packaging, drain and lightly press to remove the excess moisture. Slice into large rectangles or your desired size.
  • In a large non-stick pan with oil, pan-fry tofu until golden brown on both sides. Dish out and set aside.
  • Heat a wok and add in about 3 tablespoons of cooking oil, then, sauté shallots, lemongrass, garlic until fragrant or until shallots turn translucent.
  • Add the Thai chilis, tofu, sauce ingredients, and toss to combine.
  • Serve Lemongrass tofu with rice and garnishes.

Video

Notes

  • If you are using store-bought Vegan ‘Fish’ Sauce, please taste test as the store-bought version may be slightly saltier than my homemade version. 
  • Medium-firm tofu creates the best texture for this dish. Some tofu brands may call it soft tofu.
Keyword glutenfree, tofu
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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Filed Under: Savory, Stir Fry, Tofu

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Christina

    August 11, 2022 at 6:50 pm

    5 stars
    Thank you so much for sharing. Been searching for a recipe like this for years! Found and enjoying it tremendously!! Reminds me of a Vietnamese restaurant that i loved! Have been trying to recreate been never successful until now with this recipe! Easy and delicious!

    Reply
  2. Jenny Chendra

    October 2, 2021 at 9:57 pm

    5 stars
    One word

    *Delicious*

    Thank you ❤

    Reply
  3. Chris

    October 2, 2021 at 9:14 pm

    Can you freeze this tofu after it has been cooked?

    Reply
    • woonheng

      October 9, 2021 at 8:35 pm

      Hello Chris, I’ve refrigerated this before and don’t see why you can’t freeze them. But do note that when you thaw, some of the tofu moisture may release. Thanks!

      Reply
  4. Honor

    April 25, 2021 at 6:02 pm

    5 stars
    We’ve made this twice and it’s delicious! Thank you for sharing such wonderful recipes!

    Reply
    • woonheng

      April 29, 2021 at 11:22 am

      woohoo! That’s awesome. It’s one of my favorite go-to dishes too. 🙂 Best, WoonHeng

      Reply
  5. Katrina

    January 20, 2021 at 8:35 pm

    Is there a substitute for the fish sauce?

    Reply
    • woonheng

      January 20, 2021 at 8:59 pm

      Hello Katrina, would you be able to try my homemade vegan ‘fish’ sauce? It’s a simple sweet and sour sauce that’s really easy to make. Let me know if you have any other questions at all. Best, WoonHeng

      Reply
  6. Nora

    January 19, 2021 at 10:45 pm

    5 stars
    This lemongrass tofu is SO GOOD!!! I’m so glad that I made it. Thank you for sharing the recipe. 😊

    Reply
    • woonheng

      January 20, 2021 at 1:30 pm

      Thanks so much Nora! 🙂 I’m so happy to hear that you loved this recipe. Hope you get to try other recipes soon. 🙂

      Reply
      • Ash

        August 16, 2021 at 12:37 pm

        5 stars
        Delicious and fragrabt; turned out perfectly, and I will definitely make this again!

        Reply
        • WoonHeng Chia

          August 16, 2021 at 12:43 pm

          Many, many thanks, Ash! really love how yours turned out. Best, WoonHeng

          Reply
    • WoonHeng Chia

      August 16, 2021 at 12:42 pm

      woohoo, thanks so much, Nora. I’m so happy you loved it. Best, WoonHeng

      Reply

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My name is WoonHeng and I share Asian plant-based deliciousness that you can make in your kitchen. My goal is to inspire you to try a meatless dish, one meal at a time. Let's get cooking with these recipes!

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