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.
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.
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
This Lemongrass Tofu is
- Fragrant
- Easy-to-make
- Satisfying
- Gluten-free adaptable
- Vegan
- TASTY
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
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.
Feel free to pin the below picture on your Pinterest Board for easy reference.
Is there a substitute for the fish sauce?
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
This lemongrass tofu is SO GOOD!!! I’m so glad that I made it. Thank you for sharing the recipe. 😊
Thanks so much Nora! 🙂 I’m so happy to hear that you loved this recipe. Hope you get to try other recipes soon. 🙂