If you think you don’t like tofu, this might just change your mind. This sweet and salty method of cooking is often used for pork, chicken or fish. Here is a satisfyingly chewy tofu version.
Choose a very firm tofu for this recipe. Place the tofu on a plate and cover with another plate. Weigh it down and leave the tofu to lose some of its moisture while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. Finely dice a brown shallot and 3-4 cloves of garlic. Have ready some fish sauce, freshly ground black pepper and chilli paste. Pour ¼ of a cup of water into a small saucepan, then sprinkle 2-3 tablespoons of raw sugar into the water. Cook without stirring until the sugar dissolves and starts to brown. I like a reasonably dark caramel but be careful not to burn it. When it’s to your liking add the shallot, garlic and some chilli paste to taste and cook briefly then remove from the heat. Add 1 – 2 tablespoons of fish sauce (this will depend on whether you use stronger Thai fish sauce or milder Vietnamese fish sauce and can be adjusted to taste a little later) and a generous amount of black pepper. Set aside while you prepare the tofu. Remove the tofu from the plate and dry thoroughly with paper towels. Cut into squares and sprinkle with some salt. Heat 1-2 tablespoons of oil in a frypan. Dredge the tofu in cornflour, making sure not to use too much, and fry each piece until golden brown on both sides. When it’s cooked, drain on paper towels. Reheat the oil in the frypan. If there is too much oil for your liking you can remove some first. Now transfer the caramel sauce into the frypan and heat it, adjusting the flavour to your taste. Add the tofu and make sure it’s all coated with the sauce. Serve garnished with crushed roasted peanuts and fresh coriander (cilantro). Alternately, you can serve the tofu as part of a fresh salad or bun cha dau hu. To make the salad soak some rice vermicelli in boiling water until soft enough to eat. Rinse and set aside to drain. Finely shred some cabbage and carrot, slice some cucumber and pick the leaves from some fresh herbs like vietnamese mint and coriander (cilantro). Make individual serves from these ingredients and top with the tofu. To dress the salad make a Nuoc Cham by combining ¼ of a cup of Vietnamese fish sauce, 3 tablespoons of sugar, 2 minced cloves of garlic, 1 finely diced small red chilli, ¼ of a cup of water and lemon juice to taste. To adjust the balance use fish sauce for saltiness, sugar for sweetness and lemon juice for sourness.
Print the recipe here
michelle picker cooks 