ramyaramesh3007This tofu recipe is easy, versatile and infused with flavours from lemongrass, crushed peanuts and chillies, made in just 20 minutes!
This Vietnamese-inspired lemongrass peanut tofu recipe is one of my go-to when I’m craving a protein-packed side dish with rice for a easy and quick meal under just 30 minutes. It’s packed with flavour with just a few ingredients and is very versatile to be paired with almost anything!
The first time I tried this dish was a vegan Vietnamese restaurant I stumbled upon in San Francisco but it was made with deep fried soft tofu (crispy on the outside and soft on the inside). The flavours were truly amazing.
Ingredients You Need
- extra firm tofu – this is the easiest tofu to work with as it doesn’t break apart easily. Be sure to drain excess water and pan fry them in a good amount of olive oil to make it crispy (yes you can get it crispy without using corn starch if you fry them long enough!)
- lemongrass – finely chop up the lemongrass stalks (visible purple inner layers). You can use the rest of the lemongrass to make tea or add them in broths!
- red chili – I like to use big red chili peppers so the heat is not insane but it still gives a beautiful colour for the peanut-ty sauce slash topping
- peanuts – you can chop them finely but to save time I just pulsed them a few times in the blender until the texture became coarse
- seasoning – soy sauces, rice wine vinegar, vegan fish sauce (optional – substitute with more light soy sauce)
Gluten free substitutions: Omit dark soy sauce. Substitute light soy sauce with gluten free version, coconut aminos or tamari. Ensure vegan fish sauce is gluten free too.
Allium free substitutions: Forego scallions, otherwise this recipe is 100% allium free!
Lemongrass Peanut Tofu
Ingredients
- 300 g extra firm tofu
- 2 stalks lemongrass
- 2.5 tbsp peanuts
- 1/2 red chili or 1 whole if you prefer more heat!
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp vegan fish sauce
- 1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1/2 cup hot water
Garnish
- scallions
- chili oil or sate sauce
Instructions
- Press tofu and drain any excess water. Slice tofu into rectangles and pan fry them until crispy.
- Chop lemongrass stalks and chili finely.
- Pulse peanuts 3-4 times until have a coarse texture and are not ground.
- To a pan, add sesame oil and saute lemongrass and chili for a few minutes.
- Add soy sauce, vegan fish sauce, dark soy sauce and cook for a few more minutes. Add ground peanuts, roast for a minute and add hot water.
- Let the sauce cook and thicken. Add back in your tofu slices and coat them with the sauce.
- Serve on a plate and top tofu with lemongrass peanut sauce. Garnish with scallions, chili oil and serve!