Vietnamese Lemongrass Tofu (Đậu phụ xào sả ớt) is a vegan Southern Vietnamese dish that is full of flavors and fragrances. This recipe is easy, quick to make, and is perfect for weeknight dinner!
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Vietnamese Lemongrass Tofu
This recipe is inspired by a popular Vietnamese dish I ate growing up - lemongrass chicken, but with tofu as a plant-based alternative and tastes just as good. This dish is common served in Southern Vietnam at family-styled restaurants and street vendors. You can easily make this meal at home in less than 30 minutes. It makes a delicious, healthy and flavor-packed side dish.
Ingredients
The key ingredients of this dish are:
- Firm Tofu: you can use firm or extra firm tofu
- Lemongrass
- Chili peppers
- Garlic
- Soy sauce
- Turmeric powder
- A dash of black pepper
- Sugar (optional)
See the recipe card for quantity.
Lemongrass
Lemongrass is a herb native to South and Southeast Asia. You can find this herb in Asian supermarkets and in some local supermarkets as well. The other common names are Xả (Vietnamese), Sereh (Indonesian).
To prepare the lemongrass:
- Chop off the tough edge of the lemongrass and remove the outer leaves. These scraps are tougher and harder to work with, can be used to make tea.
- Thinly dice the lemongrass horizontally then run your knife through it a couple of times to make sure the pieces are finely minced.
- Alternatively, you can chop it into chunks and use a food processor to mince it.
Lemongrass stalks are very popular in cooking and can be used to brew tea. Check out my peach lemongrass tea recipe here!
Thai chili pepper
The chili pepper I use is Thai chili (bird's eye chili) as I like the spicy taste. One bird's eye chili goes a long way. This type of chili is popular in South East Asian cooking.
Feel free to switch this for other types of pepper that you have on hand but increase the quantity as Serrano and Jalapeno peppers tend to be less spicy. Omit the chili altogether if you cannot handle spicy.
Tofu
You can use extra firm or firm tofu for this recipe and pat dry before using.
Instructions
Cut the tofu into bite-sized pieces.
Remove the tough outer part of the lemongrass. Finely minced the lemongrass and chili pepper. Alternatively, you can chop them into chunks and put them in a food processor.
Remove the tough outer leaves of the lemongrass
Cut the heads off the lemongrass
Thinly chop the lemongrass stalks
Run your knife through it a few times to make sure the pieces are finely minced
Thinly chop the garlic
Mince the chili
In a pan on medium-high heat, add the oil. Once the oil is hot, add the tofu cubes and fry them until golden and crispy on both sides. Then transfer them to a plate and set aside.
Add the minced lemongrass, garlic and chili back to the pan with 1 tablespoon of oil. Stir fry for 2 minutes until fragrant.
Add the tofu back to the pan, the soy sauce, sugar and turmeric powder (for color). Stir fry for a couple of minutes until all flavors are incorporated then transfer to a plate.
Add soy sauce, black pepper and turmeric
Mix together until well combined
Serve the lemongrass chili tofu with rice or vermicelli noodles, cucumber, and coriander to balance the savory and spicy flavor.
How to serve
You can serve this recipe over rice or in a vermicelli noodle bowl with a Vietnamese dipping sauce. It keeps well in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
Serve with rice noodles with some fresh herbs and sauce
Or with rice and veggie of choice
Variations and Substitutions
Thai chili pepper
The chili pepper I use for the recipe is Thai chili (bird's eye chili) as I like the spicy taste. One bird's eye chili goes a long way. This type of chili is popular in South East Asian cooking.
Feel free to switch this for other types of pepper that you have on hand like Serrano or Jalapeno peppers (these are less spicy). Omit the chili altogether if you cannot handle spicy.
Lemongrass
If lemongrass is not readily available, you can use lemongrass paste or frozen minced lemongrass as a substitute.
If you have tried my recipe, please let me know what you think by leaving me a review on this page or tagging me on Instagram @veggieanh. I would love to see your creations!
Print📖 Recipe
Lemongrass Chili Tofu
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 2 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Lemongrass Tofu is a flavorful & fragrant Southern Vietnamese dish. Can be made in under 30 minutes and perfect for weeknight dinners!
Ingredients
- 400 g firm or extra firm tofu
- 2-3 stalks lemongrass
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 1 bird-eyed Thai chili
- 1 pint salt
- 1 tbsp oil
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp turmeric powder (optional, for color)
- 1 tbsp sugar
Instructions
- Cut the tofu into bite-sized pieces.
- Remove the tough outer part of the lemongrass. Finely minced the lemongrass and chili pepper. Alternatively, you can chop them into chunks and put them in a food processor.
- In a pan on medium high heat, add the oil. Once the oil is hot, add the tofu cubes and fry them until golden and crispy on both sides. Then transfer them to a plate and set aside.
- Add the minced lemongrass, garlic and chili back to the pan with 1 tablespoon of oil. Stir fry for 2 minutes until fragrant.
- Add the tofu and mix with together.
- Add the soy sauce, sugar and turmeric powder (for color). Stir fry for a couple of minutes until all flavors are incorporated then transfer to a plate.
- Serve the lemongrass chili tofu with rice or vermicelli noodles, cucumber, and coriander to balance the savory and spicy flavor.
Notes
The tofu can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: vietnamese
Keywords: 20-minute tofu recipe, easy to make, healthy, lemongrass chili tofu, tofu noodle salad, tofu and rice
Leslie h says
This recipe was so delicious! I decided to use some sesame oil I had on hand and I think it worked pretty well with that, but I KNOW that even if it didn’t have the sesame oil it would still be delicious!!! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe and I added the Thai chili and OOF that was some HEAT XD
I also ended up saving half of the recipe for the two days in my fridge and I feel like they became even more flavorful the more they sat in there so 👌
★★★★★
Veggie Anh says
I'm glad you liked it 😀 Sesame oil is a great idea.
That is true, the tofu absorbs even more overnight. When I make this dish, there is hardly any leftovers haha
Carrie says
I made this for my husband and son, and it was a big hit! My husband's family is from south Vietnam, and we now live in a town with very few Vietnamese food options. We are always happy to find a recipe that tastes like home. Thank you!
Veggie Anh says
I'm so glad you liked it, Carrie!