Recipes

Bird’s Eye Chile and Lemongrass Tofu

The punchy Vietnamese flavors of lemongrass, bird’s eye chile, basil and cilantro give this tofu stir-fry satisfying complexity with a not-so-subtle hit of heat.

Prep time: 5 min

Cook time: 20 min

Total time: 25 min

Bird’s Eye Chile and Lemongrass Tofu
Copyright Recipe © 2015 Woodland Foods

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

  • 1 (16 Oz.) Package Firm Tofu, rinsed

  • 1/3 Cup Prepared Fresh Lemongrass Paste

  • 2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce

  • 2 Teaspoons White Sugar

  • 1 Teaspoon Ground Turmeric

  • 1/2 Teaspoon Birdseye Chile Powder

  • 1/2 Teaspoon Fine Sea Salt, plus more to taste

  • 1 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil

  • 4 Scallions, thinly sliced

  • 1 Medium Shallot, minced

  • 1 Clove Garlic, minced

  • 2/3 Cup Fresh Thai Basil Leaves

  • 1/4 Cup Fresh Cilantro Leaves

  • 3 Tablespoons Roasted Peanuts, chopped

  • 4 Cups Thai Jasmine Rice, cooked

Directions

  1. Drain tofu in colander for 5 minutes, then pat dry with paper towels. Cut into 3/4-inch-thick slabs, and lightly blot again on cut sides. Cut into 3/4-inch cubes.

  2. Whisk together lemongrass paste, soy sauce, sugar, turmeric, chile powder and salt in shallow bowl or baking dish. Add tofu, and gently toss to coat. Let marinate for 10 minutes, tossing occasionally to ensure all sides of tofu make contact with marinade.

  3. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add scallion, shallot and garlic, and stir-fry for 1 minute. Push to sides of pan, and add tofu. Turn cubes and stir scallion mixture until tofu is lightly browned on all sides, and scallion mixture is soft, about 5 minutes.

  4. Stir in basil and cilantro leaves and half of peanuts. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, if necessary. Pour into serving dish, and top with remaining peanuts. Serve with rice.