Vietnamese · Lunch · Dinner
Vietnamese Tofu in Tomato Sauce
Đậu hũ sốt cà chua
Golden pan-fried tofu simmered in a tangy, garlicky fresh tomato sauce with scallions and a savoury hint of fish sauce. It is a comforting Vietnamese home-style dish that is lovely spooned over steamed rice.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 22 min
- Total
- 37 min
- Serves
- 4
Calories come from: Carbs 22% · Fat 47% · Protein 31%
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Ingredients
For 4 servings- 600 g (about 2 blocks)firm tofu
- 1 tbsp14 gvegetable oil
- 4 medium500 gripe tomatoes
- 2 small40 gshallots
- 3 cloves9 ggarlic
- 3 stalks45 gscallions
- 1 tbsp16 gtomato paste
- 1 1/2 tbsp27 gfish sauce
- 1 tspsugar
- 1/2 cup120 gwater
- 1/4 tspsalt
- 1/2 tspblack pepper
- small handful5 gfresh cilantro (optional)
Steps
- 1
Wrap the tofu in a clean towel and press under a heavy pan for 10 minutes to remove excess water.
- 2
Cut the tofu into 2–3 cm cubes or thick rectangles.
- 3
Finely chop the shallots and garlic.
- 4
Slice the scallions, keeping the white and green parts separate.
- 5
Cut the tomatoes into small wedges.
- 6
Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat.
- 7
Add the tofu in a single layer and fry for about 8 minutes, turning, until golden on most sides.
- 8
Move the tofu to a plate, leaving any oil in the pan.
- 9
Lower the heat to medium and sauté the shallots, garlic and scallion whites for 2 minutes until fragrant.
- 10
Add the tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes, pressing them with a spoon until they soften and release their juices.
- 11
Stir in the tomato paste, fish sauce, sugar and water, then simmer for 2 minutes.
- 12
Return the tofu to the pan and gently spoon the sauce over it.
- 13
Simmer for 5 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly and the tofu is hot through.
- 14
Season with the salt and black pepper, tasting first since the fish sauce is already salty.
- 15
Scatter over the scallion greens and cilantro, if using, and serve.
Swaps, storage and make-ahead
Swaps
- For a vegan version, replace the fish sauce with soy sauce, choosing one labelled vegan.
- For a gluten-free version, check the fish sauce is labelled gluten-free, or use tamari labelled gluten-free (which also keeps it vegan).
- Use a 400 g can of chopped tomatoes instead of fresh tomatoes when good ripe ones are hard to find, simmering a few minutes longer to thicken.
- Swap the shallots for half a small red or yellow onion, finely chopped.
Storage
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container within 2 hours and eat within 3 to 4 days, reheating gently until steaming hot. Freezing is not recommended, as the tofu turns spongy and the sauce can go watery.
Make ahead
Press and cube the tofu and chop the shallots, garlic, scallions and tomatoes up to a day ahead, keeping them covered in the fridge. You can also make the tomato sauce a day ahead, then reheat it and add freshly fried tofu just before serving.
Nutrition values are for the recipe as written.
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Allergens and nutrition
Contains: SoyFish
Check the labels of packaged ingredients for allergens and suitability for your diet.
Full nutrition
| Per serving (344 g) | Per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 202 kcal | 59 kcal |
| Protein | 17.2 g | 5 g |
| Carbohydrates | 12 g | 3.5 g |
| of which sugars | 7.2 g | 2.1 g |
| Fiber | 3.9 g | 1.1 g |
| Fat | 11.7 g | 3.4 g |
| of which saturated | 2 g | 0.6 g |
| Sodium | 695 mg | 202 mg |
Nutrition is calculated from USDA FoodData Central data and may differ from what you cook.
