Crispy pieces of extra firm tofu stir-fried with an aromatic blend of minced lemongrass, shallots, chiles, and bell peppers. This Lemongrass Tofu requires a few key ingredients and is easy to put together! Enjoy yours with rice or even noodles! This is inspired by both Vietnamese and Chinese flavours.
WHAT IS LEMONGRASS?
Lemongrass, also known as tanglad in Filipino, is distinct for its citrusy aroma and flavour. Though despite its name, it’s actually not sour! It’s commonly used in Filipino cuisine and in other Southeast Asian cuisines. The tall leaves are inedible and are actually quite sharp, and it’s the bottom 4-5 inches from the top of the roots that are the most aromatic.
The outer shell of the lemongrass is actually very tough so you’ll need to peel them off to be able to reach the inner flesh that is much more tender and will be easier to slice and mince. The shells of the bottom parts can be kept and used for teas and in soups.
I have a Tom Yum Soup recipe where I use lemongrass as well and crush the bottom parts with a mallet to release the aroma. The lemongrass stalks in soups are not edible and are used for flavour, and they can be removed after they’ve simmered in the broth and have released the flavour.
PREPARE YOUR LEMONGRASS
You can check out the video to see how I prepare my lemongrass!
- If you’re using fresh lemongrass that haven’t had the tough outer layers removed, be sure to chop off the bottom root ends and then carefully peel the lemongrass. You should reach a more tender centre that you can easily slice through and mince.
- I usually only use the bottom 3-5 inches of the lemongrass and chop these up/mince them. They’ll be nice and crunchy when chopping but you should be able to easily mince them with a sharp knife.
- If you’re using frozen lemongrass, be sure to completely thaw it.
INGREDIENTS YOU’LL NEED
- short stalks lemon grass makes 3 tbsp finely minced
- small Asian shallot diced
- long green chiles or chiles of choice, optional for heat
- red bell pepper, diced
EXTRA FIRM TOFU
PREPARE THE TOFU
- Press your tofu. I like to wrap mine in a kitchen towel and pace a heavy weighted surface on top (such as a board) and leave it to release excess liquid. Afterwards, slice into cubes or other shape of your choice.
- Heat a large non-stick pan and add some oil. Pan-fry the tofu over medium to medium high heat on each side until golden brown and crisp throughout. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Note: You can ask deep fry, bake, or even air-fry your tofu. If baking or air-frying I recommend to spray or brush some oil.
HOW TO COOK THIS LEMONGRASS TOFU
- Heat a large wok or pan (you can use the same pan from the pan-fried tofu) over medium high heat.
- Once hot, add a generous amount of oil.
- Add in the shallots, chiles, and bell pepper. Stir-fry for 1-2 minutes until the shallot is translucent.
- Add in the lemongrass and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes or until tender and aromatic.
- Add in the sugar and soy sauce. Mix well and lower the heat to medium. This is to avoid the sugar quickly burning.
- Add in the pan-fried tofu and season with soy sauce. Turn up the heat and mix well with the aromatics. You can add 1-2 tbsp water to deglaze the pan.
- Turn off the heat. Serve and enjoy while hot.
Top with more sliced chiles, if desired. This is best enjoyed with rice.
You can also check out my other vegan tofu recipes here or down below:
Check out my tips on how to store tofu!
- Kung Pao Tofu
- Crispy Salt and Pepper Tofu
- Black Pepper Tofu Steaks
- Tofu “Chicken” Teriyaki
- Korean Spicy Braised Tofu
- Fried ‘Chicken’ and Gravy
- Tofu Katsu
- Nori-Wrapped Tofu in Spicy Sauce
- Tofu ‘McNuggets’
Lemongrass Tofu
Ingredients
Lemongrass Tofu
- 1 lb extra firm tofu
- Neutral oil for cooking
- 4 short stalks lemon grass makes 3 tbsp finely minced
- 1 small Asian shallot diced
- 1-2 long green chiles or chiles of choice optional for heat
- 1/2 red bell pepper diced
- 2 tsp sugar
- 2 tsp dark soy sauce see notes
- 2 tbsp soy sauce adjust to taste
- 1-2 tbsp water to deglaze the pan
For Serving
- Sliced chiles optional for topping
- Rice for serving
Instructions
Tofu
- Press your tofu. I like to wrap mine in a kitchen towel and pace a heavy weighted surface on top (such as a board) and leave it to release excess liquid. Afterwards, slice into cubes or other shape of your choice.
- Heat a large non-stick pan and add some oil. Pan-fry the tofu over medium to medium high heat on each side until golden brown and crisp throughout. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Note: You can ask deep fry, bake, or even air-fry your tofu. If baking or air-frying I recommend to spray or brush some oil.
Lemongrass
- If you’re using fresh lemongrass that haven’t had the tough outer layers removed, be sure to chop off the bottom root ends and then carefully peel the lemongrass. You should reach a more tender centre that you can easily slice through and mince.
- I usually only use the bottom 3-5 inches of the lemongrass and chop these up/mince them. They’ll be nice and crunchy when chopping but you should be able to easily mince them with a sharp knife.
- If you’re using frozen lemongrass, be sure to completely thaw it.
Cooking the Lemongrass Tofu
- Heat a large wok or pan (you can use the same pan from the pan-fried tofu) over medium high heat.
- Once hot, add a generous amount of oil.
- Add in the shallots, chiles, and bell pepper. Stir-fry for 1-2 minutes until the shallot is translucent.
- Add in the lemongrass and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes or until tender and aromatic.
- Add in the sugar and soy sauce. Mix well and lower the heat to medium. This is to avoid the sugar quickly burning.
- Add in the pan-fried tofu and season with soy sauce. Turn up the heat and mix well with the aromatics. You can add 1-2 tbsp water to deglaze the pan.
- Turn off the heat. Serve and enjoy while hot. Top with more sliced chiles, if desired. This is best enjoyed with rice.
This Post Has 5 Comments
By far the best tofu I have tried so far. Quick and easy too!
Thanks Michele!
Thanks for sharing this recipe! I was wondering if you’ve ever used lemongrass paste before, and if that could be an ok alternative here to the sliced lemongrass.
P.S. I made your easy braised tofu dish tonight for dinner and it was really good! <3
Hi Malisa! I haven’t tried using lemongrass paste but I know it works like fresh lemongrass too, except that it’s in paste form. It might just not have the same texture as minced fresh lemongrass but flavour wise should be the same, or similar ◡̈ and thank you!!
This was super tasty! I did add a bit more sugar and soy sauce at the end to make the sauce sweeter. I also feel that I didn’t get enough lemongrass flavor so might have to increase the amount of lemongrass next time.