Vegan Vietnamese Fried Tofu with Tomatoes (Đậu hũ sốt cà)

Here in California, tomatoes are in season. I tend to buy them in bulk and when they become dangerously ripe, I try to make as many tomato based meals as possible.

 One of those meals is Vietnamese fried tofu with tomatoes. This is a dish that I grew up eating so I have many positive memories associated with it. Of course, this is usually made with fish sauce (the base of all Vietnamese cooking) but I’m going to show you how we can veganize this dish. Fish sauce is added in Vietnamese cooking for its salty, savory, and umami flavor. We will use soy sauce and mushroom seasoning as our vegan substitution for fish sauce. 

The tofu is typically deep fried but instead, we are going to go with the shallow fry method simply to avoid submerging our tofu in oil. Of course, if you want to avoid oil altogether, you can bake it in the oven for 30 minutes at 400 degree fahrenheit making sure to flip it halfway. 

This is a great meal to make in bulk and as a meal prep. Although, I’ll usually make it and it’s gone the next day. I need to be better at saving my food. ?  If you made this recipe, be sure to tag me on instagram @tifflovestofu or let me know in the comments below. I’d love to see or hear how it turned out for you. 

Mushroom Seasoning: Buy here

 

Prep Time

20 min

cooking time

20 min

Servings

3-4

total time

40 min

Difficulty

Easy

Ingredients

1
1 block firm tofu (drained and pressed for at least 20 minutes)
2
5 tbsp vegetable oil
3
5 cloves of garlic
4
3 shallot bulbs
5
3 tomatoes
6
1 tbsp black pepper
7
1 tbsp sugar
8
2 tbsp tomato paste
9
1 tbsp soy sauce
10
2 tbsp mushroom seasoning
11
1 scallion

Cooking Instructions

1
Step 1
Start with draining and pressing your tofu with a heavy object for at least 20 minutes. You can even begin this process a couple hours in advance.
2
Step 2
After the tofu has been dried out (there shouldn’t be any liquid remaining), we can cut our tofu. Start by cutting through the center of the tofu lengthwise creating two blocks. Grab one block and cut it in half crosswise, repeat with the other block. After, you should have 4 blocks in total. We are now going to creat 3 triangles using one of the blocks. You can do this by cutting the block diagonally using the bottom right corner as a starting point. Repeat this step by cutting the block diagonally from the bottom left corner.
3
Step 3
On medium heat, cover a non-stick frying pan with about 5 tbsp of vegetable oil and let the oil heat up for a few minutes before adding in your tofu. Shallow fry the tofu for 5 minutes on each side for a total of 10 minutes.
4
Step 4
Meanwhile, let’s slice the garlic, dice the shallots, and cut the tomatoes into wedges.
5
Step 5
You’ll know when your tofu has been properly fried once it develops golden brown color. Plate the tofu and set on the side. Drain any excess oil in a bowl and let it cool down before dumpling the oil (or reuse the oil for another dish).
6
Step 6
With 1 tbsp of the leftover oil on medium heat, begin sauteing the shallots and garlic. After 1-2 minutes, add the tomato wedges and give it a stir. Then add, the black pepper, sugar, tomato paste, soy sauce and mushroom seasoning. Let it saute for about 3-4 minutes before adding in your tofu.
7
Step 7
Once you’ve added your tofu, give it a final stir. Top with green onions and serve with rice as always. 🙂
8
Step 8
Enjoy!
9
Step 9
Notes: For any leftovers, store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
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ABOUT AUTHOR
Hi, I'm Tiff!

Tiff Loves Tofu is a blog all about simple and delicious plant-based recipes, largely influenced by my culture and life experiences. I hope to show people that cooking wholesome, vibrant plant-based meals is not only easy but it is loads of fun. So, let’s get cooking!

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