I love tofu topped with a sauce. It's such a versatile dish. You can make cold, silken tofu topped with a sauce. You can fry it up and eat it hot. You can play around with the flavors of your sauce depending on what country's cuisine you want to emulate. But one of my favorite tofu + sauce combos is this đậu hũ chiên sốt mắm hành, or fried tofu with fish sauce scallion oil.
In my household, this is one of those dishes that we would describe as hao cơm. There's no clean comparison, but you could say that the dish "consumes a lot of rice." Essentially, it's so addictive you'll need plenty of rice to soak up all the flavors!
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Ingredients
I like to use medium to firm tofu for this dish and fry it myself. This dish has very few ingredients, which means each ingredient's flavor will really shine. I find this dish tastes its freshest when I fry my own tofu.
You will need:
- cooking oil
- medium or firm tofu
- scallions
- fish sauce
- msg (optional)
- Thai chilis (optional)
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Step 1: Pat the tofu dry with a paper towel and cut it into approximately one and a half-inch pieces.
Step 2: Wash the scallions. Chop off and discard the root ends, and then finely chop the bunch. Transfer them to a small, heat-safe bowl. Chop your chilis if you're using them.
Step 3: Add enough oil to your pan to come about one-third of the way up the sides of the tofu pieces. Heat it on medium-high, and once it is shimmering, add your tofu in a single layer. Work in batches so you don't crowd the pan.
Step 4: Flip the tofu and fry on all sides until each side is golden brown and crispy — about five to seven minutes on each side.
Step 5: Transfer your fried tofu to a plate. Add the hot oil that you used to fry the tofu with to the bowl of scallions, a couple of tablespoons at a time. You want just enough oil to wilt the scallions. Add the fish sauce and (if using) msg and Thai chilis.
Step 6: Spoon the hot scallion oil over your fried tofu. Serve immediately with rice, or on its own as an appetizer.
Hint: Your tofu will shrink a little bit as it cooks. Don't cut your tofu chunks too small.
Substitutions
Use a vegan fish sauce to make this dish entirely vegetarian. I wouldn't recommend using soy sauce, as the flavor profiles are completely different.
Variations
This scallion oil tastes just as delicious on uncooked, cold tofu! Use a silken or soft tofu for the best texture.
Equipment
Make sure to use a heat-safe bowl when you pour the hot oil onto your scallions. Glass might shatter if it's not heat-safe, and metal may get too hot to handle with your bare hands.
Storage
This dish is best eaten immediately, so that the tofu stays crispy. Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to three days. I recommend adding the scallion oil only to the tofu you plan to eat immediately, then storing the sauce and the fried tofu separately. Reheat the tofu in your air fryer or convection oven, then add the sauce when you're ready to eat.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
This dish is a perfect building block for a Vietnamese family meal, also known as cơm nhà. These home-cooked, everyday meals usually consist of rice paired with a protein, a vegetable and a soup. That's the foundation, but you can always add more! Đậu hũ chiên sốt mắm hành would be a great protein option, or an extra side dish on top of your protein and vegetable. Check out some other recipes that you could make as part of your Vietnamese family meal:
Đậu Hũ Chiên Sốt Mắm Hành (Fried Tofu with Fish Sauce Scallion Oil)
Ingredients
- cooking oil
- 1 lb medium-firm or firm tofu
- 1 bunch scallions
- 2 tablespoon fish sauce
- 2 Thai chilis (optional)
- 1 pinch msg (optional)
Instructions
- Pat the tofu dry with a paper towel and cut it into approximately one and a half-inch pieces.
- Wash the scallions. Chop off and discard the root ends, and then finely chop the bunch. Transfer them to a small, heat-safe bowl. Chop your chilis if you're using them.
- Add enough oil to a pan to come about one-third of the way up the sides of the tofu pieces. Heat it on medium-high, and once it is shimmering, add your tofu in a single layer. Work in batches so you don't crowd the pan.
- Flip the tofu and fry on all sides until each side is golden brown and crispy — about five to seven minutes on each side.
- Transfer your fried tofu to a plate. Add the hot oil that you used to fry the tofu with to the bowl of scallions, a couple of tablespoons at a time. You want just enough oil to wilt the scallions. Add the fish sauce and (if using) msg and Thai chilis.
- Spoon the hot scallion oil over your fried tofu. Serve immediately with rice, or on it's own as an appetizer.
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