Vietnamese Tomato Braised Tofu (Đậu Hũ Sốt Cà Chua)
What is Đậu Hũ Sốt Cà Chua?
Đậu hũ sốt cà chua is a Vietnamese home-cooking staple: golden fried tofu simmered in a quick tomato sauce seasoned with fish sauce, a little sugar and chicken powder. The tofu soaks up the savory-sweet sauce while it simmers, and the whole thing comes together in about 25 minutes.
It's one of those everyday dishes on the family table. Serve it with steamed rice, sliced cucumbers and a simple canh for a complete Vietnamese meal.
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Vietnamese Tomato Braised Tofu (Đậu Hũ Sốt Cà Chua)
Crispy fried tofu simmered in a savory, slightly sweet tomato and fish sauce sauce. A quick weeknight dish made for a bowl of steamed rice.
Ingredients
- 1 block firm tofu 14 oz, cut into 12 pieces
- 3 large Roma tomatoes diced
- 2 green onions white and green parts separated, sliced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 shallot minced
- cilantro for garnish
- black pepper freshly cracked, to finish
- oil for shallow-frying (about ½ inch in the pan)
Sauce
- 3 tablespoon oil for sautéing
- 2 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ½ tablespoon chicken powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ teaspoon MSG
- ½ cup water
Instructions
- Fry the tofu: Add enough oil to cover the bottom of a pan by about ½ inch. Shallow-fry the tofu pieces for 5 minutes per side, or until golden. Remove and cool on a rack. Discard the oil.
- Sauté the aromatics: Heat 3 tablespoon oil over high heat. Add the white part of the green onion, garlic and shallot. Sauté for 15 seconds, or until fragrant.
- Add the tomatoes: Stir in the diced tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes, until softened.
- Make the sauce: Add the fish sauce, sugar, MSG, chicken powder, salt and ½ cup water. Stir well to combine.
- Simmer with the tofu: Add the fried tofu and lower the heat to medium-low. Simmer for 10 minutes so the tofu soaks up the sauce.
- Finish and garnish: Taste and adjust seasoning. Garnish with the green onion tops and cilantro, and crack fresh black pepper on top.
Notes
Serving suggestion: Serve hot with steamed rice, fresh cucumber slices and a simple vegetable soup (canh) on the side.
