Vietnamese Fried Tofu with Tomato Sauce (Đậu Sốt Cà Chua)

Vietnamese Fried Tofu with Tomato Sauce (Đậu Sốt Cà Chua) © kvalifood.com

Đậu sốt cà chua is a classic everyday Vietnamese dish - fried tofu braised in a simple tomato and onion sauce. It is eaten with rice and is one of the most common dishes in home cooking across Vietnam. The sauce is kept simple: tomatoes, onion, fish sauce.

Ingredients

Serves 4

  • 500 g firm tofu, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 200 g fresh tomatoes, sliced
  • 1 purple onion, finely chopped
  • 50 g spring onion, finely chopped
  • 50 g coriander, roughly chopped
  • 50 g saw-tooth herb (culantro), finely chopped, optional
  • 2 tbsp fish sauce (or soy sauce for vegan)
  • 2 tbsp oyster sauce, optional
  • 3 tbsp neutral cooking oil

Directions

Fry the tofu

  1. Heat a pan over medium heat with 2 tbsp oil. Add the tofu pieces and fry, turning, until both sides are golden. The tofu should be slightly overcooked rather than underdone. Set aside on a plate.

Make the sauce

  1. In the same pan, heat the remaining oil over medium-high heat. Add the purple onion and fry until soft and starting to colour, about 2-3 minutes.
  2. Add the tomatoes, fish sauce, and oyster sauce. Stir and fry together. Reduce the heat and use a spoon to break down the tomatoes a little. Stir together until the sauce thickens slightly, about 3 minutes.

Finish and serve

  1. Add the fried tofu to the pan. Spoon the tomato sauce over the top. Keep on low heat for a few minutes so the sauce soaks into the tofu.
  2. Add the spring onion, coriander, and saw-tooth herb. Stir quickly for 10 seconds.
  3. Serve immediately with steamed rice.

Notes

  • For a vegan version: use soy sauce instead of fish sauce and omit oyster sauce.
  • The tofu should be fried until quite golden - it holds together better in the sauce and has a better texture.
  • Ripe, flavourful tomatoes make a noticeable difference to this dish.