Fried Tofu with Green Onions (Đậu Rán Tẩm Hành)
There are a handful of dishes that remind me immediately of my mom, and this is one of them. I remember her making humble tofu dishes often on weeknights. This was one of my favorites because of the crispy on the outside, soft on the inside texture of fried tofu. But the best part was the liberal amounts of green onions and fish sauce. My mom told me when she was pregnant with me, she used to want to drink fish sauce straight from the bottle. That explains a lot about my penchant for pungent things 😏
Cooking Method
Stovetop
Time
🕒
Recipe
Ingredients (3-4 Servings)
1 BLOCK OF MEDIUM FIRM/FIRM TOFU
1/4 CUP FISH SAUCE
1/4 CUP WATER
1 BUNCH GREEN ONION*, CHOPPED
PINCH OF SALT
VEGETABLE OIL
*I tripled the amount that would typically be used so feel free to adjust to your liking!
Instructions
Wrap the tofu in paper towel and set a heavy pan over it to absorb liquid for 5-10 minutes. Cut in 12 even squares.
Fill a large pan with a liberal amount of oil (at least 1/2 inch from the bottom). Heat until ready to fry. Add tofu in one layer and fry and flip until each side side golden. Remove and drain on a plate with paper towels.
Take 6 tablespoons of oil from the pan and add to a small pot, add in green onions and a pinch of salt. Cook and stir for about 30 seconds until softened. Add to a bowl along with fish sauce and water.
Dip each piece of tofu in the mixture and plate. Top with any remaining onions.
Serve with white rice.