Exciting Tofu-based Vegetarian Delights You Should Know

• 1 piece of tofu
• 1/2 bell pepper (green/yellow/red)
• 3 fresh shiitake mushrooms (or dried)
• 1 onion
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
• 4 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 4 tablespoons corn syrup (or white sugar)
• 1 teaspoon salt

• Prepare the ingredients:
  • Soak the shiitake mushrooms in warm water for 1 - 2 minutes to remove dirt and debris. Then remove and rinse them under running water.
  • Remove the stems of the shiitake mushrooms and slice them thinly.
  • Rinse the bell pepper thoroughly, remove the seeds, and cut into small strips. Peel the onion and cut it into equivalent-sized pieces as the bell pepper.
• Prepare and fry the tofu:
  • Rinse the tofu under water and let it drain thoroughly. Then cut it into thick slices about half the length of your finger.
  • Heat a pan and add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, heat. When the oil is hot, fry the tofu for 5 - 7 minutes over medium heat until it is golden and crispy, then remove and drain.
  • After frying, cut the tofu into long strips equivalent to the vegetables.
• Stir-fry tofu with vegetables:
  • In the same pan used to fry the tofu, heat the pan and add the vegetables and mushrooms, stir-fry for 3 - 5 minutes over high heat, add 1 teaspoon of salt, and stir until the onion begins to change color and the bell pepper softens. Then add the tofu and stir well.
  • Add 4 teaspoons of soy sauce and 4 tablespoons of corn syrup, stir well. Stir-fry for about 2 - 3 minutes until all the ingredients absorb the seasoning and then turn off the heat. Add 1 tablespoon of sesame oil and 1 teaspoon of sesame seeds, stir well, taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary, then serve on a plate.

Ingredients:

• 3 pieces of tofu mold
• 1 chicken thigh mushroom
• 10g fresh shiitake mushrooms
• 10g straw mushrooms
• 2 sticks of lemongrass
• 3 tablespoons vegetarian fish sauce
• 2 teaspoons vegetarian bouillon powder
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons tomato ketchup

Instructions:

• Prepare ingredients:
  • Cut tofu mold into square pieces about 5cm. Then, boil the tofu in boiling water with a little salt and then remove and drain.
  • Clean chicken thigh mushrooms and finely chop.
  • Clean lemongrass, finely chop.
• Sauté tofu:
  • Heat a pan with 2 tablespoons of cooking oil, sauté lemongrass until fragrant then add chopped mushrooms and stir well.
  • Next, season with 3 tablespoons of vegetarian fish sauce, 2 teaspoons of vegetarian bouillon powder, 2 teaspoons of sugar, 3 tablespoons of tomato ketchup, and stir well.
  • Then, add the sliced tofu to the pan and gently stir until the tofu absorbs the sauce evenly. Finally, just sprinkle about 3 teaspoons of ground black pepper on the surface of the tofu and it's done.

Ingredients:

• 20g ripe tamarind
• 1 stalk of taro stem
• 1/4 ripe pineapple
• 2 tomatoes
• 20g bean sprouts
• 5 stalks of rice paddy herb
• 5 corns
• 1 can of young tofu
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon MSG
• Soy sauce

Instructions:

• Prepare ingredients:
  • Peel the taro stem. Wash all vegetables thoroughly. Slice the corn diagonally.
  • Cut taro stem and pineapple diagonally into bite-sized pieces. Cut tomatoes into wedges. Cut rice paddy herb into 2cm pieces. Cut young tofu into cubes.
• Cooking the soup:
  • Heat a pan, add ripe tamarind and a few seeds of pineapple (depending on preference for sourness), add some filtered water and bring to a boil.
  • Cook until the tamarind softens, use a spoon to press the tamarind in the pan to extract all the sourness. Strain the tamarind mixture, discard the seeds, and retain the sour tamarind broth.
  • In another pot, add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil. When the oil is hot, add tomatoes and taro stem to sauté briefly. Season with 1 tablespoon of sugar, 1 teaspoon of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of MSG. Stir well.
  • Then add 2 bowls of water to the pot, cover with a lid and wait for the water to boil. Once boiling, add the sour tamarind mixture.
  • Finally, add all the corn, taro stem, and young tofu into the pot. Remove from heat, add bean sprouts, and it's done.

Ingredients:

• 500g straw mushrooms
• 4 pieces of tofu
• 10g seasoning (MSG/soy sauce/sugar/pepper)
• 40g spring onions
• 3 chili peppers

Instructions:

• Prepare ingredients:
  • Cut straw mushrooms in half, then soak them in diluted saltwater for 5 minutes.
  • Cut tofu into 4 pieces. You can also cut them smaller depending on your preference, but not too small as they will break when sautéed.
  • Wash spring onions thoroughly, finely chop the stems and heads of the onions separately.
• Marinate and sauté mushrooms:
  • Marinate mushrooms with 1/2 tablespoon sugar, 1 teaspoon MSG, 1 teaspoon pepper, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1/2 tablespoon cooking oil, and 1 teaspoon finely chopped spring onion stems.
  • Mix well and marinate for 10 minutes to allow mushrooms to absorb the seasoning.
  • Heat 2 tablespoons of cooking oil in a pan, add the chopped onion heads and sauté until fragrant, then add the straw mushrooms and sauté over high heat until the mushrooms are firm.
• Braise mushrooms and tofu:
  • Add tofu to the pan and stir to coat with the seasoning. Add 200ml water, 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon sugar, stir well and simmer for a few minutes until the ingredients are cooked and the sauce thickens slightly, then turn off the heat.
  • Finally, add the chopped spring onion stems and chili peppers to finish.

Ingredients:

• 70g white tofu
• 1/2 carrot
• 6 stalks of chives
• 1 seaweed sheet
• 1 teaspoon vegetarian seasoning
• 100g crispy frying flour
• 100g tempura flour
• 50ml cooking oil

Instructions:

• Prepare the ingredients:
  • Cut white tofu into long rectangular strips about 1 finger thick.
  • Rinse chives thoroughly, cut into pieces similar in size to tofu strips.
  • Similarly with the carrot, peel and cut into thin strips.
• Marinate tofu:
  • To marinate tofu, add about 1 teaspoon of vegetarian seasoning to the tofu bowl, mix gently and marinate for 10 minutes to allow tofu to absorb the seasoning.
• Assemble:
  • Fold the seaweed sheet in half, then divide it into three equal parts. Then cut each part in half again.
  • Place seaweed sheets on the cutting board, then layer carrot, chives, and a strip of tofu on top of the seaweed sheet.
  • Finally, roll the seaweed sheet slowly, brush a little water on the edge of the seaweed sheet to secure the roll better. Repeat this process until all ingredients are used up.
  • Thinly slice the chives, then use scissors to cut diagonally to create small decorative triangles to garnish the dish.
• Coat and fry:
  • Mix about 100g of crispy frying flour with water at a ratio of 1:2 to make the batter slightly thin.
  • Next, roll the seaweed rolls in crispy frying flour first, coat evenly for an even batter. Then roll again in tempura flour.
  • Continue to roll each strip through crispy frying flour, then tempura flour until finished.
  • Heat a pan, add enough cooking oil to submerge the rolls, heat the pan over medium heat. Once the oil in the pan starts to bubble, add the battered rolls to fry, flip evenly until golden brown, then remove and drain excess oil.

Ingredients:

• 100g young tofu
• 10g dried seaweed
• 1 carrot
• 1 liter filtered water
• Vegetarian seasoning
• Fresh ginger
• Cilantro
• Sesame oil, ground pepper

Instructions:

• Prepare the ingredients:
  • Firstly, rinse the dried seaweed thoroughly, then soak it in a bowl for about 15 – 20 minutes. The seaweed will expand, but be careful not to soak it for too long to avoid it becoming mushy. After soaking, drain the seaweed.
  • Take the young tofu out of the box, handle it gently to avoid breaking. Use a knife to cut the tofu into small square pieces.
  • Peel and wash the carrot, then trim it into flower shapes for visual appeal and slice into bite-sized pieces.
  • Wash the fresh ginger thoroughly, remove any dirt, peel, and lightly crush. Squeeze out the juice and set aside the ginger pieces.
  • Cut the cilantro into small pieces. When the seaweed is drained, place it in a bowl, season with ½ tablespoon of vegetarian seasoning, a little sesame oil, and ginger juice to remove any fishy smell. Mix well with chopsticks and marinate for about 10 minutes to absorb the seasoning.
• Cooking the soup:
  • Add enough water to a pot and place it on the stove.
  • Add the sliced carrots to the pot, when the water starts to boil, add the diced tofu. Season with seasoning, making it slightly light as the seaweed has been marinated. Once the water is boiling, add the seaweed, a few pieces of crushed ginger. After about 5 minutes, add the cilantro and turn off the heat.

Ingredients:

• 300g tofu sticks
• 100g vegetarian ham
• 20g dried mushrooms
• 30g mung bean vermicelli
• 250ml coconut milk
• 50g peanuts
• 1 branch lemongrass
• 2 cloves lemongrass
• 1 chili pepper
• A bit of rice paddy herb
• A bit of sawtooth coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 3 teaspoons vegetarian seasoning
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon MSG
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Instructions:

• Prepare the ingredients:
  • Soak the dried mushrooms in cold water for about 3 hours, then remove and rinse with water several times, drain, remove the mushroom stems, and cut into bite-sized pieces.
  • Cut the vegetarian ham into small square pieces. Remove the seeds from the chili pepper and cut into pieces.
  • Crush the lemongrass, cut into 3-inch pieces. Cut the lemongrass leaves into thin slices.
  • Wash the rice paddy herb and sawtooth coriander, then chop finely. Cut the mung bean vermicelli into 2-inch pieces.
• Marinate the tofu:
  • Take the pre-fried tofu sticks from the market and place them in a bowl. Add 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon curry powder, 2 teaspoons vegetarian seasoning, mix well, marinate for 20 minutes.
• Stir-fry the tofu:
  • Heat a pan with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. When the oil is hot, add the chopped lemongrass and crushed lemongrass, sauté until fragrant.
  • Add the marinated tofu and stir-fry for 3 minutes. Then add coconut milk, 1/2 teaspoon MSG, 1 teaspoon vegetarian seasoning, 2 teaspoons sugar, stir-fry for about 5 minutes.
  • Add the dried mushrooms, vegetarian ham, mung bean vermicelli, chili peppers, stir well.
  • Then just add the rice paddy herb and sawtooth coriander, mix well, season to taste, turn off the heat, sprinkle peanuts on top, and it's done.

Ingredients:

• 2 pieces of tofu
• 200g taro
• 1 tablespoon Boaro onion
• 50g chives
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon chili sauce
• 6 tablespoons water

Instructions:

Fry tofu:

• After washing the white tofu with water, cut it into thin slices about 0.5 cm thick.
• Then, fry with medium heat until the tofu is cooked and lightly golden.
• Finally, soak the tofu in a bowl of water to soften.

Fry taro:

• First, peel and wash the taro, then cut it into medium-length sticks about 3 finger-lengths.
• Similar to tofu, fry 200g of taro until cooked.

When enjoying, you will feel the crispy texture of fried taro along with the rich flavor of tofu. Adding a bit of chives will enhance the taste, perfect for eating with white rice.

Tofu rolls with taro:

• Place a piece of fried tofu on a clean cutting board or large plate, add one fried taro stick, and roll it up.
• Then, use a chive stem to tie it. Repeat the process with the remaining tofu and taro.

Rim:

• Heat a pan, sauté 1 tablespoon of Boaro onion with 1 tablespoon of cooking oil.
• Next, add the sauce with the following formula: 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 tablespoon chili sauce, 6 tablespoons water.
• Once the sauce is boiling, place the rolled tofu in the pan, simmer over low heat for 10 minutes.

Finished product:

• Taro-wrapped tofu rolls with rim have an incredibly attractive and eye-catching color.

9. Braised Tofu in Bean Sauce

Ingredients:

• Fried tofu
• Green peas or edamame
• Whole bean sauce
• Soy sauce, sugar
• Scallions, pepper

Instructions:

• Clean the tofu and cut it into bite-sized squares, and cut the peas into bite-sized pieces. For the bean sauce, choose a delicious type with a characteristic dark red color.
• First, heat a pan, add minced garlic and sauté until fragrant. Then add the tofu and stir-fry, followed by adding the peas and whole bean sauce. Gently stir to avoid breaking the tofu. Then, add a little water and sugar to simmer until the flavors blend, season to taste, add scallions, then turn off the heat. Your dish is ready to be served.

10. Fried Tofu with Lemongrass and Chili

Ingredients:

• White tofu 400g (about 4 - 5 pieces)
• Lemongrass 7 stalks
• Fresh chili 10 pieces
• Vegetable oil 130ml

Instructions:

Prepare the ingredients:

• Rinse the tofu once with clean water and drain. Then, use a knife to cut the tofu into bite-sized pieces.
• Trim off the root and old leaves of the lemongrass, wash them thoroughly, and finely chop them. Remove the stems of the chili, wash them clean, and finely chop them.

Fry the tofu:

• Heat a pan over medium heat, add 100ml of vegetable oil. When the oil is hot, reduce the heat to low and add the tofu for frying.
• About every 3 minutes, when one side of the tofu is golden and crispy, use chopsticks to flip it to fry the other side. Fry for about 15 minutes until the tofu is golden and crispy evenly, then turn off the heat, remove the tofu, and drain excess oil.

Saute the lemongrass and chili:

• Heat the pan again over medium heat, add 30ml of vegetable oil used for frying the tofu, and turn on the heat to medium.
• When the oil is hot, add all the finely chopped lemongrass and chili and sauté until fragrant over low heat. When the lemongrass and chili are fragrant, remove them and drain excess oil.

Finished product:

• Arrange the fried tofu on a plate, sprinkle the sautéed lemongrass and chili on top, and it's ready to serve.
• The tofu is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The aromatic and spicy lemongrass and chili complement each tofu piece perfectly, making it very appetizing.