Spring Onion Tofu (Dau Phu Tam Hanh) is a simple but delicious dish from Vietnam, especially in the North. Each piece of tofu, after being fried until crispy and still hot, is dipped in a spring onion fish sauce. Spring Onion Tofu tastes best when it’s still warm, with the tofu crispy outside but soft and tasty inside. Let’s make it with just several simple steps and basic ingredients: tofu, spring onion and fish sauce. For ones who can’t consume fish sauce due to its smell or taste, I suggest substituting vegan fish sauce or soy sauce for fish sauce, it tastes great as well.
What is Tofu?
Tofu is a food made from soybeans, which are small, round beans. Originating in China, tofu has been made and consumed for over 2,000 years. From China, tofu spread to other parts of East Asia, such as Japan and Korea, where it became an essential part of their cuisines. Over time, tofu’s popularity grew beyond East Asia, and it eventually made its way to other parts of the world, including Europe and North America. Today, tofu is enjoyed by people from various cultures and is used in a wide range of dishes, both traditional and modern.
To make tofu, soybeans are first soaked in water and then crushed to make a liquid. This liquid is heated and mixed with a natural substance called a coagulant, which makes the liquid thicken and turn into solid blocks. Tofu comes in different textures, like soft, firm, and extra firm, and it doesn’t have a strong taste on its own, so it can take on the flavors of the foods it’s cooked with. People often use tofu as a meat substitute in vegetarian and vegan dishes because it’s a good source of protein. It’s also a versatile ingredient in many types of cooking. My favorite dishes from tofu are many, from simple fried tofu to lemongrass fried tofu or tomato tofu egg drop soup.
Ingredients
To make Spring Onion Tofu, of course you’ll need to prepare tofu, spring onions, and a very Vietnamese sauce, fish sauce. Spring onions have a very distinctive aroma which will be the key hook of this dish. Opt for uncrushed and vibrant green onions as these signals show that they are still fresh and currently harvested. For tofu, you’ll cut it into cubes/slices to fry, so choose firm tofu without any crack. Remember to check the date on the tofu box as well. For fish sauce, the protein content and salinity may differ from brands to brands, but don’t worry, it doesn’t affect much on the final taste as you can easily adjust it.
In case you can’t eat fish sauce or need to follow a diet (e.g. vegan diet), use soy sauce or vegan fish sauce instead. It’s very interesting too. Vegan fish sauce is typically made without any animal products and is designed to replicate the umami and salty qualities of traditional fish sauce. The ingredients of vegan fish sauce include soy sauce, seaweed, mushrooms, and other plant-based seasonings. Some versions may also incorporate ingredients like miso paste, salt, and other flavorings to mimic the complexity of fish sauce.
Instruction
Step 1. Preparation
Before cooking, do prepare your ingredients. Cut a block of tofu into 1.5-2 inches cubes or 1-inch-thick slices. Cut it carefully not to break any piece.
Gently wash spring onions and chop them into small pieces. Set them aside.
Step 2. Frying tofu and make spring onion sauce
In a pan, add 3 tbsp of oil and turn on medium heat. Wait until the oil starts to boil and add tofu slices to the pan. A small tip to fry without splashing oil is adding a pinch of salt or corn flour/all-purpose flour into the oil. Fry until it turns yellow (usually after 8-10 minutes), and flip to the other sides so that all the sides become attractively yellow. If possible, you can deep-fry tofu. You’ll save time and effort to flip them, but it’ll also consume much more oil.
While waiting for the tofu slices/cubes to be fried evenly, make spring onion sauce. In a medium-sized bowl, mix water, fish sauce/ vegan fish sauce/ soy sauce and sugar together until well combined. Then, add handful of chopped spring onion and let it rest for a while.
Step 3. Dipping fried tofu to spring onion sauce
Once your tofu slices/cubes are ready, dip them into the spring onion sauce you have prepared. Dip them in 30 second minutes to let the fried tofu pieces absorb the sauce then quickly remove not to make the yellow fried skin lost its crispiness.
Finally, to serve it, set tofu on a dish and garnish the rest spring onion in the sauce on top. Garnish with some chili pieces. It’s the best when serving warm with steamed rice and vegetables.
Storing Spring Onion Tofu (Dau Phu Tam Hanh)
As we better serve this dish warm, try to eat them all right after cooking. However, in case you have to save them for next meals, let’s separate fried tofu and spring onion sauce. That’s mean you should only dip tofu pieces you are going to eat right away, and with the rest, store separately. Preserve fried tofu in fridge in an air-tight container and spring onion sauce in another box.
To reheat, quickly fry the tofu pieces again in 4-5 minutes, beware of burning them. Once they become hot and crispy again, dip them into the sauce and enjoy.
Besides, don’t store fried tofu in fridge for more than 2 days as it’ll have an oily smell and begin to deteriorate.
Spring Onion Tofu (Vietnamese Dau Phu Tam Hanh)
Spring Onion Tofu tastes best when it's still warm, with the tofu crispy outside but soft and tasty inside. Let's make it with just several simple steps and basic ingredients: tofu, spring onion and fish sauce.
Ingredients
- 500g (~18 oz) tofu
- 3/4 cup of water
- 6 tbsp of fish sauce/ vegan fish sauce/ soy sauce
- 2 tbsp of sugar
- A handful of chopped spring onion
Instructions
Step 1. Preparation
- Before cooking, do prepare your ingredients. Cut a block of tofu into 1.5-2 inches cubes or 1-inch-thick slices. Cut it carefully not to break any piece.
- Gently wash spring onions and chop them into small pieces. Set them aside.
Step 2. Frying tofu and make spring onion sauce
- In a pan, add 3 tbsp of oil and turn on medium heat. Wait until the oil starts to boil and add tofu slices to the pan. A small tip to fry without splashing oil is adding a pinch of salt or corn flour/all-purpose flour into the oil. Fry until it turns yellow (usually after 8-10 minutes), and flip to the other sides so that all the sides become attractively yellow. If possible, you can deep-fry tofu. You’ll save time and effort to flip them, but it’ll also consume much more oil.
- While waiting for the tofu slices/cubes to be fried evenly, make spring onion sauce. In a medium-sized bowl, mix water, fish sauce/ vegan fish sauce/ soy sauce and sugar together until well combined. Then, add handful of chopped spring onion and let it rest for a while.
Step 3. Dipping fried tofu to spring onion sauce
- Once your tofu slices/cubes are ready, dip them into the spring onion sauce you have prepared. Dip them in 30 second minutes to let the fried tofu pieces absorb the sauce then quickly remove not to make the yellow fried skin lost its crispiness.
- Finally, to serve it, set tofu on a dish and garnish the rest spring onion in the sauce on top. Garnish with some chili pieces. It’s the best when serving warm with steamed rice and vegetables.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 2 Serving Size: 250gAmount Per Serving: Calories: 220
