Lemongrass Tofu In Coconut Curry Sauce

🧂 Ingredients

• 1 lb firm tofu

  about 400 grams / 1 packet, cut into triangle pieces (can also be rectangles) about 0.5-1 cm thickness
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon white pepper

  black is also okay but white is best suited for an Asian flavour profile
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• ¼-⅓ cup cornstarch

  or tapioca starch for coating
• 4 tablespoons olive oil,

  avocado oil or coconut oil for frying
• 1.5 tablespoons olive oil

  or coconut oil
• 2 green onions

  with white parts finely chopped for the sauce, and the green parts diced and saved for garnish
• 1 stalk lemongrass

  finely chopped (don’t use the hard ends of the lemongrass)
• 3 cloves garlic

  finely chopped
• 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger

  grated or chopped
• ½ teaspoon chili flakes

  or powder
• 2 teaspoons turmeric powder
• 2 teaspoons mild curry powder
• 1 can coconut milk

  don’t shake the can, open it and use the thickened white cream of the milk only, reserve the rest of the liquid to add a little if the sauce needs thinning out
• 1 teaspoon sugar

  or honey
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon lime juice

Instructions

• 1 Cut the tofu into a triangle or rectangular strips, about 0.5-1cm thick, and
  place on a board, tray or plate in one layer. Use some kitchen roll/paper to
  press down the tofu to absorb some of the excess moisture.
• 2 Sprinkle the tofu with garlic powder and pepper. Drizzle with about 3
  tablespoons of soy sauce. Set aside.
• 3 Prepare the curry sauce. In a skillet, heat the 1.5 tablespoons of oil over
  medium-high heat. Add the chopped green onions (the white part), lemongrass and
  ginger (but not the garlic yet). Stir-fry for 1-2 minutes, until they get
  aromatic. Then add the garlic and stir-fry for another minute, until it starts
  to get golden.
• 4 Add the chili, turmeric and curry powder and stir through. Then stir in the
  coconut cream/milk, add the fish sauce and sugar and cook together for 5
  minutes, stirring a few times. You can reduce the heat to medium if it’s
  bubbling away too quickly. Finish with a tablespoon of lime juice. Taste for
  salt and add a pinch or two if needed. Set aside.
• 5 Add the cornstarch to a bowl. In a clean frying pan or skillet, heat about 1/4
  cup of oil, a thin layer over medium-high heat. Once sizzling hot, dip a few
  pieces of tofu in cornstarch and shake off the excess, add to the oil. Continue
  until you fill the pan but without overcrowding it too much. Cook for about
  1.5-2 minutes on each side or until golden brown and crispy. Remove to a plate
  and continue until all tofu is cooked.
• 6 Transfer the crispy tofu to the heated curry sauce and stir OR pour it over the
  tofu on a serving plate. Garnish with plenty of fresh coriander, some sliced red
  chili, wedges of lime and some optional Asian fried shallots or crushed peanuts.

Nutrition Info