Thai-Style Tofu and Basil Lettuce Cups
By Stephanie PixleyPublished on April 1, 2019
Time
50 minutes, plus 20 minutes draining
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
Before You Begin
You can use either firm or extra-firm tofu in this recipe. For the fish sauce substitute, use either Bragg's Amino Acids or our vegetarian fish sauce substitute recipe. If fresh Thai chiles are unavailable, substitute two serranos or one jalapeño. For a milder version of the dish, remove the seeds and ribs from the chiles. Serve with steamed rice, if desired.
Instructions
- Spread tofu over paper towel–lined baking sheet, let drain for 20 minutes, then gently press dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper.
- Meanwhile, process 1 cup basil, garlic, and chiles in food processor until finely chopped, 6 to 10 pulses, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Transfer 1 tablespoon basil mixture to small bowl and stir in fish sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, and vinegar. Transfer remaining basil mixture to 12-inch nonstick skillet.
- Pulse tofu in now-empty food processor until coarsely chopped, 3 to 4 pulses. Line baking sheet with clean paper towels. Spread processed tofu over prepared baking sheet and press gently with paper towels to dry.
- Stir dried tofu, shallots, and oil into skillet with basil mixture and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until tofu and shallots are browned, 10 to 15 minutes. (Mixture should start to sizzle after about 1½ minutes; adjust heat as needed.)
- Add reserved basil mixture and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until well coated, about 1 minute. Stir in remaining 1 cup basil and cook, stirring constantly, until wilted, 30 to 60 seconds. Off heat, stir in peanuts. Transfer mixture to platter and serve with lettuce leaves, pepper flakes, extra fish sauce, and extra vinegar.
Time
50 minutes, plus 20 minutes drainingYield
Serves 4Ingredients
Ingredients
Ingredients
Why This Recipe Works
We took inspiration from a Thai salad known as larb and, instead of using meat, made a stir-fried tofu filling to serve in crisp, cool lettuce cups. The key was to sauté the aromatics slowly over medium-low heat. The aromatics infused the oil as they cooked, which gave the mild tofu deep, complex flavor. For the aromatics, we combined garlic, basil, and Thai chiles. We reserved a portion of this mixture and added fish sauce substitute, vegetarian oyster sauce, sugar, and vinegar to make a balanced, savory stir-fry sauce. We added the oil, remaining aromatics, sliced shallot, and tofu (which we pulsed in a food processor, then pressed dry) to a cold skillet and cooked everything over medium heat until the tofu and shallots turned golden brown. At the end, we stirred in the sauce and more fresh basil leaves until wilted, then added some crunchy peanuts.
Before You Begin
You can use either firm or extra-firm tofu in this recipe. For the fish sauce substitute, use either Bragg's Amino Acids or our vegetarian fish sauce substitute recipe. If fresh Thai chiles are unavailable, substitute two serranos or one jalapeño. For a milder version of the dish, remove the seeds and ribs from the chiles. Serve with steamed rice, if desired.
Instructions
- Spread tofu over paper towel–lined baking sheet, let drain for 20 minutes, then gently press dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper.
- Meanwhile, process 1 cup basil, garlic, and chiles in food processor until finely chopped, 6 to 10 pulses, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Transfer 1 tablespoon basil mixture to small bowl and stir in fish sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, and vinegar. Transfer remaining basil mixture to 12-inch nonstick skillet.
- Pulse tofu in now-empty food processor until coarsely chopped, 3 to 4 pulses. Line baking sheet with clean paper towels. Spread processed tofu over prepared baking sheet and press gently with paper towels to dry.
- Stir dried tofu, shallots, and oil into skillet with basil mixture and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until tofu and shallots are browned, 10 to 15 minutes. (Mixture should start to sizzle after about 1½ minutes; adjust heat as needed.)
- Add reserved basil mixture and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until well coated, about 1 minute. Stir in remaining 1 cup basil and cook, stirring constantly, until wilted, 30 to 60 seconds. Off heat, stir in peanuts. Transfer mixture to platter and serve with lettuce leaves, pepper flakes, extra fish sauce, and extra vinegar.
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