Comment: The tamarind lemongrass sauce for this recipe is a good match for the crispy tofu. I cooked up two thick tofu pieces and two thin. I liked how the thiner pieces of tofu turned out. There was a crispiness on the outside and a softness on the inside from battering and pan frying it.
Recipe -
1 lb Extra Firm Tofu
Breadcrumbs
Oil to pan fry
Lemon Grass Sauce & Marinade
1-1/2 tbsp tamarind
1 cup water
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 tbsp onion, chopped
1/2 tsp ginger, grated
1 Tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp water
3 Tbsp brown sugar
3 Tbsp lemon grass, grated
1 tsp hoisin sauce
1 tsp chili sauce
Instructions -
Add water and tamarind to a saucepan and boil for 10 minutes until it becomes soft. Strain tamarind into a bowl.
Add oil to a separate pan. When hot add chopped onions and cook for 2 minutes, then add the ginger and garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add these ingredients in with your tamarind. Combine this mixture with your remaining sauce ingredients.
Pile 2 plates onto of your block of tofu and let it set so the water will come out of your tofu. Then slice it and marinate it in your sauce mixture for at least 1 hour.
When done marinate, pull your tofu out of the sauce and dip it in bread crumbs. Fry them on all sides in a pan. It usually takes 3-5 min per side.
Strain your marinade. Put the liquid into a pot and add 1 tsp of cornstarch to thicken it. Strain again and serve with your fried tofu.
