Lemongrass tofu noodle bowls
A Vietnamese-style bún bowl: sticky, caramelised lemongrass tofu over cool rice noodles and crunchy salad, with a sharp, sweet lime dressing to pour over.
Ingredients
- 560 g Firm tofu, 2 blocks, pressed
- 2 Lemongrass, outer layer removed, very finely chopped
- 0.3 Garlic, 4 cloves, crushed (1 for the dressing)
- 50 ml Soy sauce, 30ml for the tofu, 20ml for the dressing
- 15 g Soft brown sugar
- 30 ml Vegetable oil
- 250 g Rice noodles
- 150 g Carrots, cut into thin matchsticks
- 1 Cucumber, cut into matchsticks
- 2 Little gem lettuce, shredded
- 150 g Beansprouts
- 15 g Fresh mint, leaves picked
- 15 g Fresh coriander, leaves picked
- 2 Limes, juiced
- 20 g Caster sugar
- 20 ml Rice vinegar
- 1 Fresh chillies, finely sliced
- 50 g Roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
Method
- Wrap the tofu in a clean tea towel and weigh it down with something heavy to squeeze out the water.
- Cut the tofu into 2cm cubes. Toss with the lemongrass, 3 cloves of the garlic, 30ml soy sauce and the brown sugar and leave to soak it up.
- Stir the lime juice, the remaining soy sauce, caster sugar, rice vinegar, the last clove of garlic and 60ml cold water until the sugar dissolves. Add the chilli, or keep it on the side for anyone who wants heat.
- Cook the noodles as the packet says, then drain and rinse under cold water so they don't stick. Prepare all the salad.
- Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan and fry the tofu with its marinade over a medium-high heat, turning, until sticky and caramelised at the edges.
- Pile noodles into bowls with the salad and herbs, top with hot tofu and scatter with peanuts. Pour the dressing over at the table.