Fried Tofu With Special Thai Sauce

Fried Tofu With Special Thai Sauce is a spicy and delicious, flavorful dish that can be served with steamed rice for lunch or dinner. The recipe is vegan and gluten-free. Also, this dish is ready in 30 minutes, and each serving comes to around 350 calories.

Jump to:

• About Crispy Fried Tofu in Special Thai Sauce
• Ingredients
• Step by Step Recipe
• Expert Chef Tips
• FAQs
• More Thai Recipes To Love
• Recipe card
• User Reviews

About Crispy Fried Tofu in Special Thai Sauce

I first had this dish at my favorite Thai restaurant in Indianapolis. Whenever we visit Indianapolis, my family loves having lunch or dinner at this place. This dish is also known as Toa Hoo Sarm Ross (Tofu).

I love experimenting with Tofu, and this was one dish that I wanted to try at home. Crispy fried tofu is usually served with peanut dipping sauce, but when tossed with special Thai sauce, it turns absolutely irresistible and will simply melt in your mouth. You can substitute tofu with paneer or Indian cottage cheese.

You can also dip the tofu in a starch slurry and coat it in panko bread crumbs, and then deep fry to get crispy tofu katsu or tofu tempura. Serve it with a side of special Thai sauce shared below or with any dipping sauce you choose, and you will have a special appetizer for your meal.

You may also like these Tofu recipes:

Ingredients

• Extra firm tofu - has low moisture content and will not fall apart when deep fried. You can also use Firm Tofu or Paneer. Before frying, pat dry the tofu with kitchen towels to avoid major oil splatters. Optionally, you can coat the tofu pieces in cornstarch or potato starch before deep frying - however, I do not follow this step.
• Oil - use any neutral-flavored oil for deep frying.
• Cilantro - for garnish. Replace cilantro with any herb, such as Thai Basil, parsley,

For the paste

• Vegetable oil to saute ingredients.
• Cumin seeds, Onion, Garlic cloves, Ginger, and Lemongrass, are the aromatics that add flavor to the sauce.
• Coconut milk and Green chilies will add richness and spiciness to the sauce. Coconut milk can be substituted with cream and green chilies with serrano, jalapenos, etc.

Other ingredients

• Red chili powder to add color and spiciness. For a bright red color, use Kashmiri red chili powder or paprika.
• Thai Basil leaves for aroma and freshness. Substitute it with regular Italian Basil leaves or dried basil leaves.
• Soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce add tanginess and sweetness to the sauce. I have used vegan-certified Worcestershire sauce. You can substitute this with Oyster sauce. Add some fish sauce for authentic Thai flavor.
• Tomato ketchup and Salt - balance the flavors well.
• Sriracha chile sauce is optional, but I like adding some for extra spiciness and flavor.

Step by Step Recipe

Prepare the sauce

Step 1: In a pan on medium heat, add oil, aromatics, and saute until they turn light brown in color.

Step 2: Blend sauteed ingredients from Step 1 along with coconut milk, coriander leaves, and green chilies to form a smooth paste.

Step 3: To a pan on medium heat, add the paste from Step 2, red chilie powder, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, Thai basil leaves, a splash of water, and salt to taste, and bring it to a nice boil. The sauce is now ready.

For frying the tofu

Step 4: Once the oil is hot, fry the tofu cubes in batches until it gets a golden brown color on both sides. Frying each batch takes about 3-4 minutes. Drain to paper towels to absorb excess oil. Check out detailed instructions for getting the crispiest fried tofu here!

Step 5: While the tofu is warm, add it to the prepared sauce and toss well till they are coated. Garnish it with cilantro and serve immediately with steamed rice or your favorite side.

Expert Chef Tips

1. You can remove excess moisture from the tofu by using a tofu press for 10 minutes.
2. Fish sauce is traditionally used in the recipe. I have substituted it with vegan-certified Worcestershire sauce instead. You can also use Oyster sauce.
3. Adjust the sweetness, tanginess, and spiciness of the sauce as per your taste.
4. Mix the fried tofu with the sauce just before you are ready to serve. Else the fried tofu will lose its crispiness.
5. You can also use Italian basil or dried basil leaves in the recipe.
6. While frying tofu, do not overcrowd the pan.
7. If the oil is cold, tofu will absorb excess oil while frying. If it is very hot, then the tofu will turn brown soon without getting crispy. It is best practice to fry by switching the flame between medium and medium-high.
8. To check if the oil is hot, put a small piece of tofu in the oil. If it sizzles, it means the oil is ready for frying.
9. You can also coat the tofu with cornstarch or potato starch before frying for extra crispy tofu (optional).

Storage and Make Ahead Instructions

Once tossed in the sauce, fried tofu starts to lose its crispiness in 10 to 15 minutes. Therefore, if you have leftovers, they will not retain a crispy texture but will still taste great. The dish can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days.

My preferred approach is to make the sauce ahead of time and store it separately. It stores well in the refrigerator for up to a week. The sauce can be reheated on the stovetop or in a microwave when ready to use. Since frying tofu hardly takes 5 mins, I fry a batch of tofu and toss it in the reheated sauce just before serving. This is perfect for a quick weeknight dinner.

If you want to fry Tofu for this dish beforehand (e.g., 30 minutes head start):

• Coat the tofu pieces in cornstarch before frying. This will help retain its crispiness for a much longer time.
• Keep it in a warm 150 degrees F oven until ready to serve.
• Store leftover fried tofu in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Reheat it in the oven or skillet to regain some crispiness.

FAQs

More Thai Recipes To Love

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Recipe card

Note: This post was originally posted in May 2016. The recipe has been slightly modified since and has been updated here.