Dau Hu Rang Muoi

　　Luke Nguyen: I enjoy the simplicity and texture of this dish—it's like a vegetarian's version of salt and pepper squid.

　　

Ingredients

Serves 2

　　1/2 pound tofu pillows (Chinese-style pressed firm tofu)

　　Oil, for deep-frying

　　2 scallions, sliced

　　1 bird's-eye chile, sliced

　　1 teaspoon ground garlic

　　Salt and pepper seasoning mix

　　

Step 1

Cut the tofu into 1 1/2 by 3/4-inch pieces and place on a cloth to dry. Put enough oil in a wok to deep-fry the tofu and heat to 350°F, or until a cube of bread dropped in the oil browns in 15 seconds. Deep-fry the tofu for about 5 minutes, or until it is golden and very crisp. Once all of the tofu is cooked, remove the oil from the wok and reserve for later use.

　　

Step 2

Place 2 teaspoons of oil back into the wok and place over high heat. Add the scallions, chile, and garlic, stir-fry for 30 seconds, then return the tofu to the wok. Toss to combine the flavors and season with the salt and pepper seasoning mix. Serve with salt, pepper, and lemon dipping sauce or vegetarian dipping sauce .

　　From Secrets of the Red Lantern: Stories and Vietnamese Recipes from the Heart by Pauline Nguyen with recipes by Luke Nguyen and Mark Jensen. Text copyright © 2007 by Pauline Nguyen; recipes © 2007 by Luke Nguyen and Mark Jensen. This edition published in 2008 by Andrews McMeel Publishing, LLC.