Đậu phụ nhồi thịt • Vietnamese pork-stuffed tofu

Tofu is often seen only as a meat alternative consumed by vegetarians/vegans in the U.S., but in Vietnam, it is an ingredient beloved by all.

We love tofu in al its variations and cooking methods- we have savory and sweet dishes made with tofu; we have tofu-only dishes and ones that combine tofu with meats. The options are plentiful and all delicious!

Đậu hũ nhồi thịt is a really easy and delicious dish that Mai’s family make at home often. It involves frying large pieces of tofu until the outside is crispy, then stuffing them with the tried-and-true Vietnamese filling of minced pork, wood-ear mushrooms, shiitake, and green onions. The pieces are lightly fried again to create a nice golden surface on the filling, then simmered in tomato sauce until fully cooked.

When you fry tofu to create a crispy exterior, then cook it in a sauce- the tofu skin becomes a bit chewy and bouncy, which is one of my favorite textures. The inside also becomes more airy than when raw. This dish is very similar to Cà chua nhồi thịt – Vietnamese pork-stuffed tomatoes, so check that out if you want a lighter, tomato-y-er version.

For a halal/kosher version, you can use ground chicken or turkey!

In Vietnamese, we would call this a dish that is “tốn cơm”, meaning it is so good that you will eat a ton of rice with it!

INGREDIENTS FOR ĐẬU PHỤ NHỒI THỊT

• Tofu – Đậu phụ/đậu hũ
• Ground pork – Thịt heo xay/thịt heo băm
• Tomato – Cà chua
• Wood-ear mushrooms – Nấm mộc nhĩ/nấm tai mèo: They don’t bring too much in terms of flavors, but texturally, they are irreplaceable. Crunchy and a bit chewy, wood-ear mushrooms add textural interest, especially to a meaty filling, which is why the trio of wood-ear, shiitake, and minced pork is such a common filling found in many dishes. For recipes with wood-ear mushrooms, click HERE.
• Shiitake mushrooms – Nấm đông cô/nấm hương: These incredibly fragrant mushrooms are a staple in Vietnamese cuisine. Commonly paired with wood-ear mushrooms, this dynamic duo is in more Vietnamese dishes than I can count. For recipes with shiitake mushrooms, click HERE.
• Green onion – Hành lá
• Fish sauce – Nước mắm: arguably the most important seasoning sauce in Vietnamese cuisine. Made from fermented anchovies, it is salty and incredibly umami. Non-vegan Vietnamese recipes without fish sauce are very rare. The best nước mắm comes from Phú Quốc or surrounding islands off the coast- Southwest of mainland Vietnam. Our favorite brand available outside of Vietnam is Red Boat (U.S.).
• Bouillon – Hạt nêm: think broth, but in solid form. Bouillon is an amazingly easy way to bring that umami flavor to your food. We use it instead of salt in many of our dishes. You can usually find chicken, pork, or mushroom bouillon. In Vietnam, Knorr is the most common brand. However, we have only been able to find Knorr in powder form in the US and France, not granules. Instead, we use Totole brand chicken or mushroom bouillon. The quantities on our website are based on the granule-type so if you use powder, adjust to your taste.
• Ground black pepper – Tiêu xay

DIRECTIONS FOR ĐẬU PHỤ NHỒI THỊT

1. Rehydrate wood-ear and shiitake mushrooms in a heat-proof bowl with boiling water.
2. Cut tofu into pieces about 4cm in length, 3cm in width, and 1-1.5cm thick.
3. Pat dry tofu.
4. Heat a pan on medium and pour in enough vegetable oil into a frying pan to create a 1.2-2cm deep layer.
5. When oil is ready, add tofu pieces in a single layer without them touching, and fry until all sides are evenly golden.
6. Remove tofu from pan and let cool slightly on rack or paper towels to drain oil.
7. While tofu is cooling, prepare the filling.
8. Rinse and finely chop wood-ear and shiitake mushrooms.
9. Thinly slice green onions- keeping the green and white parts separate. The whites will be used in the filling; set the green part aside for garnish later.
10. In a bowl, add the ground pork, mushrooms, white parts of green onions, fish sauce, bouillon, and ground black pepper. Mix well to combine.
11. Once tofu is cool enough to handle, use a small knife or scissors to cut open one of the long sides to form a pocket. You want to cut the inside of the tofu in half as well, to make room for the filling.
12. Stuff the tofu pocket tightly with the filling. Add enough filling for some stick out of the pocket to form a small dome. Repeat for the rest of the tofu pieces.
13. Heat a pan large enough to fit all the tofu pieces on medium and add a thin layer of oil.
14. Place the stuffed tofu pieces into the pan, meat side down. Fry until the exposed meat looks golden.
15. Pour all the ingredients for the sauce into the pan.
16. Flip all the tofu pieces onto one of the larger sides. Reduce heat to low and simmer covered for 20 minutes, flipping the tofu pieces halfway through to make sure both sides can soak up the sauce.
17. Taste the tomato sauce and add more fish sauce to taste if needed.
18. Remove to a plate and sprinkle with the reserved green parts of green onion. Serve with rice!