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• 14 ounces tofu
• 1 stalk of lemongrass
• 2 teaspoons salt
• Chili flakes
• Vegetable oil

Mince* lemongrass in a food processor. Add salt and chili flakes to the minced lemongrass and combine. For extra spice, add in a generous amount of chili flakes.

Cut tofu into 6 rectangular pieces and butterfly - slice tofu down the middle three-quarters of the way through (see below - left).

Stuff the tofu with lemongrass, salt, and chili flakes mixture (see below - right).

Heat vegetable oil and deep fry stuffed tofu until golden on both sides. After frying is complete, strain the oil and sprinkle the remaining lemongrass on top of the tofu because some lemongrass will fall out of the tofu.

Serve warm with rice.

*Asian grocery stores often sell containers of minced lemongrass in the freezer section, which can be used here. Store lemongrass in freezer to preserve freshness. 

• 10 ounces mushroom vegetarian broth or vegetable broth
• 20 ounces water 
• 2 tomatoes
• 1 leek
• 1 can pineapple chunks (with juice)
• Bean Sprouts
• Firm or extra firm tofu
• Sugar
• Soy sauce
• Mushroom seasoning or salt
• Black pepper
• Cilantro

Bring water and broth to a boil.

While waiting for the soup to boil, chop tomatoes into chunks or wedges, cube tofu, and slice leeks thinly (white part only). Once the soup is boiling, add in half a can of pineapple juice—save the pineapple chunks for later. Let the soup continue to boil for 5 minutes with a lid on.

Season the soup with sugar, soy sauce, and mushroom seasoning to suit your palette. The end result should be sour, but not unpleasantly so. My grandma likes to add a dash of vinegar to intensify the soup’s sourness. Once the soup is well-seasoned, add in vegetables, tofu, and pineapples. The exact amount of vegetables, tofu, and pineapples added to the soup is dependent on the prefernce of the cook. 

Serve hot on top of rice and garnish with cilantro and a sprinkling of black pepper.

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For Canh Chua Bac Ha, add button mushrooms and slices of bac ha, also known as Upright Elephant Ears, to the above recipe.

Roasted Japanese Eggplant with Scallions in a Chili Soy Sauce

For eggplant

• 3 Japanese eggplants
• Stovetop griddle

For sauce

• 1/4 cup scallions
• Vegetable oil
• 1/2 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon soy* sauce
• Vinegar
• Hot water
• Chili paste

Make eggplant

On a stovetop griddle, roast the eggplants with their skins on over medium heat. Roast each side until blackened and soft to the touch, which takes approximately 15 minutes per side. The eggplants’ skin will char and may even pop, but keep roasting until the flesh is softened on all sides.

Once the eggplant has been roasted, cover with aluminum foil to cool for 20-30 minutes. While the eggplant is cooling, prepare the sauce.

After the eggplant has cooled, peel off the skin with your hands or a paring knife. The skin should peel off easily if the eggplant has been properly cooked. Cut the eggplants’ flesh into bite-sized pieces and arrange on a plate.

Make sauce

Chop a quarter cup of scallions (white part only). Sautee the chopped scallions in a tablespoon of vegetable until translucent. Spread the sautéed scallions atop the eggplant once it has cooled and arranged on the plate.

Wisk together sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, water, and chili paste to form a sauce. Add vinegar and chili paste to your liking and enough hot water to thin out the sauce. Spread atop scallions and eggplant.

Serve warm with rice.

*Fish sauce can substituted for a non-vegetarian version.

 Braised Tofu with Tomatoes and Mushrooms

• 1 container of firm or extra firm tofu
• Vegetable oil
• 1 leek stalk
• 3 tomatoes
• 10 button mushrooms
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 5 tablespoons soy sauce
• Black pepper 

Cut tofu into 2″ x 2″ cubes. Deep fry* tofu cubes in vegetable oil until golden and set aside to drain. 

Cut the tomatoes into bite-sized cubes with seeds. Quarter or halve mushrooms into bite-sized pieces. Slice leeks thinly (white part only). Using some of the oil from the tofu, sauté shallots until browned then add tomatoes and mushrooms and gently combine. Season the vegetables with salt, sugar, and soy sauce. My family likes to use the Golden Mountain soy sauce brand. Cover with lid and let the vegetables sweat for 5 minutes.

Once the tomatoes and mushrooms have softened, add tofu and place lid back on—do not stir. After 3 minutes, incorporate the tofu with the vegetables and bring to a boil. Season with pepper. Let the tofu and vegetables boil for another 20 minutes.

Serve warm with rice.   

*To avoid deep frying, Asian grocery stores often sell tofu that has already been deep fried.

Grandma’s Chicken Curry

• 5 chicken drum sticks
• 3 large sweet potatoes
• 1 large onion
• 2 tablespoons Vietnamese curry (brand: Con Voy)
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 14 ounce cans of light coconut milk
• Salt

Peel potatoes and slice into large chunks 1″ thick and 2″ in diameter and set aside. Chop onions and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large pot over moderate heat. Add the onions and sauté until slightly softened. Add a generous dash of salt and 2 tablespoons curry powder, and stir until fragrant, about 10 seconds. Add the chicken and cook until the edges of the pieces are golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes and coconut milk and cook on low heat for 2 hours with the lid on. Make sure the chicken and potatoes are submerged under the coconut milk. After 2 hours, salt to taste if necessary and serve with rice.

Cook’s note: My grandma uses various chicken parts in her curry, but since everyone always prefers the drumsticks my version only uses drumsticks. She also adds regular white potatoes along with the sweet potatoes.