Spicy Basil Tofu

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A meatless version of the popular spicy basil beef dish. This equally delicious and flavorful dish is made with firm tofu. Option to make this dish vegetarian or vegan.

Prep Time5

Cook Time10

Total Time15

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Thai, Vietnamese

Servings:

Author: Maryanne Cabrera

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons peanut oil or cooking oil of choice
5 cloves garlic, minced
12 oz firm tofu drained, cut into bite-sized cubes
4 Thai chilies chopped
1 small onion (white or yellow) sliced (about ⅓ cup)
1 cup fresh Thai basil leaves
1 Tablespoon oyster sauce *
2 Tablespoons fish sauce *
1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions

Heat large skillet or wok over high heat. Add peanut oil. Once oil is hot, add garlic and chilies. Cook for 30-40 seconds until garlic is fragrant. Add cubed tofu and cook until warm, about 2 minutes.
Add sliced onions and whole basil leaves. Toss to combine. In a small bowl, combine oyster sauce, fish sauce, sugar, and black pepper. Add sauce mixture to skillet. Toss combine. Continue to cook until onions are translucent and basil has wilted. Remove from heat and garnish with sliced green onions. Serve with Jasmine rice.

Notes

Ingredients:

Thai chili comes in green, orange, or red. Serrano chilies are a good substitute. It will provide similar heat but not much fragrance.
Thai basil is also called Asian basil or anise basil. It has pointy green leaves with purple stems. Holy basil is another similar variety that has narrower leaves. If you cannot find Thai basil, DO NOT substitute with European basil. The flavors are very different!
Fish sauce varies from country to country. I recommend using a light colored Vietnamese fish sauce such as Viet Huong’s Three Crabs or Flying Lion.
Oyster sauce comes in vegan and vegetarian varieties. Several companies have a vegan version made with mushroom.
Fish sauce comes in a vegan version made with mushrooms.

Nutrition