Thai tofu basil stir fry is the vegan version of the popular Thai basil chicken. While I have previously shared the recipe for the chicken stir fry with basil on my food blog, I understand that many people are looking for a vegan option. Therefore, I have developed this vegan version of the bail stir-fry recipe. It is done by replacing the chicken with extra-firm tofu.

Other ingredients used in this recipe are mostly the same as the chicken version. This dish combines savory, sweet, and spicy flavors and the fragrant taste of fresh Thai basil leaves. It is a must-try for anyone who loves Thai cuisine and is best served with steamed rice.

Below are the details of preparing this incredibly delicious basil tofu stir-fry dish.

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1. Use extra firm tofu

Extra-firm tofu is an excellent meat substitute. It has several advantages over other types of tofu. Firstly, it is easier to handle and less prone to break. Secondly, it contains less water, so pressing it before cooking is unnecessary. Finally, it can be deep-fried until crispy, adding an extra texture dimension. 

If the tofu you purchased is not firm enough, you can use a tofu press or place a heavy object on top of it to remove the excess water. Soft tofu is not suitable even after being pressed, as it contains too much water.

Tofu is soaked in brine to preserve its freshness. Therefore, it is necessary to remove the tofu from its packaging and remove the excess moisture by placing a cloth or paper towel on it before cooking. I recommend using a cloth, as paper towels can sometimes stick to the tofu.

Cut the firm tofu into cubes about half a centimeter in size. Alternatively, some chefs prefer to mash the tofu until it resembles minced meat. I prefer cutting the tofu into cubes rather than using ground tofu for even sizing and better presentation.

2. Fried the tofu cubes

First, place the tofu cubes in a nonstick skillet without using oil. Gradually increase the heat and pan-fry the tofu cubes until most excess water evaporates. When you notice no more water and the tofu is drier, add some oil to mix with the tofu. Now, you can adjust it to medium-high heat without worrying that the tofu will stick to the pan. Stir-fry the tofu for a few minutes or until the surface turns golden brown. Lastly, remove the tofu cubes from the pan. 

3. Prepare other ingredients 

Since only having the tofu as the main ingredient is a bit monotonous, I added some long beans, which were cut into small sections about the size of the tofu. Long bean is a very popular bean in Thai and Malaysian food. You can use French beans as a substitute if long beans are unavailable.

Since Thai basil tofu is a spicy dish, I would include some bird’s eye chili in the recipe. These Thai chilies come in either red or green, and the red one is slightly spicy. Today, I’m using green and removing the seeds because I cannot eat spicy food. The point is if you cannot take spicy food, keep the quantity of the chilies as we want the flavor of the chili. Instead, remove the seeds, which will eliminate most of the spiciness of the chili.

I also included two large red chilies so that the dish would have a mix of green and red. 

Roughly chop the chili, mash a few garlic cloves, and ground them with a mortar and pestle. Bashing the chili and the garlic helps to release the essential oil and make the sauce more flavorful. If you do not have a mortar and pestle, you can use your electric blender to ground them.

4. Prepare the stir-fry sauce

The Thai stir-fry sauce consists of a combination of fish sauce, oyster sauce, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, brown white pepper, and water. If you want to make it a vegan recipe, please substitute the fish sauce and oyster sauce with the vegan version. Vegan fish sauce and vegetarian oyster sauce are available from the Asian market.

5. The stir-frying process

To make stir-fried tofu with green beans, follow these simple steps:

1. Heat some oil in a pan or wok.
2. Saute the chili and garlic paste with the oil until they become aromatic.
3. Add the green beans and stir-fry until tender and slightly crisp. If they get too dry, add some water halfway through.
4. Pour the fried tofu into the pan and mix it with the green beans. Add in the stir-fry sauce that you have already prepared.
5. Turn up the heat and stir everything until it is well combined. Taste the dish and add any necessary seasonings.
6. Add a handful of Thai basil leaves (use regular basil if unavailable) to the pan and quickly mix them with all the tofu pieces. Lastly, turn off the heat and let the latent heat cook through the basil until it is slightly wilted.
7. Serve the Thai basil tofu stir-fry with fresh basil leaves as a garnish. 

The entire stir-fry process takes only about 5 minutes. This Thai tofu is best served with Jasmine rice, which also pairs well with rice noodles.

6. Related recipes

If you like this Thai basil stir-fry, I would like to introduce to you a few more authentic Thai recipes on this food blog:

• Pad Kra Pao is a delicious, spicy Thai basil stir-fry dish made with pork. If you’re not a vegetarian, this dish pairs perfectly with rice and a crispy fried egg. 
• Thai green curry is my absolute favorite way to cook Thai food. The gravy has a fantastic flavor and tastes great when mixed with plain rice. 
• Thai-style steamed fish is another personal favorite of mine. Unlike Chinese-style steamed fish, fish sauce and lime juice give it a unique taste that differentiates it from Chinese cooking.