This is a delicious Thai tofu recipe inspired by a Thai dish I had in a restaurant while I was recently on a trip to Sekinchan, Malaysia. While this recipe is typical in Thai restaurants in Malaysia, it might not be authentic Thai cuisine. Nevertheless, it is incredibly tasty. The tofu is deep-fried until crisp on the outside and remain soft inside, and then it is dressed with a sauce which is sweet, savory and spicy. Although unsure of the sauce’s exact ingredients, I can taste some fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, garlic, and perhaps tom yum paste. 

After returning home, the flavor was still lingered in my mind, so I decided recreated it with a slight twist.

Let’s take a closer look at the recipe.

Note: This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my privacy policy for more info. I may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

A two-step easy recipe

This easy Thai tofu recipe has two sections: the first involves deep-frying the tofu, and the second involves preparing the sauce.

1. Deep-frying the tofu

The type of tofu for this recipe should be any extra firm tofu to reduce the chances of breaking. Usually, I will put the block of tofu on a dry cloth to remove any excess water. Paper towels are less desirable because the paper may stick to the tofu. 

You may also want to use a tofu press to release the water from the softer tofu. Another method is to place the tofu on a flat surface and then put something heavy on top of it to speed up the water release. All these steps aim to make the tofu firmer. Because of that, the easiest way to deal with this is to purchase the extra-firm tofu.

Assuming you have dried the tofu as much as possible and cut it into the desired size, the next step is to deep-fry it. 

Some cooks suggest coating the tofu with starch before frying it. However, this step is optional. When in direct contact with hot oil during deep frying, the surface of firm tofu will naturally form a crust layer. This crust helps to firm up the tofu and prevent it from breaking apart. Therefore, if the tofu is firm enough, you can skip the starch coating step altogether.

Deep-fry the tofu

Deep-frying serves two purposes. Firstly, it adds extra flavor and aroma. Secondly, it makes the surface crispy, which prevents the tofu from breaking. 

While working in the restaurant, I used an electric deep fryer with a frying basket to fry the tofu. This is the best way to prevent the tofu from sticking to the fryer. If you don’t have an electric fryer, use plenty of oil to avoid this, preferably with a nonstick skillet or a well-seasoned cast iron wok.

I deep-fried the tofu cubes on medium-high heat at about 180 to 190 degrees Celsius. The cooking time depends on the tofu’s moisture content, but it takes about three to five minutes on average. 

Once the tofu is deep-fried to golden brown, remove it from the oil and place it on a serving plate.

2. Prepare the sauce for the tofu

The sauce for this Thai tofu recipe is made from ingredients commonly used in Thai cuisine. I use a lot of garlic, which is coarsely chopped and not minced, to retain its texture and flavor. Besides that, I also include some thin strips of onion and carrots for texture and color.

I use Thai bird’s eye chilies, which are small but quite spicy. If you can’t handle the heat, remove the seeds before adding them to the sauce. I cut the chilies in half to remove the seeds, allowing their flavor to infuse the sauce during cooking.

The sauce recipe also calls for lime juice, palm sugar, and the ingredients above. Palm sugar is a common ingredient in Thai food, and it can be substituted with brown sugar if unavailable. However, palm sugar has a distinct taste, so it is recommended to purchase it from an Asian grocery store for a true blue Asian flavor.

The secret ingredient to add to the sauce is tom yum paste. Using only about a tablespoon is recommended to enhance the flavor without making it taste too much like Tom Yum. Lemongrass and galangal are the main ingredients in tom yum paste. These two items enhance the overall taste profile.

Prepare the Thai tofu sauce

To prepare the sauce, add oil to the wok and sautéing the chopped garlic and onion slices until they release an aromatic flavor. Then, add the bird’s eye chilies, carrot strips, Tom Yum paste, palm sugar, fish sauce, and water. Let it cook over low heat for a minute to reduce some volume. Finally, add lime juice and mix well before removing from heat. Lime juice should always be added at the end to prevent a sour taste from developing due to prolonged heating.

After making the sauce, pour it over the crispy tofu on the serving plate, allowing it to spread and fill up the space around it. To finish, garnish with chopped red chilies,  fresh coriander leaves, chopped red chilies, and green onions before serving.

This Thai tofu dish is best enjoyed with Jasmine rice or rice noodles (rice vermicelli).

Other Thai cuisine you may want to try

Besides this Thai tofu recipe, I also intend to make Thai basil tofu stir fry in the future, as I like the flavor of fresh basil leaves. Meanwhile, I have a few Thai recipes that have been published on this blog and want to share with you:

• Thai curry is a flavorful Thai dish cooked using a blend of coconut milk, galangal, lemongrass, kaffir lime, dried chili, fish sauce, shrimp paste, coconut cream, and Thai red curry paste. Try Thai red chicken curry, prepared with all the classic Thai ingredients, making it perfect for anyone who wishes to savor the authentic taste of Thailand. (For a vegetarian version, use vegan fish sauce instead of regular fish sauce.)
• Tom yum soup is a famous Thai soup known for its spicy and sour flavors. Here is a step-by-step guide to making this delicious soup from scratch.