General News
Inspired by his mother’s favorite dish of tofu with scallion sauce, chef Ni Nguyen of Sap Sua, one of our Best New Restaurants of 2024, augments the original with extra aromatics like mint, cilantro, and chiles. The dashi powder adds a savory depth to the scallion sauce. Make a double batch of the sauce; it keeps well in an airtight container in the refrigerator and comes in handy for more than just tofu.
“It’s the first new dish I put on the menu since we opened,” Ni recalls. “My mom would always make tofu, pan-fried until it was golden yellow. She would make a scallion oil to pour over and we would eat it with rice. I wanted to keep the scallions but make the oil more fragrant, so I grabbed everything in the walk-in that I could find to spruce it up. I mashed it all together in a mortar—our mentor, Nancy Silverton, once said that sauces always tasted better when worked in a mortar with a pestle, which always stuck with me. The staff loved it.” —Shilpa Uskokovic, senior test kitchen editor
Editor’s Note: Firm tofu offers the ideal texture here, sturdy enough to handle being tossed in rice flour yet maintaining a gentle quiver post-fry. We like Nasoya or House Foods brands. Avoid extra firm tofu.
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Recipe information
Ingredients
4
scallions, coarsely chopped
1
2″ piece ginger, peeled, coarsely chopped
¼
cup (packed) coarsely chopped cilantro
2
Tbsp. coarsely chopped mint
⅓
cup vegetable oil, plus more for frying (2–3 cups)
5
green Thai chiles, thinly sliced into rings, or 3 serrano chiles, finely chopped
1
Tbsp. fish sauce
1
Tbsp. unseasoned rice vinegar
2
tsp. instant dashi powder (preferably Hondashi)
¼
tsp. Diamond Crystal or Morton kosher salt, plus more
Mochiko (sweet rice flour; for dusting)
1
14-oz. package firm tofu, drained, patted dry, cut into 12 pieces
Bonito flakes (for serving)
Preparation
- Step 1
Process 4 scallions, coarsely chopped, and one 2″ piece ginger, peeled, coarsely chopped, in a food processor, scraping down sides halfway through, until finely chopped, about 15 seconds total. Add ¼ cup (packed) coarsely chopped cilantro and 2 Tbsp. coarsely chopped mint and pulse until finely chopped (be careful not to go so far that mixture becomes a paste), 10–12 pulses. Transfer herb mixture to a large heatproof measuring glass or small heatproof bowl.
Step 2
Heat ⅓ cup vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium until just beginning to smoke, about 3 minutes. Carefully and slowly pour oil over scallion mixture (it will sizzle dramatically, so stand back slightly to avoid any spatter); reserve skillet. Stir in 5 green Thai chiles, thinly sliced into rings, or 3 serrano chiles, finely chopped, 1 Tbsp. fish sauce, 1 Tbsp. unseasoned rice vinegar, 2 tsp. instant dashi powder, and ¼ tsp. Diamond Crystal or Morton kosher salt; set scallion-oil sauce aside.
Step 3
Place some mochiko in a small bowl. Working in batches, toss one 14-oz. package firm tofu, drained, patted dry, cut into 12 pieces, in mochiko until well coated on all sides, transferring to a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet as you go.
Step 4
Pour vegetable oil (2–3 cups) into reserved skillet to come ½” up sides. Heat over medium-high until hot but not smoking. Fry tofu in a single layer, turning occasionally, until very pale golden on all sides, about 6 minutes total. Transfer back to rack and lightly season with salt.
Step 5
Arrange tofu on plates. Spoon scallion-oil sauce over and top with a small pile of bonito flakes.
