Dau Sot Ca, Vietnamese Tofu in Tomato Sauce
Dau sot ca chua, tofu in tomato sauce, is comfort food on Vietnamese home tables: cheap, fast, and built from a can of tomatoes or a few soft summer ones. The usual recipe fries the tofu in oil and seasons the sauce with fish sauce and sugar. Here a dry sear crisps the tofu, a spoon of toasted tomato paste stands in for the depth, and tamari with a little date rounds the sauce, so the dish keeps its everyday character and none of the oil or fish sauce.
Ingredients
- 14 oz Firm tofu, pressed and cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes
- 4 Fresh tomatoes, chopped
- 1 tbsp Tomato paste
- 4 cloves Garlic, minced
- 2 Shallots, minced
- 4 Scallions, whites minced, greens cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) lengths
- 1 tbsp Low-sodium tamari
- 1 Medjool date, pitted and mashed to a paste
- 1/2 tsp White pepper
- 3 tbsp Cilantro, chopped
Method
- Set a wide nonstick pan over medium-high heat with no oil. Add the tofu cubes and sear undisturbed for 4 to 5 minutes per side, turning once, until two faces are golden and firm. The dry crust is what keeps the tofu intact through the simmer instead of crumbling into the sauce. Slide the tofu out onto a plate.
- Lower the heat to medium. Add the shallots, garlic, and scallion whites with 3 tablespoons (45 ml) water. Sweat for 2 minutes, until soft and fragrant, adding a splash more water if the pan dries.
- Push the aromatics aside and add the tomato paste to the bare pan. Let it toast for a minute until it darkens to brick red. This step deepens the whole sauce and is worth the extra minute; raw tomato paste tastes thin and tinny by comparison.
- Add the chopped tomatoes and cook, stirring and pressing them with the spoon, for 6 to 8 minutes, until they slump into a loose sauce. Stir in the tamari, date paste, and white pepper.
- Return the tofu to the pan and spoon the sauce over it. Simmer gently for 5 minutes so the tofu drinks in the tomato. Taste and adjust with a few more drops of tamari or a squeeze of the date if it needs roundness.
- Scatter the scallion greens and cilantro over the top, let them wilt for a moment, and serve over brown rice.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 205 calories, 16 g protein, 4 g fiber, 210 mg sodium. Computed from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the main ingredients. This is an approximation, not a laboratory measurement. How these are computed.
Cost per serving is estimated from US national-average retail prices for cheap staple forms, using BLS dried-bean prices and USDA produce prices. Prices vary by store and season, so treat it as a guide, not a receipt. How this is computed.
