Recipe / Vietnamese Tofu in Tomato Sauce

Cookbook · No. 019 · VIETNAMESE

Translated from Vietnamese

Đậu Hụ Sốt Cà Chua

Name: Vietnamese Tofu in Tomato Sauce
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 22 min
Total time: 42 min
Yield: 1 servings
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Ingredients: 3 pieces Fried tofu; 4 Tomato; 3-4 stalks Scallion; 2-3 bulbs Shallot; 3-4 cloves Garlic; ⅓ tsp Salt; ⅓ tsp MSG; ⅓ tsp Seasoning powder; 1 tsp Sugar; ½ tbsp / 7 ml Chili sauce; ½ tbsp / 7 ml Ketchup; as needed Oil; ~120 ml / ½ cup Water; a few sprigs Cilantro

Vietnamese Tofu in Tomato Sauce

HỮU QUỐC fries the tofu first, then sends it back into the pan a second time to simmer in the tomato sauce until it soaks through.

Plate 01

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Time

42 min

Ingredients

Steps

Cuisine

Vietnamese

Plate 01

The Headnote

Đậu hũ sốt cà chua turns on the double fry: pre-fried tofu goes back into the pan a second time, this time nestled into the tomato sauce and left to simmer for five to six minutes so the sauce soaks into each piece from all sides. HỮU QUỐC MÓN NGON DỄ LÀM cores and finely dices the tomatoes before cooking them down with a small measure of MSG and sugar, then stirs in both chili sauce and ketchup only once the sauce has begun to thicken. The dish is a Vietnamese household staple, eaten over rice without ceremony.

Notes by The Whisq Editors

Filed · April 2026 · Vietnamese

Originally by

HỮU QUỐC MÓN NGON DỄ LÀM

Platform

YouTube

Language

Vietnamese

Watch the original on YOUTUBE →

Section IV / Ingredients

What you'll need

Serves 1 · Adjusted from 3 to 1 servings (110 kcal/serving implausible for main)

3 pieces
Tàu hũ vàng
Fried tofu
3 pieces
Fried tofu
Tàu hũ vàng
4
Cà chua
Tomato
4
Tomato
Cà chua
3-4 stalks
Hành lá
Scallion
3-4 stalks
Scallion
Hành lá
2-3 bulbs
Củ hành tím
Shallot
2-3 bulbs
Shallot
Củ hành tím
3-4 cloves
Tép tỏi
Garlic
3-4 cloves
Garlic
Tép tỏi
⅓ tsp
Muối
Salt
⅓ tsp
Salt
Muối
⅓ tsp
Bột ngọt
MSG
⅓ tsp
MSG
Bột ngọt
⅓ tsp
Bột nêm
Seasoning powder
⅓ tsp
Seasoning powder
Bột nêm
1 tsp
Đường cát
Sugar
1 tsp
Sugar
Đường cát
½ tbsp / 7 ml
Tương ớt
Chili sauce
½ tbsp / 7 ml
Chili sauce
Tương ớt
½ tbsp / 7 ml
Tương cà
Ketchup
½ tbsp / 7 ml
Ketchup
Tương cà
as needed
Dầu ăn
Oil
as needed
Oil
Dầu ăn
~120 ml / ½ cup
Nước lọc
Water
~120 ml / ½ cup
Water
Nước lọc
a few sprigs
Ngò gỉ
Cilantro
a few sprigs
Cilantro
Ngò gỉ

Section V / The Method

Cook it through

One step at a time.

Total

42 min

Step 1
01
Step 01 / 07
Re-fry the tofu
Chiên sơ tàu hũ
Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the 3 pieces of fried tofu and pan-fry for 5-6 minutes, turning once or twice, until both sides are evenly golden and fragrant. Remove to a plate.
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Step 2
02
Step 02 / 07
Prep aromatics and tofu
Sơ chế nguyên liệu
Finely slice the scallions and set aside. Smash then mince the shallots and garlic until very fine. Quarter each piece of tofu into 4 pieces. Halve the tomatoes, remove the tough core, then dice or chop them finely.
Timer · 13 min
In the app · Timer
13 min
Step 3
03
Step 03 / 07
Fry garlic and shallots
Phi tỏi và hành tím
Heat a little oil in the same pan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and shallots and stir-fry until golden and fragrant.
Timer · 2 min
In the app · Timer
2 min
Step 4
04
Step 04 / 07
Cook down tomatoes
Nấu sốt cà chua
Add all the diced tomatoes to the pan and stir to combine. Season with ⅓ tsp salt, ⅓ tsp MSG, ⅓ tsp seasoning powder, and 1 tsp sugar. Stir well, then reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes soften and begin to break down.
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Step 5
05
Step 05 / 07
Add water and sauces
Thêm nước và tương
Add about 120 ml / ½ cup of water to the pan and continue simmering over low heat, stirring occasionally. Once the sauce starts to thicken, stir in ½ tbsp chili sauce and ½ tbsp ketchup. Cook for 1 more minute.
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Step 6
06
Step 06 / 07
Braise tofu in sauce
Sốt tàu hũ với cà chua
Add all the quartered tofu pieces to the pan, spreading them out evenly. Spoon the tomato sauce over the top of each piece so the flavor soaks in from all sides. Simmer over low heat for 5-6 minutes until the tofu is fully heated through and well-coated.
By feel · Watch the pan
By Feel
No timer — watch the pan.
Step 7
07
Step 07 / 07
Garnish and serve
Cho hành lá và trình bày
Turn off the heat. Scatter the sliced scallions and a few sprigs of cilantro over the top. Transfer to a serving plate, spooning all the sauce over the tofu.
Timer · 2 min
In the app · Timer
2 min

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Step 01 / 07

Đậu Hụ Sốt Cà Chua

Re-fry the tofu

Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the 3 pieces of fried tofu and pan-fry for 5-6 minutes, turning once or twice, until both sides are evenly golden and fragrant. Remove to a…

By Feel

Watch the pan.

Whisq

Step 04 / 07

Đậu Hụ Sốt Cà Chua

Cook down tomatoes

Add all the diced tomatoes to the pan and stir to combine. Season with ⅓ tsp salt, ⅓ tsp MSG, ⅓ tsp seasoning powder, and 1 tsp sugar. Stir well, then reduce heat to low and…

By Feel

Watch the pan.

Whisq

Step 07 / 07

Đậu Hụ Sốt Cà Chua

Garnish and serve

Turn off the heat. Scatter the sliced scallions and a few sprigs of cilantro over the top. Transfer to a serving plate, spooning all the sauce over the tofu.

Timer

2 min