Lemongrass tofu bánh mì
Helen serves up a stunning tofu bánh mì recipe, marinated in a heady mixture of lemongrass, fish sauce, coriander and garlic for a delicious take on this classic Vietnamese sandwich.
The bánh mì is one of the world’s great sandwiches. This glorious mash up came about as a result of French colonial rule in Vietnam, when French ingredients like baguette, mayonnaise and pâté were combined with chilli and pickled vegetables.
People tend to associate the bánh mì with pork, but there are other interesting fillings to try. You’ve probably guessed by now that tofu is one of them. One of the greatest properties of tofu is its texture, and this recipe should give you the right balance of crisp outer skin and soft, wobbly interior.
The best way to cook this is on a griddle pan, over a moderate, rather than high, heat. This ensures the tofu has time to develop a decent crust, which can otherwise stick to the pan
Ingredients
Metric
Imperial
Lemongrass tofu for the bánh mì
- 500g of firm tofu
- 3 tbsp of fish sauce
- 3 lemongrass stalks, woody ends and outer layers discarded, soft centre finely sliced
- 1 tbsp of light brown sugar, or palm sugar
- 1 handful of coriander, leaves and stalks
- garlic cloves, 4–6 crushed (up to you!)
- 1 tsp ground white pepper
Pickled vegetables
- 1 large carrot, cut into thin sticks
- 1/4 daikon radish, cut into thin sticks
- 3 tbsp of white wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp of caster sugar
- 1 pinch of salt
To assemble the bánh mì
- 4 baguettes, small, soft white 'torpedo' versions
- 1/2 cucumber, deseeded and cut into long strips
- red chillies, 1–2, finely sliced
- coriander leaves
- mint leaves
- mayonnaise
Method
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