This recipe for fried & stuffed tofu in tomato sauce is a meatified version of the popular Vietnamese dish of tofu in tomato sauce (or Đậu hũ dồn thịt sốt cà chua).
That version is great, and probably the one I’ve had more of, however, the version you’re going to make in this post is more substantial–enough that you don’t need another side dish or entree to go with it.
To be honest, I haven’t been super particular in choosing tomatoes for this dish. I like to go with plum Roma tomatoes because of its size and texture and the color is always enhanced by adding some tomato paste. The flavor is balanced out nicely when adjusting the seasoning, so I’ve never had a problem. My favorite time to make this recipe is when I have tomatoes grown from pots in my backyard.
Start with fried tofu, or else this is just going to fall apart in your lap. You can fry the tofu yourself, or pick up some pre-fried ones to save some time. There’s some kinda strange pre-fried variety I got before that is super airy and light. It was almost like there was more fried exterior than actual tofu inside. It was okay, but not as good as the heavier, denser type.
To stuff the tofu, simply cut a slice in the center of and fill it with the pork mixture. Cut it so you can add almost as much filling as you like without having the tofu burst at the sides.
This recipe can easily double too if you have more folks to feed, or want more leftovers. I like to top mine with chile flakes and eat with rice, for breakfast, lunch, or dinner :). Make sure to check out Hungry Huy on Instagram for more pics of food adventures!
Pork-Stuffed Tofu In Tomato Sauce (Đậu Hũ Dồn Thịt Sốt Cà Chua)
Ingredients
- 1 lb (453.6 g) firm tofu block or pre-fried tofu!
- 1 stalk green onion chopped
Tomato Sauce
- 5 medium Roma tomatoes quartered
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1/2 tsp fish sauce
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1/2 c water
Filling
- 1/2 lb (226.8 g) ground pork
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/8 tsp MSG (monosodium glutamate)
- 1/4 c chopped onion
Extras
- oil for deep frying
Instructions
- Cut, dry, and fry the tofu (or use pre-fried tofu)
- Combine ingredients for the filling and mix well. Slit the tofu and stuff tofu with the filling.
- Cut the tomatoes, then add the stuffed tofu, and all tomato sauce ingredients into one pot
- Bring to a boil, then drop the heat to a simmer on low for 10 minutes or until tomatoes are softened and the meat filling is completely cooked.
- Mix it midway to ensure more even cooking, add chopped green onions during the last few minutes to cook and soften it a bit.
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Thanks for sharing this recipe. Đậu hũ sốt cà chua has been my favorite, and it’s one of the few dishes I can still eat since becoming a vegetarian. Do you have any vegetarian friendly recipes? I find I had to give up a lot of my favorite dishes such as bun bi hue, cha gio, bun thit noung, etc. Your list of recipes reminds of the many meals my mom made growing up. Judging from your menu, I was curious if your family is nguoi bac like mine.
Hi Bryan, this recipe looks awesome. I was recently in Saigon, and I tried this dish (or maybe the less meaty version) a number of times at com binh dan stalls, and it was probably my favorite dish. Thanks for this recipe, looks wonderful, I’ll give it a shot when I have a chance.
The meatless version is really good too, sometimes I actually prefer that. I’d love to try it in Saigon! Thanks for sharing Mark
I’m a busy woman and I can’t believe this terrific dish is ready in 25 minutes, that’s fabulous!
Yup with some shortcuts this dish is pretty quick. Easy food with big comfort rating 🙂
Thank for sharing this delicious recipe with nice and yummy photography. But why do you put MSG in the recipe? it’s not necessary and better for health without ! My mom always says that’s enhance the taste but nooo, try without, there’s no difference 😉
Thank you for the compliments Thi! Studies on MSG’s effects are inconclusive at the moment. I add MSG to improve taste, but it’s optional–anyone paranoid about it can omit it if they wish.
Tastes great- one of my faves that my mom makes. I did not include MSG
Def is still good without the MSG! Glad it reminds you of mom 🙂
It’s been so long since I’ve had this, but loved eating it growing up. I like both the meat and meatless version. Did your parents make the fried catfish in tomato sauce that’s kind of similar to this? I absolutely loved that dish and can eat the whole fish on my own. LOL
I haven’t had the catfish version!