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Cà tím om đậu
Cà tím om đậu: Hanoi braise of aubergine and fried tofu with tomato and perilla
In Hanoi, cà tím om đậu is a humble lunch dish of the old quarter rice shops and home kitchens, especially in the cooler months, and it is traditionally braised with pork and a spoon of fermented shrimp paste. This vegan version keeps the soft, smoky aubergine, golden tofu and sweet-sour tomato sauce, and swaps the shrimp paste for soy sauce, while purple perilla (tía tô) adds its unmistakable minty-anise lift. Serve it with plain rice and a bowl of clear vegetable soup. The usual mistake is crowding the tofu in the pan so it steams instead of frying, leaving it pale and soft. Chef's tip: soak the cut aubergine in lightly salted water with a dash of vinegar for 10 minutes, which stops it browning and keeps it from soaking up too much oil.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 2 long purple auberginesabout 500 g, cut into 4 cm chunks
- 1 tbsp rice vinegarfor soaking
- 1 tsp salthalf for soaking, half for seasoning
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil
- 10 ½ oz firm tofupatted dry and cut into 3 cm cubes
- 3 cloves garlicchopped
- 3 spring onionswhite and green parts separated, chopped
- 3 ripe tomatoeschopped
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- ¾ cup water
- 1 handful perilla (tía tô) leavesroughly torn
- ¼ tsp black pepper
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What you'll need
Fresh ingredients (5)
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Put the 2 long purple aubergines in a bowl of cold water with the 1 tbsp rice vinegar and half the ½ tsp salt. Weigh it down with a plate and soak for 10 minutes, then drain and squeeze gently.
10 minStep 2: Heat the 4 tbsp vegetable oil in a wide, deep pan or wok over a medium-high heat. Fry the 10 ½ oz firm tofu in a single layer, turning, for 6–8 minutes until golden and crisp on all sides. Lift out onto a plate.
8 minStep 3: In the oil left in the pan, fry the 3 cloves garlic and the white part of the 3 spring onions for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the 3 ripe tomatoes and cook for 4 minutes, pressing them, until they collapse into a sauce.
5 minStep 5: Return the tofu, stir gently and simmer uncovered for 3–4 minutes. The aubergine is done when it is silky and translucent, with no white spongy centre, and the sauce has thickened and clings.
4 minStep 6: Turn off the heat, stir in the 1 handful perilla (tía tô) leaves, the green part of the spring onion and the ¼ tsp black pepper, and serve hot with rice.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 250 kcal
- Protein
- 12 g
- Carbs
- 15 g
- Fat
- 16 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
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Good to know
- How long does cà tím om đậu take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of rice vinegar?
- Cider vinegar with a pinch of sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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