Lemongrass Tofu with Daikon

Lemongrass is a wonderfully fragrant herb. If prepped and cooked properly, it adds not only flavor but also a great texture to vegetables, meat, fish or tofu.

I used the lemongrass in this dish as a coating for the tofu (tàu hũ xào xả). Daikon radish (củ cải trắng in Vietnamese) provides contrasts in both texture and flavor. I think the way the daikon is cut dramatically changes the texture of the dish. By cutting it into thick strings, the daikon cooks fast but remain slightly firm.

Note: Glossary of relevant Vietnamese cooking terms.

Tàu hũ = tofu

Xào = stir fry

Xả = lemongrass

Củ = root

Trắng = white

Hot and Sour Thai Soup Recipe

Tom Yum Thai soup has a unique taste. It's both spicy and sour and loaded with amazing flavors such as lemongrass, galangal, fresh kaffir limes leaves and coconut milk. For this version, I combined fresh water chestnuts, sugar snap peas, tamarind, red chili powder, baby squid and mackerel. You could also add shrimp or chicken. And of course, the soup is easy to make vegetarian as well.

Bo Xao Xa Ot Recipe (Vietnamese Lemongrass Beef)

Bún thịt bò xào xả ớt (chile lemongrass beef noodles) is one of my favorite Vietnamese "casual" everyday meals. I like the way lemongrass is used to spice things up in this Vietnamese classic. Tender, boneless stir-fried beef is cooked with fresh lemongrass, freshly chopped chile peppers and onions. The meat is served in a bowl filled with cold vermicelli rice noodles, roasted peanuts, fresh vegetables (usually cucumber and pickled carrots), fresh Vietnamese herbs and soy bean sprouts. The entire dish is drizzled with mixed herbed fish sauce as seasoning.

The cooking time is very fast, and call me crazy but I love the sound of the sizzling pan. I stir-fried the beef, but on hotter days, you could also thread the meat into skewers and grill them.

Note: Glossary of relevant Vietnamese cooking terms.

Bún = noodles

Thịt bò = beef

Thịt = meat

Xào = stir fry

Xả = lemongrass

Ớt = chile