# Vietnamese Tofu Balls

These Vietnamese tofu balls are crispy, juicy, and flavor bombs, and the secret lies in the technique of pre-boiling, pan-searing, and air-frying the tofu.

- Cuisine: Vietnamese
- Category: Appetizer
- Language: en

## Ingredients

- 1 block tofu
- 1 small white onion
- 1 stalk green onion
- 1 tbsp fresh lemongrass
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbsp sriracha
- 2 tsp vegan fish sauce
- 1 tsp salt
- 0.25 tsp white pepper
- 4 tbsp oat flour

## Instructions

1. Pre-boil the whole tofu block in salted water for 5 minutes.
2. Let the tofu cool down a bit.
3. Finely chop the onion, spring onion, and lemongrass.
4. Mash the tofu in a bowl.
5. Mix in all the aromatics, seasonings, and sauces.
6. Add oat flour one tablespoon at a time until you can easily form balls that hold their shape.
7. Pan-fry the balls until golden on the outside.
8. Transfer to an air fryer and crisp up at 200°C for 10 minutes until evenly golden.
9. Serve hot with a dip or in your bún chả or bánh mì.

## Equipment

- pot
- knife
- cutting board
- bowl
- pan
- air fryer
- wooden plate

## Tips

- Pre-boiling tofu in salted water gives it a tender, bouncy bite and helps season it from the inside, making it absorb flavor better.
- Pan-searing brings out the aromatics by sizzling them directly into the tofu, which cannot be achieved by only baking/air-frying.
- Air-frying locks in a golden, crispy shell without deep frying, keeping the outside crunchy and the inside juicy and tender.

## Source

- Original video: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8hGjJT6/
- Recipe page: https://www.cliprecipe.com/recipe/ffab98eb-1c16-4afc-a478-c5390c224449
- Extracted: 2025-07-18

Extracted from the video by Clip Recipe (https://www.cliprecipe.com). Quantities and steps are as stated or shown in the video. Site guide for agents: https://www.cliprecipe.com/llms.txt