Exciting Lutong Pinoy Recipe: Experience the Fried Tofu Frenzy

Filipino food has been gaining some traction in recent years, after being shadowed by other Asian cuisines. A proper Lutong Pinoy recipe could be the key reason for this. As authentic as it gets, most Lutong Pinoy recipes are already the best ones you can find when it comes to Filipino food, and this crispy tofu recipe is a prime example.

The secret mostly lies in the sauce. A traditional and unique combination of different condiments and liquids, the sauce is the perfect balance of savory and umami flavors. Still, this doesn’t come as a surprise, especially after considering how well their beef and chicken recipes are done.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Substitutions
• Variations
• Equipment
• Storage
• Pro Tips
• Lutong Pinoy Recipe
• Comments

Ingredients

1. Main

• Tofu — 1 pound, firm
• Garlic — 2 tsp., minced
• Onion — 1 pc., diced
• Vegetable oil — 2 tbsp.
• Red bell pepper — 1 pc., diced
• Shiitake mushrooms — 3 tbsp., diced
• Mayonnaise — 2 tbsp.

2. The sauce

• Fish sauce — 1 tbsp.
• Lemon juice — 1 tbsp.
• Oyster sauce — 1 tbsp.
• Sugar — 1 tsp.
• Salt and pepper — to taste

Instructions

1. Start by draining the tofu. Slice it into cubes.

2. Heat some oil in a large pan, transfer the tofu to it, and add salt and pepper.

3. Sauté the tofu until golden, which should only take a few minutes.

4. Remove from the heat and set aside.

5. Combine all the sauce ingredients in a mixing bowl.

6. Heat vegetable oil in the same pan.

7. Cook the onion and the garlic for a minute. Afterward, do the same for the mushrooms and the bell pepper.

8. Transfer the tofu back to the pan and pour the sauce mix on top.

9. Stir well.

10. Add the mayonnaise.

11. Serve hot.

Substitutions

• Fish sauce — Most Lutong Pinoy recipes call for fish sauce, a cornerstone of Filipino cuisine. If you’re short on it, you can use soy sauce or tamari without any problems. 

• Lemon juice — This one is fairly easy to replace. While some of the options are closer to lemon juice in taste, such as lime juice and citrus juice, others will provide a different flavor profile; like white vinegar.

• Oyster sauce — Oyster sauce is not a common ingredient, at least in Western recipes. Our Lutong Pinoy recipe calls for oyster sauce, but still, you could replace it with teriyaki sauce and Worcestershire sauce.

Variations

• Vegan fried tofu — This Lutong Pinoy recipe could easily be made vegan. Tofu is the ultimate vegan food. Vegan mayonnaise is incredibly easy to find, and the same goes for the oyster sauce as well. The rest is already vegan

• Spicy fried tofu — Any Lutong Pinoy recipe is savory with some hints of umami flavor. That is just traditional at this point. However, some people might feel a lack of heat. Admittedly, this Lutong Pinoy recipe doesn’t call for any spices, but you can always add some red pepper flakes and smoked paprika to the mix.

Equipment

• Measuring spoons

• Knife

• Mixing bowl

• Large saucepan

Storage

• First, allow your dish to cool completely.

• Transfer any leftover tofu into an airtight container. Once stored in your fridge, it will last for five days.

Pro Tips

• Make ahead — If you always find yourself short on time, you can drain and shape the tofu into cubes, mix the sauce ingredients, and store them in your fridge. Just keep in mind that a night should be the longest that you store them.

• Press the tofu — Draining the tofu is absolutely key to making this Lutong Pinoy recipe. While you could, technically, do that using your hands, you could also consider purchasing a tofu press for this purpose.