Tofu with Lemongrass and Thai Basil

I braved our lemongrass thicket the other day to harvest a couple of stalks. They combined well with some Thai basil, serrano peppers and fish peppers from our garden to make our tofu dinner delicious.

Seriously delicious. Larry thought it was the best tofu ever, and he was an accomplished tofu-veggie stir-fry maker even before I met him.

It's a dry dish - no sauce to be soaked up by rice. I served it with a salad and some grilled vegetables for a light dinner that tempted the tastebuds on a hot summer evening.

Tofu with Lemongrass and Thai Basil
14 oz package firm tofu
2 stalks lemongrass
1 1/2 tbsp tamari soy sauce
4 red chiles - serranos and fish peppers are good
1 tsp tumeric
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup thinly sliced onion
1 shallot, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 scant tbsp vegetable oil
3/4 cup Thai basil leaves
3 tbsp roasted unsalted peanuts

Rinse tofu and press in a towel for a few minutes. Pat dry and cut into 1/2 inch cubes.

Peel the tough outer layers of the lemongrass, and grate the tender center part on a fine grater. Mix in a bowl with tamari, chopped chilies, turmeric and salt. Gently stir in the tofu and let marinate for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Warm oil over high heat in cast iron fry pan. Stir in onions, shallot and garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute. Push them to the sides of the pan and place the tofu cubes and marinade in the middle. Turn the tofu cubes occasionally as they cook until they are browned around the edges. Stir the onions too so they cook but don't burn.

When the tofu is lightly browned, and the onions are cooked, stir it all together, and add the coarsely chopped basil and peanuts.

Serve immediately.

Serves 2-3