Golden-brown fried tofu gets a generous coating of spicy sambal made with red chili, shallot, garlic and tomato. Served with rice and cool cucumber, it makes a hearty main course with just enough freshness to balance the warm sauce.
Tauhu masak sambal is a Malaysian dish in which tofu is not just an addition but the foundation of the meal. The name refers to tofu cooked in sambal; there are many versions, and the ingredients vary from one household and cook to another. In this version, ripe tomato makes for a mellow, savory sauce, while red chili, shallot and garlic provide its distinctive flavor. Tamarind adds a subtle sour note that balances the sweetness of the tomato.
Firm tofu is the right choice here: it holds its shape when fried and later stirred through the sauce. Pat the cubes thoroughly dry before they go into the pan. This helps them brown more evenly and reduces oil splatter. Give them plenty of room and fry in batches if needed; an overcrowded pan cools down, so the tofu steams instead of developing a golden-brown crust. Firm tofu stays soft inside, with enough structure to hold onto the sauce.
The sambal needs to fry gently in oil first. Raw chili, shallot and garlic taste sharp and somewhat uncooked; cooking them patiently makes them rounder and sweeter. Tomato makes the sauce juicy, but it also contains a lot of moisture. Let that evaporate until the sambal is thick enough to cling to the tofu. Use mild red chilies for moderate heat, or add a hotter small chili. If fresh chili is hard to find, jarred sambal oelek can be a practical substitute, but it has a different texture and may be saltier; taste before adding extra salt.
Serve the dish straight away with white rice to soak up the sauce, and slices of cucumber for a fresh, crisp contrast. A squeeze of lime at the table can be nice if you want a fresher-tasting sauce, but it isn't needed for the basic recipe. Green beans or lightly blanched bok choy also go well, as long as they don't overpower the tofu and sambal. If you have leftovers, cool them promptly and store them covered in the refrigerator. Store the rice separately and reheat both thoroughly; add a splash of water to the sambal if needed to loosen the sauce again.
Cook the rice according to the package instructions. Meanwhile, cut the tofu into cubes about 2 cm in size and pat them dry with paper towels.
Grind or blend the red chilies, shallots, garlic and water into a coarse paste. Add the bird's eye chili if you want a hotter sambal.
Heat 4 tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Fry the tofu in a single layer until golden brown all over; work in batches if the pan is too crowded. Remove the tofu from the pan and sprinkle with some of the salt.
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the same pan. Fry the chili paste for 6–8 minutes over medium-low heat, stirring regularly, until the paste has darkened and no longer smells raw.
Stir in the tomato, tamarind paste, sugar and remaining salt. Simmer gently for 5–7 minutes, until the tomato has softened and the sambal is thick and glossy.
Stir the fried tofu through the sambal and heat for 2–3 minutes, until the sauce clings to the cubes. Slice the cucumber and serve with the rice and tofu.
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