Gochujang Tofu (Korean-Style Crispy Tofu Recipe)
When you are in need of some bold flavours, look no further than Korean cuisine! This Spicy Gochujang tofu recipe will exhilarate your tastebuds to the maximum and leave nothing to be desired! Naturally vegan, this Korean Tofu dish is not for the faint-hearted though: crispy fried tofu is covered in extremely tasty gochujang sauce that is spicy, salty, umami and a little bit smoky. Complex, yet extremely delicious tofu with gochujang is a prime example of Korean cooking that you can easily recreate at home no matter where in the world you are!
Ingredients
For Crispy Tofu:
- 300 g tofu firm or extra-firm
- 3 tablespoon cornflour cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon chilli powder
- 5 tablespoon vegetable oil
For Gochujang Sauce:
- 1 tablespoon gochujang paste
- 1 garlic clove very finely chopped or minced
- 1 tablespoon ginger very finely chopped or minced
- 2 tablespoon light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 level tbsp tomato paste / tomato puree
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon cornflour
- 5 tablespoon water
To Garnish:
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- 1 spring onion sliced
Instructions
- At least half an hour before you start cooking, take your tofu out of the fridge and drain it. Wrap in a clean tea towel and place something heavy on top: you can use a large skillet (or any other heavy pan), a chopping board with lots of cans on top or a bunch of books.
- In a large bowl, mix 3 tablespoon of cornflour with a generous pinch of salt and chilli powder. After 30 minutes of pressing your tofu, break it up into chunks with your hands (or you can cut it into small pieces with a knife) and tip them into the cornflour mixture. Make sure to cover all the tofu pieces thoroughly.
- Heat oil in a large frying pan on medium-high heat. Add the coated tofu pieces and stir fry for 10-15 minutes, or until browned and crispy. Using a slotted spoon or a fish slice, take the crispy tofu out of the pan and onto a plate lined with paper towels. It will absorb any excess oil.
- Whilst the tofu is crisping up, heat sesame oil on low heat in a separate pan. Add the garlic and ginger and stir fry for a minute, but don't let them brown. Add the brown sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, tomato puree and gochujang and stir the sauce until the sugar dissolves.
- In a small bowl, mix a teaspoon of cornflour with 5 tablespoons of water. Pour the mixture into the pan with the sauce and stir. Simmer on medium heat, stirring continuously, until the sauce thickens to the right consistency to coat the tofu well.
- Add the crispy tofu to the sauce and stir for 1-2 minutes to coat and warm through.
- Scatter sesame seeds and spring onion on top and serve with your favourite side dishes!
Video
Nutrition
Calories: 544kcalCarbohydrates: 24gProtein: 15gFat: 44gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 25gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0.2gSodium: 1344mgPotassium: 138mgFiber: 3gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 216IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 225mgIron: 3mg
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