Description
Korean Braised Tofu is a flavorful vegetarian dish featuring crispy pan-fried tofu slices simmered in a spicy, savory sauce made with traditional Korean ingredients like gochujang and gochugaru. This quick and easy recipe offers a perfect balance of heat and umami, garnished with green onions and toasted sesame seeds, making it a delicious side or main when served over steamed rice.
Ingredients
Scale
Tofu
- 1 block (14 oz or 400g) firm tofu, pressed to remove excess liquid
Cooking
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Sauce
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce (preferably Korean soy sauce for soup, if available)
- 1 tablespoon gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes)
- 1 tablespoon gochujang (Korean red chili paste)
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar or mirin
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
Garnish
- 1 green onion, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
Instructions
- Prepare the tofu: Slice the pressed tofu into 1/2-inch thick pieces. Pat dry each piece with a paper towel to ensure they fry well and achieve a crispy texture.
- Pan-fry the tofu: Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Carefully place the tofu slices in the pan and cook until golden brown on each side, about 3-4 minutes per side. Work in batches if needed to avoid overcrowding.
- Make the sauce: While tofu is frying, mix the soy sauce, gochugaru, gochujang, sugar, rice vinegar, minced garlic, and toasted sesame oil in a small bowl until the sugar dissolves completely.
- Simmer the sauce: Remove the cooked tofu from the pan and set aside. Pour the sauce into the same pan and bring it to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
- Braise the tofu: Return the tofu slices to the pan, coating each piece with the sauce. Let the tofu simmer for 5-8 minutes, turning once halfway, until the sauce thickens and is mostly absorbed.
- Garnish and serve: Transfer the braised tofu to a serving dish and sprinkle with chopped green onions and sesame seeds. Serve hot or at room temperature, alone or over steamed rice.
Notes
- Pressing the tofu before frying is important to remove excess moisture for better crispiness.
- Adjust the amount of gochugaru and gochujang depending on your spice tolerance.
- Use Korean soy sauce if available for a more authentic flavor; regular soy sauce can be substituted.
- This dish pairs wonderfully with steamed rice or noodles.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheated gently to preserve texture.
