Years ago, there was a Korean hole-in-the-wall takeaway restaurant near the University of Washington in Seattle. It was probably the best value for money in the area and a classic lunch would be a spicy Korean tofu, pile of rice, and crisp, fresh salad with a sesame dressing. The tofu was almost bright red from a then (to me) unknown spice of some kind. Since the restaurant is no longer there, I’ve been searching for a replacement for that perfect vegan Korean meal. This is the answer!
That bright red color comes from gochujang, a fermented red pepper pasted used in a lot of Korean cooking and you can swap the salad for whatever greens you have on hand. This meal is delicious with brown or white rice but the main tofu dish comes together in about 20 minutes so if you’re going for speed, white rice it is!
Vegan Takeout-Style Korean Tofu
Equipment
- Tofu Press optional
Ingredients
- 16 oz extra firm tofu
- 2 tbsp gochujang
- 2 tbsp ketchup
- 1/2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp toasted sesame seed oil
- 4 cloves garlic crushed
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp sesame oil untoasted, for frying
- 2 scallions to garnish
- sesame seeds to garnish
Instructions
- Remove the tofu from the package and pat dry. If desired, use a tofu press.
- Whisk the gochujang, ketchup, maple syrup, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, and crushed garlic in a small bowl and set aside.
- Cut the block of tofu into about one inch cubes, then put in a separate bowl from the gochujang mixture and sprinkle with the cornstarch, tossing with a spatula to distribute the cornstarch evenly.
- Put the sesame oil in a non-stick frying pan large enough for all of the tofu pieces to fit in one layer and put over a medium-high heat. Add the tofu and fry until golden and crispy, about 5-8 minutes.
- Remove the tofu from the pan (you can just put it back in the bowl it was in originally), then reduce the heat to low and pour in the gochujang sauce. Let it cook for a minute or two, until fragrant and the garlic is just cooked.
- Add the tofu back to the pan with the warm sauce and stir to combine and fully coat the tofu in the sauce, another minute or two.
- Serve with white or brown rice, a side salad or veggies, and topped with a generous spoonful of sesame seeds and the chopped scallions.