Sweet and Spicy Tofu
Sweet and Spicy Tofu
If you are a fan of super spicy food, this recipe will absolutely satisfy your tastebuds. This tofu dish is crispy, garlicky, sweet, spicy and full of that umami flavor. The key to preparing tofu that tastes good is to drain all the liquid out. You can do that by carefully placing a heavy pot on the tofu and let the water drain; or use tofu press instead. I hope you give this recipe a try and I hope you enjoy it.
Ingredients
450 grams (16oz) of firm tofu
1.5 tablespoons of soy sauce
1 tablespoon of gochujang (Korean red chili paste)
1/2 tablespoons of gochugaru (Korean red chili powder)
2 tablespoons of maple syrup (or brown sugar)
2 tablespoons of corn starch
6 cloves of minced garlic
2 teaspoons of sesame oil
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
2 teaspoons of rice vinegar
some sesame seeds for garnish
some chives for garnish
Directions
To prepare the sauce, combine 1.5 tablespoons of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of gochujang, 1/2 tablespoons of gochugaru, 2 tablespoons of maple syrup or brown sugar, 2 teaspoons of rice vinegar.
As noted in the intro, one of the most important steps in preparing successful tofu dish is to ensure that excess liquid is drained from it. To drain the liquid, I use tofu press. However, if you don’t have tofu press, you can place a heavy pot on top of it and wait for about 30 minutes for the liquid to come out.
After you drain the tofu, cut it into small cubes (about 1 inch works for me) and coat it with 2 tablespoons of corn starch.
Preheat a non-stick pan and add to it about 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. To the hot pan, add half of your tofu. Then start slowly tossing the tofu until it becomes golden in color. For me this process took 5 minutes. Repeat the process with the rest of your tofu and remove from the heat. Your tofu pieces will probably stick to each other and that is normal. You can carefully take these pieces apart and then place the tofu on top of paper a towel in order for tofu to remain crispy.
Make sure that there is still some oil remaining in the pan, and then add to it all 6 cloves of minced garlic. After cooking garlic for about a minute, pour in your sauce and cook for another minute. Add your crispy tofu and coat it with the sauce, then turn off the heat and drizzle about 1-2 teaspoons of sesame oil on it.
Garnish the tofu with chopped chives and sesame seeds. Eat immediately while tofu is still crispy. Enjoy!