Knuspriger koreanischer Tofu (crispy Korean tofu)
Cubed tofu pressed firmly to remove excess water, then coated in a thin layer of cornstarch and pan-fried until genuinely crisp on every side, the sticky-sweet gochujang glaze tossed through only once the tofu is out of the pan so the coating stays crackling rather than steaming soft under the sauce. Pressing the tofu properly, not just patting it dry, is what lets the cornstarch coating crisp instead of sliding off in the hot oil.
Prep30 min
Cook20 min
Servings4
Christoph's crispy Korean tofu, the sauce tossed through only after frying so the coating stays crackling rather than steaming soft.
Ingredients
Units
Temperature
Servings
Tofu
- 400 g firm tofu, pressed, cut into cubes rounded
- 40 g cornstarch rounded
- 60 ml neutral oil, for frying rounded
Sauce
- 30 g gochujang rounded
- 20 ml soy sauce rounded
- 20 g maple syrup rounded
- 15 ml rice vinegar rounded
- 1 garlic clove, grated rounded
- 10 g sesame seeds, for garnish rounded
- 15 g spring onion, sliced, for garnish rounded
Dietary labels are a guide, not a guarantee. If you have an allergy, read the ingredients yourself.
Method
- Press the tofu firmly for at least 15 minutes, wrapped in a clean kitchen towel with a weight on top, to remove excess water; or simmer it whole for 3 minutes in salted water instead (see the tofu prep formula), which does the same job faster and seasons it at the same time.
- Cut the pressed tofu into cubes. Toss with the cornstarch, coating each piece evenly.
- Heat the oil in a wide pan over medium-high heat. Fry the tofu in a single layer, turning occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, until uniformly golden and crisp on every side. Remove from the pan.
- Whisk the gochujang, soy sauce, maple syrup, rice vinegar and garlic together in a small pot. Warm over low heat for 1 to 2 minutes, until slightly thickened.
- Toss the crispy tofu with the warm sauce just before serving. Scatter with sesame seeds and spring onion.
Notes
- Press the tofu properly, not just pat it dry. A quick pat leaves too much internal water; that water turns to steam in the hot oil and prevents the cornstarch coating from crisping up, leaving it soggy instead.
- A short simmer in salted water is a faster substitute for pressing, not an extra step. It firms the tofu in about 3 minutes rather than 15, and seasons it from within at the same time; see the tofu prep formula.
- Fry until genuinely crisp on every side, not just lightly coloured. The coating needs to be sturdy enough to hold up once the sauce is tossed through; a lightly fried coating goes soft almost instantly.
- Toss the sauce through only right before serving. Sauced tofu sitting for even a few minutes loses its crunch as the coating absorbs moisture from the glaze.
- Best eaten immediately; this dish doesn’t hold or reheat with the crisp texture intact.
Ingredient substitutions
- Gochujang is essential to the character here; if unavailable, a mix of sriracha and a little miso paste approximates the sweet-spicy depth, though not exactly.
- Soy sauce can be tamari for a gluten-free version.
- Serve over steamed rice, with extra sesame seeds and a simple cucumber salad on the side.
Good with
From Christoph Mayer