Knuspriger koreanischer Tofu (crispy Korean tofu)
Units
Temperature
Servings
Ingredients
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
Method
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.