For this month's #Food of the World event, we are going to South Korea. The town we live in has a large Korean population in fact one of our next door neighbors are Korean. We have a very big Korean grocery store in town (actually that is the only store we have in town) and they have pretty much everything you need to make a Korean dish at home.
For today, I actually wanted to make another dish and bought the ingredients too. It was a cold noodle dish and the noodles I bought completely clumped up after boiling. Not sure what went wrong and then I had to change plans and make this tofu.
I'm glad I tried this dish because this is probably the best tofu I've ever made. Recipe is from Vegetarian Times magazine. It uses Korean red pepper powder called gochugaru -- it has a distinctly sweet heat and is worth seeking out. Luckily I picked it up on my previous grocery trip and it sure makes a lot of difference in the taste.
This is a very easy and quick to make dish that comes together in less than 30 minutes. The spicy braised tofu is served with sweet & crunchy pear slaw. My husband liked the whole dish and this will be featuring on our weekly menu going forward.
This is a very easy and quick to make dish that comes together in less than 30 minutes. The spicy braised tofu is served with sweet & crunchy pear slaw. My husband liked the whole dish and this will be featuring on our weekly menu going forward.
Ingredients:
For the Tofu:
Firm or Extra firm Tofu - 1 14oz., pack, drained and patted dry and cut into 8 rectangular slices
Low sodium Soy sauce - 3tbsp
Korean red pepper powder (gochugaru) - 1tbsp (or use 1½tsp red chili flakes)
Maple Syrup - 2tsp
Rice Vinegar - 1tsp
Green Onions - 2, thinly sliced
Garlic - 2 cloves, finely minced
For the Pear Slaw:
Pear (Bartlett preferred) - 1, sliced into matchsticks (I used Anjou Pear)
Rice Vinegar - 1tsp
Black sesame seeds - 1tsp, toasted
Firm or Extra firm Tofu - 1 14oz., pack, drained and patted dry and cut into 8 rectangular slices
Low sodium Soy sauce - 3tbsp
Korean red pepper powder (gochugaru) - 1tbsp (or use 1½tsp red chili flakes)
Maple Syrup - 2tsp
Rice Vinegar - 1tsp
Green Onions - 2, thinly sliced
Garlic - 2 cloves, finely minced
For the Pear Slaw:
Pear (Bartlett preferred) - 1, sliced into matchsticks (I used Anjou Pear)
Rice Vinegar - 1tsp
Black sesame seeds - 1tsp, toasted
Method:
- To make the tofu: Heat 1tbsp toasted sesame oil in a large nonstick skillet on medium heat. Add the tofu in single layer and cook for 7~9 minutes on each side, until golden brown.
- In a small bowl, whisk soy sauce, maple syrup, rice vinegar, gochugaru and 3tbsp water. Stir in the scallions and garlic.
- Pour the sauce over the tofu, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the skillet and cook for 5~7 minutes, or until most of the sauce is absorbed. Flip tofu halfway through cooking.
- To make Pear Slaw: Toss pear matchsticks with rice vinegar and sesame seeds.
- To serve: Arrange 2 tofu rectangles on each of the 4 serving plates and top each with the par slaw. Serve right away!!
Adelina: http://www.homemaidsimple.com
Mireille: http://www.eastwestrealm.com
Pavani: http://www.cookshideout.com
I will look for the seasoning you mentioned. I love how getting a new spice can open you up to entire cuisine. The tofu looks delicious. As far as the clumpy noodles are concerned my guess is either/or: not enough water in the pot and not stirred enough. Also, Asian noodles cook quickly and continue to cook so remove them al dente.
ReplyDeleteSuch a refreshing change from all d bakes we have been having !! Am definitely making these .. Loved it :))
ReplyDelete... And how do I join this event pavani ? Inbox me pl.. Am guessing this is a monthly free-of-standArd recipe kind of event
ReplyDeleteWow Pavani you have me drooling
ReplyDeleteI don't even like tofu but this looks so good.. really surprised to see maple syrup in this - must give it quite a distinctive taste
ReplyDeleteMmm so yummy Pavani.
ReplyDeleteI love tofu and yours looks excellent. I'll have to look for the gochugaru...you can't have too many types of chili can you? :)
ReplyDeleteI've never cooked Tofu myself - but have enjoyed it when eating out periodically. This dish looks absolutely lovely and delicious.
ReplyDelete