This tofu was AMAZING! I mean, with 15 cloves of garlic, how could it not be?! And, of course, the gochujang and sesame oil and frying didn't hurt either. That said, I think it also would have been very good baked.

I over-cooked my egg, but it was still tasty!

Gochujang Garlic Tofu

Slightly adapted from Aaron & Claire

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp. gochugaru
• 1 tsp. dasida
• 1 Tbsp. sugar
• 1/8 tsp. black peppercorns, ground
• 2 Tbsp. gochujang
• 1 Tbsp. light soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp. oyster sauce
• 1 Tbsp. corn syrup
• 2 Tbsp. mirin
• 1/2 c. water
• 1/2 Tbsp. cornstarch
• 350g extra-firm tofu, frozen and thawed
• 1/2 c. potato starch
• 2-4 Tbsp. canola oil
• 1 head of broccoli, cut into florets
• 1 tsp. garlic paste
• 1 tsp. dark soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp. sesame oil, divided
• 1 Tbsp. toasted sesame seeds
• 2-4 green onions, chopped, greens and whites kept separate
• 10-15 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 2 Tbsp. ginger paste
• 2 fresh chilies, sliced (optional)
• cooked rice, to serve
• soft-boiled or fried eggs, to serve

Directions

1. Combine the goochugaru, dasida, sugar, pepper, gochujang, light soy sauce, oyster sauce, corn syrup, and mirin in a large measuring cup.
2. Stir in the water and cornstarch and set aside.
3. Drain the tofu and press out as much liquid as possible.
4. Cut the tofu into cubes and dry it a little more.
5. At this point you can either proceed with the recipe as written, or make a batch of extra delicious tofu and use that as the tofu component of this recipe. The tofu won't be quite as crispy, but you'll use a lot less oil.
6. Coat the tofu in potato starch (if not using the "extra delicious tofu recipe").
7. Heat 2-3 Tbsp. of oil over medium heat and add the tofu.
8. Cook, turning occasionally, until tofu is crispy on all sides (7-8 minutes).
9. Meanwhile, steam the broccoli for 3-4 minutes, then shock it in cold water.
10. Toss the broccoli with the garlic paste, dark soy sauce, 1/2 Tbsp. of the sesame oil, and toasted sesame seeds and set it aside.
11. Once the tofu is cooked remove it from the pan and set it aside.
12. Add a bit more oil to the pan (1/2-1 Tbsp.) and fry the garlic, ginger, and the white parts of the green onions for a minute or two.
13. Pour in the gochujang sauce and cook for 3-4 minutes.
14. Add the fried tofu and stir until it's well-coated in the sauce.
15. Stir in the remaining 1/2 Tbsp. of sesame oil.
16. Place some hot rice in a bowl and top it with tofu and broccoli.
17. Garnish with the green parts of the green onions, toasted sesame seeds, sliced chilies, and a halved soft-boiled (or fried) egg and serve.

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Variants

Vegetarian Version

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp. gochugaru
• 1 tsp. vegetable bouillon powder
• 1 Tbsp. sugar
• 1/8 tsp. black peppercorns, ground
• 2 Tbsp. gochujang
• 1 Tbsp. light soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp. vegetarian oyster sauce
• 1 Tbsp. corn syrup
• 2 Tbsp. mirin
• 1/2 c. water
• 1/2 Tbsp. cornstarch
• 350g extra-firm tofu, frozen and thawed
• 1/2 c. potato starch
• 2-4 Tbsp. canola oil
• 1 head of broccoli, cut into florets
• 1 tsp. garlic paste
• 1 tsp. dark soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp. sesame oil, divided
• 1 Tbsp. toasted sesame seeds
• 2-4 green onions, chopped, greens and whites kept separate
• 10-15 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 2 Tbsp. ginger paste
• 2 fresh chilies, sliced (optional)
• cooked rice, to serve
• soft-boiled or fried eggs, to serve