Do I need to press tofu before cooking it?

Pressing the tofu firmly with a paper towel can help remove excess moisture, however, this step is not always necessary. Do it if your tofu seems really wet but just for a few minutes. The tofu can become too dry and crumbly when pressed too long. Here we skipped the pressing and just lay the tofu out on a clean towel to absorb excess moisture.

How do I prevent tofu from sticking to the pan?

The secret here is not to move the tofu once you add it to the pan! Let it cook for 5 minutes, and then the tofu should have a crust and naturally release from the pan.

In addition to being a great source of protein, tofu has essential amino acids, minerals, and vitamins, including calcium, manganese, iron, and vitamin A.

How do I reheat Korean tofu?

Korean tofu is best when served immediately to retain crispiness. However, you can store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days. To reheat the tofu, simply warm in a sauté pan or in the air fryer.

Korean Tofu Rice Bowls

Name: Korean Tofu Rice Bowl
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Cuisine: korean
Ingredients: 8 ounces of firm tofu (extra-firm tofu works too); 3 tablespoons cornstarch or potato starch; 1-2 tablespoons gochujang – taste your gochujang for spiciness and adjust accordingly (see notes on replacements) **Check the ingredients to ensure gluten-free if needed.; 1 tablespoon soy sauce or low-sodium gf tamari; 1 tablespoon maple syrup; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon soy sauce or low-sodium gf tamari; 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar; 1 tablespoon sugar (honey or maple); 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil; 2 cups cucumber, sliced into thick rounds or 1/2 moons (English cucumber, Japanese, Armenian, or Persian- thin-skinned, seedless is preferred); 1 scallion, sliced thin; 1/2- 1 teaspoon Gochugaru Korean chili pepper flakes (spicy but not super hot, start with less and add more to taste); Jasmine rice; Kimchi; Raw veggies: avocado slices, shaved carrot, shredded cabbage, sprouts; Stir-fried veggies like: broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, mushrooms, pea pods, green beans, bell peppers or spinach; Garnishes: toasted sesame seeds, fresh cilantro, gochugaru chili flakes

Description

Crispy Korean Tofu Bowls are made with crispy gochujang tofu, spicy cucumber salad and kimchi. Easy and full of flavor! Vegan and gluten-free.

Ingredients

Units Scale

2-3 cups cooked rice (we used jasmine rice) (½ cup -¾ cup per serving)

Crispy Korean Tofu

8 ounces of firm tofu (extra-firm tofu works too)
3 tablespoons cornstarch or potato starch
1–2 tablespoons gochujang – taste your gochujang for spiciness and adjust accordingly (see notes on replacements) **Check the ingredients to ensure gluten-free if needed.
1 tablespoon soy sauce or low-sodium gf tamari
1 tablespoon maple syrup

Korean Cucumber Salad (Oi Muchim)

1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon soy sauce or low-sodium gf tamari
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar (honey or maple)
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
2 cups cucumber, sliced into thick rounds or 1/2 moons (English cucumber, Japanese, Armenian, or Persian- thin-skinned, seedless is preferred)
1 scallion, sliced thin
1/2– 1 teaspoon Gochugaru Korean chili pepper flakes (spicy but not super hot, start with less and add more to taste)

Optional serving suggestions

Jasmine rice
Kimchi
Raw veggies: avocado slices, shaved carrot, shredded cabbage, sprouts
Stir-fried veggies like: broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, mushrooms, pea pods, green beans, bell peppers or spinach
Garnishes: toasted sesame seeds, fresh cilantro, gochugaru chili flakes

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Instructions

If making rice start that now.
Make the Crispy Korean Tofu Using your hands, break tofu apart into roughly one-inch pieces. (The ragged edges help crisp up the tofu and soak up more sauce, if you prefer cubes go for it!) Place a clean dish towel or paper towel on a plate and spread tofu out in one layer on the towel to absorb excess moisture.
In a small bowl mix together gochujang paste, soy sauce, and maple syrup. Set aside.
Remove the towel from the tofu and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with cornstarch (or potato starch) and toss to coat evenly.
Heat up a skillet to medium-high heat, add 1-2 tablespoons oil to coat the pan. Fry the tofu in one layer: put it in the pan and leave it for about 5 minutes (don’t try to move it!) over medium heat until it develops a crust and naturally releases. Flip the pieces over and cook another 4-5 minutes. Stir the pieces around to get the sides of the tofu. Stir in the gochujang sauce, you can do this in a separate bowl or directly in the pan. Turn off the heat and set aside.
Make the Korean Cucumber Salad In a colander, toss cucumbers with 1 teaspoon of salt and set over a plate for 30 minutes. (See notes for skipping this step).
In a bowl whisk together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, sesame oil, scallions and Gochogaru flakes.
Lightly rinse the cucumber slices and use a kitchen towel to blot and dry. Add 1/2 of the to the dressing in the bowl and mix. Reserve the remaining dressing to add to the bowls if they need extra sauce for the rice.

Assemble

Place rice in bowls, top with Korean tofu and Korean cucumber salad.
Add kimchi, toasted sesame seeds and fresh cilantro.
Serve with extra dressing.

Notes

Try to find gochujang paste, it really makes the tofu special, but if it is not available you can use garlic chili sauce or sriracha and adjust to your spice level preference!

The Korean tofu is at its best served immediately. But you can store leftovers in the fridge and reheat in a saute pan or bake in the air fryer.

If short on time, you can skip the salting the cucumbers step- it is delicious either way, salting releases water from the cucumbers making the salad less watery and giving the the cucumbers a crisp texture.

Nutrition

Serving Size:
Calories: 310
Sugar: 8.1 g
Sodium: 424.2 mg
Fat: 8.9 g
Saturated Fat: 1.3 g
Carbohydrates: 44.3 g
Fiber: 1.9 g
Protein: 12.8 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg