Spicy Glazed Tofu
More flavor than tofu has any right to have.
I’ve been working on my tofu frying technique for years. My family has suffered along with me. There was soggy tofu, burned tofu, and that memorable tofu where the crispy outer skin slid right off, leaving the tasty bits in the pan and naked white tofu blobs on our plates. It was not pretty. This recipe is the triumphant result of all my experimenting. It tastes as good or even better on the second day, eaten cold or reheated.
My only caveat is that this recipe is more fiddly than I would prefer. Getting excess water out of the tofu is an extra step, but it does help with that elusive crispiness. Some of the ingredients are semi obscure (mirin, gochujang), but you can buy them once, store them forever and get many meals out of them.
Ingredients
1 14 ounce block firm or extra firm tofu, drained 3 tablespoons soy sauce 3 tablespoons mirin 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil 1 tablespoon gochujang (you can add less or more depending on your spice tolerance- this is a good starting point) 3 tablespoons water 1 small garlic clove, minced 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon onion powder 1/2 cup corn starch vegetable oil for the pan
Instructions
Slice your tofu into blocks, whatever size you prefer. I find smaller gets more sauce to surface ratio. About 12 pieces is perfect.
Optional: Layer tofu squares on a dishtowel on a sheet pan or cutting board. Place another dishtowel on top of tofu, and then set a sheet pan topped with something heavy on top (I use a rimmed baking sheet topped with a dutch oven). Let tofu drain for a half hour while you make the sauce.
Whisk soy sauce, mirin, sesame oil, gochujang and 3 tablespoons water in a small bowl. Add minced garlic and ginger.
Mix 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon of onion powder in a small bowl and sprinkle it on the drained tofu squares, rubbing it around with your fingers to distribute. In another small bowl, combine 1/2 cup corn starch and 1 teaspoon kosher salt.
Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large frying pan. Dredge each square of tofu in the cornstarch mixture and place in frying pan. Cook over medium heat until tofu is golden brown, flipping each piece to get both sides.
Note: If you are very thorough, like my husband, you can meticulously fry each edge of each square as well. He uses tongs to balance each piece carefully on its side. He finds it meditative and swears it makes the dish taste better. I find it unbearably time consuming, and because I'm in too much of a hurry to use tongs, end up with burned fingers.
Add sauce to the frying pan and continue to cook, stirring, until a thick glaze covers each tofu piece and only a little liquid remains. Serve hot with rice and bok choy.