Step 1: Preparing the Sauce & Tofu
- 1/3 cup gochujang paste*
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tbsp minced ginger
- 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 3 to 4 tbsp brown rice vinegar
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp tamari
- 1 to 2 tbsp brown rice syrup (or sweetener of choice)
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 - 12 oz (350 gr) pkg firm tofu
See the chef notes below for more information on the gochujang paste.
To make the sauce, place all of the ingredients (minus the tofu) into a food processor and pulse a few times to blend the ingredients. Note: If you don’t want to mince the garlic and ginger in advance, add them to the food processor first and pulse a few times, before adding all of the other ingredients.
The recipe for this sauce will vary depending on the gochujang paste used, and your personal preference.
Also, note that some people sauté the garlic and ginger first and then cook the sauce: however this is an extra step that we didn’t find added a ton more flavor — but feel free to test this out for yourself.
To prepare the tofu, simply drain and cut into cubes. The shape and the size of the tofu really just comes down to personal preference and how the dish is being served. Also, note that this recipe is equally as good using tempeh instead of tofu.
Lastly, generously coat the tofu in the sauce and let marinate for at least 30 minutes. Reserve any extra sauce for later.
Step 2: Cooking the Dish
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 to 4 tbsp finely sliced green onions
- 1 to 2 tbsp white sesame seeds
- 1 to 2 tbsp black sesame seeds
To cook the dish, heat a large frypan (or wok), over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the oil, followed by the tofu.
Let the tofu cook for a few minutes and then toss and continue to cook until it has started to crisp up and get some nice color. Just before finishing, add any leftover sauce, if desired.
Once done, add the sliced green onions and sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
Serve with plain steamed rice and your favorite vegetable or side. We like to serve this dish with sliced cucumbers that have been tossed with a bit of mirin, rice wine vinegar, salt, and pepper. The cool cucumber is a nice contrast to the spice from the sauce.
Chef's Notes
Gochujang’s which is primarily made with red chili powder, glutinous rice powder, powdered fermented soybeans, and salt. While it can be made, it is often bought and used as the base for other sauce. Gochujang paste can be found in most Korean or Asian grocery stores, specialty grocers and/or it can be ordered online.
The one we use quite often is the Gochujang Fermented Chile Bean Paste Concentrate from Mother in Law’s. We like this one because it is not full of additives etc. and the heat and salt level are not too crazy for us. That being said, there are many good brands out there, just try to find ones that have the least amount of ingredients, and they also keep in mind that the ingredients listed should be as whole and easy to pronounce as possible. For example, here is another one called Wholly Gochujang that seems to contain only natural ingredients — at the time of writing this though, I have yet to try it, but it’s on its way.