Today I made a side dish using tofu. When I make banchan (Korean side dishes), I usually try to use up whatever ingredients I have left over from cooking.
This time, I had some tofu sitting in the fridge, so I started thinking about what to make with it.
I wanted something my kid could enjoy too, so I decided to pan-fry the tofu.
Let me walk you through exactly how it’s done.
In short, this dish is tofu that’s pan-fried until crispy, then topped with a savory soy-scallion sauce right at the end.
It’s gentle on the palate, nothing sharp or overpowering, and it’s the kind of side dish that pretty much everyone in the family will enjoy.
Tofu is made from soybeans, and it’s cheap.
That’s why it shows up so often in Korean side dishes, and why it’s basically a staple that home cooks always pick up at the grocery store.
Ingredients
◾ 1 block firm tofu
◾ White part of a scallion, about 4 inches
◾ 3 tablespoons soy sauce (standard-size spoon, not a measuring spoon)
◾ 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
◾ 2 tablespoons sugar (or allulose)
◾ 5 tablespoons cooking oil
◾ 2 tablespoons sesame oil
◾ Flour, pancake mix, or frying mix (any of these works)
Tools
◾ Cutting board
◾ Knife
◾ Paper towels
◾ Frying pan
◾ Tofu press or strainer
◾ Mixing bowl
◾ Plate
◾ Tongs
First, get your tofu ready.
Since tofu comes packed in water, you’ll want to drain it well before doing anything else.
Setting it on a strainer will let the water drip out naturally, but I wanted to speed things up, so I patted it dry with paper towels.
If you skip this step, extra moisture can make the oil splatter while cooking, and it can also water down the flavor. So don’t rush past this part.
Next, place the tofu on a cutting board and slice it into cubes, roughly bite-sized so they’re easy to pop in your mouth.
Mine didn’t come out perfectly even, but I think I’ll get the hang of it next time.
Once you’ve cut it into cubes, gently blot the pieces again with paper towels. Tofu holds a surprising amount of water, so this step is worth repeating.
With the tofu cubes still on the cutting board, dust them with flour.
I used a frying mix, but regular flour, pancake mix, or frying mix all work fine. If you’re using plain flour, add a little salt to it.
Coat the tofu well with the flour.
Rolling the pieces around with your hands helps the coating stick, since the tofu still has a bit of moisture on the surface.
Once everything is evenly coated, just let it sit for a moment while you prep the pan.
Get your frying pan ready and pour in about 5 tablespoons of cooking oil.
This dish isn’t deep-fried. Think of it more as pan-frying, closer to a light sauté than a fry.
Keep the heat at medium-low the whole time. If it’s too hot, the tofu will burn before it cooks through, so a slower, gentler heat works best here.
Let the oil heat up for about 10 to 20 seconds before adding the tofu.
The oil needs to be hot enough first. Otherwise the tofu will
soak up too much oil, and the flavor won’t be as good.
Turn the tofu pieces as they cook.
This part takes a little patience. Even though the recipe is simple, pan-frying the tofu properly does take some time.
Since the pieces are cube-shaped, keep flipping them so every side gets cooked evenly. Stick with medium-low heat throughout.
I kept turning mine with a pair of tongs.
Cook until the outside turns crispy, which usually takes around 10 minutes. You’re aiming for a crispy outside with a soft, moist center. The crispier the outside gets, the better it tastes.
While that’s cooking, line a large stainless bowl with paper towels. You’ll use this to soak up the extra oil from the tofu afterward.
Once the tofu is nicely crisped, turn off the heat and transfer the pieces into the paper towel-lined bowl. Spread them out so the oil drains off evenly.
Let the tofu rest in the bowl for a bit while you make the sauce.
I originally thought about adding minced garlic and red pepper flakes to give it some heat, but since I wanted my kid to be able to eat this too, I left both out.
For the scallion, I used just the white part, about 4 inches worth.
The white part is milder and a little sweeter than the green stalks, which is why I went with it here.
Chop it finely, almost like mincing it, and add it to a bowl.
Then add in:
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame seeds (skip if you don’t have any)
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons sugar or allulose
Mix everything together well, then give it a taste. Adjust with a little more of whatever it’s missing.
If eating raw scallion isn’t your thing, feel free to leave it out.
If you want to make it more traditionally Korean and add some heat, stir in 1 tablespoon of red pepper flakes and half a tablespoon of minced garlic. That’ll turn it into a spicier version.
Arrange the drained tofu on a plate, then spoon the sauce right over the top.
And that’s it. Your crispy pan-fried tofu is ready.
In Korean cooking, some side dishes get stored in the fridge and pulled out meal after meal, while others are made fresh and eaten right away.
This tofu dish falls into the second category. It’s best made and eaten the same day rather than kept for later.
It’s a small window into everyday Korean home cooking.
Thanks so much for reading all the way through. 🙂