This dish is a crispy, slightly hot, extremely delicious meal that can be amazingly well served at parties or family gatherings. Normally, people would use chicken with this sauce, called dakgangjang, (a.k.a 닭강정, is a very popular dish in South Korea) but for vegetarians and vegans, tofu is a very good replacement. I highly recommend tofu and chicken because (for vegans and others) tofu is a great, nutritious replacement that can’t really be beaten by other meats. As for the chicken, it’s up to you, but many people enjoy it with chicken. So, try out this recipe, and I hope you like it. See you in the video!
Yield: 1-2 Servings
Short Korean Lesson
- HaNaNim (하나님) = God
- YeSuNim (예수님) = Jesus
Video Instructions
Main Ingredients:
- ½ Pack Extra Firm Tofu (½ lb)
- ¼ Cup Potato Starch or Corn Starch (⅛ Generous tsp Salt, 2 Pinches Black Pepper)
- 2 Tbsp Cooking Oil
- 1 Tbsp Sliced Almonds
- ¼ tsp Dried Parsley (For Garnish)
Seasoning Ingredients:
- 2 Tbsp Ketchup
- ½ Tbsp Grated Onion
- 1 Tbsp Water
- 1 Tbsp Sugar
- ½ Tbsp Hot Pepper Paste
- ½ Tbsp Soy Sauce
- ½ Tbsp Cooking Oil
- ½ tsp Hot Pepper Powder
- ½ tsp Garlic, Minced
Directions
Get half a pack of extra firm tofu (½ lb).
Cut the tofu into roughly 1 inch cubes.
Put a paper towel on the tofu, and then gently tap it to remove some of the moisture.
Combine a quarter cup of potato or corn starch, ⅛ of a generous tsp of salt, and 2 pinches of black pepper into a plastic bag.
Shake the bag so that the starch will be seasoned appetizingly well.
Add the tofu into the bag and shake it vigorously
until all of the tofu pieces are coated evenly with the potato starch.
On a heated pan, drizzle about 2 Tbsp of cooking oil and then put the bits of tofu on it. Fry the tofu for about 6-8 minutes on medium or until they become golden brown. Every now and then, flip the tofu in a different direction so that all of the surfaces will get crunchy.
Meanwhile, grate ½ Tablespoon worth of an onion.
This onion juice is a secret ingredient for a delicious sauce.
About 8 minutes later, take all of the fried tofu out and set them aside for a while.
In a large wok or pan, add all of the ingredients for the seasoning: 2 Tbsp of ketchup, ½ Tbsp of hot pepper paste, 1 Tbsp of water, ½ Tbsp of cooking oil, 1 Tbsp of sugar, ½ Tbsp of soy sauce, 1 Tbsp of grated onion, ½ tsp of hot pepper powder, and ½ tsp of minced garlic.
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Mix it all together carefully. Once the sauce starts to bubble, cook it for about a minute on medium.
After 1 minute, add the tofu and turn off the heat.
Quickly but gently stir the sauce until a friendly coat of sauce is on the tofu.
Finally, garnish 1 Tablespoon’s worth of almond slices and ¼ tsp of dried parsley to make it fit for a king.
! Warning ! The crunchy fried tofu will be a little soggy and chewy after coated with the sauce. If you do not like that texture, you can serve the fried tofu and the sauce separately. If you do that, just add the almonds and the parsley to the sauce instead. You can dip the tofu with the sauce, and it will still suit your needs. Have fun!
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