Among the side dishes made with tofu, Korean pan-fried tofu with seasoning sauce is one of the easiest to make and a favorite among all Koreans. With just one block of tofu, you can create a delicious side dish in 10 minutes! The flavorful sesame oil, toasted sesame seeds, soy sauce, garlic, minced onion, and green onion come together to enhance the taste, making it a very popular side dish.
When I lived in Toronto, Canada, I often went to the St Lawrence farmers market on the weekend. It was in a big building, and in the basement there was a store where people were lining up every weekend to buy some special tofu.
My friend was a regular customer at the store, so she let me taste it when she bought it. I was very surprised! Firstly, because it was so expensive, and secondly because it was a very simple tofu recipe. They were selling the tofu cubed and cooked with sauce for $7.99! The sauce was made with soy sauce and sugar or maple syrup.
It seemed like a very easy recipe to make. I took my friend to a Korean store and bought a package of tofu for 99 cents. We came home and we cooked it together. She was very happy and since that time, she has been doing all kinds of experiments with her favorite tofu side dish. She invents her own sauce these days. : )
Shortly after I started my YouTube channel, I posted this recipe along with a video, and now I have remade it with more precise measurements and updated proportions.
Enjoy making it deliciously!
Ingredients
Serves 3 to 4
- 1 block of tofu (about 400 grams)
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons gochu-garu (Korean hot pepper flakes)
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
- 2 green onions, chopped
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon sugar (optional)
- 1 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
Directions
Prepare the Sauce:
In a bowl, combine the soy sauce, gochu-garu, minced garlic, chopped onion, chopped green onion, sesame oil, and sugar (if using). Mix well and set aside.
Prepare the Tofu:
- Cut the tofu into 8 equal pieces, each about ¼ inch thick.
- Pat each piece of tofu dry with a cotton cloth or paper towels.
Cook the Tofu:
- Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the tofu pieces one by one to the skillet. Be sure not to crowd them, so they don’t stick to each other. Turn down the heat to medium and cook for about 5 minutes, until the bottom turns crunchy and golden brown.
- Flip the tofu pieces with a spatula and cook for another 5 minutes until both sides are light golden brown and crunchy.
Serve:
- Transfer the cooked tofu to a serving plate.
- Drizzle the seasoning sauce evenly over each piece of tofu.
- Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and some additional chopped green onion.
- Serve with rice as a side dish.
Storage:
You can refrigerate the tofu for up to 4 to 5 days. It does not need to be reheated when served cold.
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