Tags: vegetarian, spicy
Cubes of chewy, meaty tofu tossed in a sweet-and-spicy Korean gochujang glaze. A chickpea-flour coating, air fried until set, helps the tofu hold onto the sauce. Serve over rice with green onions. Swap the honey for maple syrup to make it vegan.
Ingredients
Tofu
- 1 block firm tofu
- ~2/3 cup chickpea flour
Glaze
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger (about a 2” knuckle)
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 1/2 tablespoons gochujang paste
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons honey (swap for maple syrup to make the dish vegan)
- 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon mirin
- 1 bunch green onions, divided (white ends for the glaze; green tops split between the toss and the final garnish)
- 3 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1/3 cup cold water
Preparation
Freezing and then defrosting the tofu changes its texture: ice crystals form a sponge-like structure that presses out easily and gives the cooked tofu a chewy, meaty bite that readily soaks up the glaze.
- Freeze the block of firm tofu overnight, then defrost it completely.
- Press the defrosted tofu in a tofu press to remove as much water as possible.
Cooking the Tofu
- Cut the pressed tofu into 1” cubes.
- Place the cubes in a mixing bowl and toss to coat them evenly in the chickpea flour (about 2/3 cup).
- Air fry at 450°F for 15 minutes.
Glaze
- Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the garlic, ginger, and the white ends of the green onions, and cook for about 5 minutes.
- Add the gochujang paste, tomato paste, honey, soy sauce, mirim, and rice vinegar. Mix until well blended.
- Separately, make a cornstarch slurry by stirring together the 3 teaspoons cornstarch and 1/3 cup cold water until dissolved.
- Stir the slurry into the glaze and cook until it starts to thicken.
- Add the cooked tofu and about half of the reserved green onion tops, stirring to ensure the tofu is well coated.
Serve over white rice and garnish with the remaining green onion tops.
Allergens
- Soy — tofu, soy sauce, and most gochujang.
- Gluten / wheat — regular soy sauce and many gochujang brands contain wheat. For a gluten-free version, use certified gluten-free tamari and gluten-free gochujang.
- Legumes — chickpea flour (besan), in addition to the soy above.
This dish is vegetarian, dairy-free, egg-free, and nut-free. Swap the honey for maple syrup to make it vegan.
Nutrition
Estimated for 4 moderate servings. Assumes a 14 oz block of extra-firm tofu, the full 2/3 cup of chickpea flour (some falls off in frying, so this runs slightly high), and 1 cup of cooked white rice per serving for the “with rice” figures.
Per serving
| Without rice | With rice (1 cup) | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | ~255 | ~460 |
| Protein | ~14 g | ~18 g |
| Fat | ~9 g | ~9 g |
| Carbs | ~30 g | ~75 g |
| Sodium | ~575 mg | ~575 mg |
Whole recipe (4 servings)
| Without rice | With rice (4 cups cooked) | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | ~1,020 | ~1,840 |
| Protein | ~57 g | ~73 g |
| Fat | ~36 g | ~38 g |
| Carbs | ~121 g | ~300 g |
| Sodium | ~2,300 mg | ~2,300 mg |
Most of the sodium comes from the soy sauce and gochujang. Figures assume low-sodium soy sauce; regular soy sauce adds roughly 300 mg per serving.
These values were estimated by Claude (an AI assistant) and may be inaccurate. Treat them as rough approximations, not exact figures.