Korean Tofu Rice Bowl

• servings: 4 servings
• active time: 20 minutes
• total time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

8 ounces of firm tofu (extra-firm tofu works too)

3 tablespoons cornstarch or potato starch

1-2 tablespoons gochujang – taste your gochujang for spiciness and adjust accordingly (see notes on replacements) **Check the ingredients to ensure gluten-free if needed.

1 tablespoon soy sauce or low-sodium gf tamari

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon soy sauce or low-sodium gf tamari

3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon sugar (honey or maple)

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

2 cups cucumber, sliced into thick rounds or 1/2 moons (English cucumber, Japanese, Armenian, or Persian- thin-skinned, seedless is preferred)

1 scallion, sliced thin

1/2- 1 teaspoon Gochugaru Korean chili pepper flakes (spicy but not super hot, start with less and add more to taste)

Jasmine rice

Kimchi

Raw veggies: avocado slices, shaved carrot, shredded cabbage, sprouts

Stir-fried veggies like: broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, mushrooms, pea pods, green beans, bell peppers or spinach

Garnishes: toasted sesame seeds, fresh cilantro, gochugaru chili flakes

Directions

If making rice start that now.

Make the Crispy Korean Tofu

Using your hands, break tofu apart into roughly one-inch pieces. (The ragged edges help crisp up the tofu and soak up more sauce, if you prefer cubes go for it!) Place a clean dish towel or paper towel on a plate and spread tofu out in one layer on the towel to absorb excess moisture.

In a small bowl mix together gochujang paste, soy sauce, and maple syrup. Set aside.

Remove the towel from the tofu and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with cornstarch (or potato starch) and toss to coat evenly.

Heat up a skillet to medium-high heat, add 1-2 tablespoons oil to coat the pan. Fry the tofu in one layer: put it in the pan and leave it for about 5 minutes (don’t try to move it!) over medium heat until it develops a crust and naturally releases. Flip the pieces over and cook another 4-5 minutes. Stir the pieces around to get the sides of the tofu. Stir in the gochujang sauce, you can do this in a separate bowl or directly in the pan. Turn off the heat and set aside.

Make the Korean Cucumber Salad

In a colander, toss cucumbers with 1 teaspoon of salt and set over a plate for 30 minutes. (See notes for skipping this step).

In a bowl whisk together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, sesame oil, scallions and Gochogaru flakes.

Lightly rinse the cucumber slices and use a kitchen towel to blot and dry. Add 1/2 of the to the dressing in the bowl and mix. Reserve the remaining dressing to add to the bowls if they need extra sauce for the rice.

Assemble

Place rice in bowls, top with Korean tofu and Korean cucumber salad.

Add kimchi, toasted sesame seeds and fresh cilantro.

Serve with extra dressing.

Nutrition

• Calories: 310
• Total Fat: 8.9 g
• Saturated Fat: 1.3 g
• Trans Fat: 0 g
• Cholesterol: 0 mg
• Sodium: 424.2 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 44.3 g
• Dietary Fiber: 1.9 g
• Total Sugars: 8.1 g
• Protein: 12.8 g