Sweet & Crunchy Tofu
Sauce Ingredients
- ¼ C ketchup
- ¼ C rice syrup
- 3 TBSP gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste)
Ingredients
- 2 C neutral oil for frying
- 14 oz to 1 pound firm or medium firm tofu, cut into bite size pieces
- ¼ C potato or corn starch
Directions
- Press tofu for 15 minutes to remove excess moisture.
- Combine all the seasoning sauce ingredients in a skillet. Heat over medium high heat, stirring for about 1 to 2 minutes until bubbling. Remove from the heat and set the skillet aside. We’ll reheat this just before serving.
- Cut the tofu into 1 x 1½ inch bite sized pieces. Pat dry with kitchen towel or paper towel.
- Gently put the tofu into a plastic bag and add the starch. Seal the bag and gently turn it over until the tofu is well and evenly coated with the starch.
- Remove each piece from the bag individually and transfer to a large plate or a cutting board lined with plastic wrap, leaving some space between the pieces.
- Heat the oil in a skillet for 5 minutes, until it reaches 330-340°F. Carefully add the tofu pieces one at a time to the hot oil. Turn the heat down to medium and let the tofu cook for about about 2 to 3 minutes, until the bottom turns light brown and the surface is a little crispy .
- Turn the tofu pieces with tongs or a slotted spoon—they should be firm enough to turn without breaking—and fry for another 2 to 3 minutes, occasionally turning so that all sides turn light brown and crispy. Remove from the skillet and set in a wire mesh strainer set over a bowl.
- Reheat the oil for 1 minute over medium-high heat and fry all the tofu again for 3 to 4 minutes, rotating and turning them over with tongs or long wooden chopsticks, until all sides are golden brown and crunchy.
- Transfer the tofu to the strainer set over a bowl to drain the excess oil.
- Reheat the sauce in the skillet until bubbling. Add the fried tofu and gently mix all together until they are well coated.
- Transfer to a plate and serve with rice.