Korean-Style Popcorn Tofu

35m
Serves 2
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Directions

  1. 1Tear the pressed tofu into bite-sized pieces, or cut into cubes if you prefer a neater shape, and place in a bowl.
  2. 2Season the tofu with the reduced-salt soy sauce and a generous crack of black pepper.
  3. 3Sprinkle over the cornflour and toss until all the tofu is evenly coated.
  4. 4Transfer the tofu to an air fryer basket, spray lightly with olive oil, and cook at 200°C for 15 minutes, shaking the basket a couple of times during cooking to ensure even crisping.
  5. 5Alternatively, if baking, spread the tofu on a lined baking tray and bake at 200°C fan for about 30 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden and crisp.
  6. 6While the tofu cooks, prepare the sauce by adding the tomato paste, gochujang, soy sauce, water, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, maple syrup and garlic powder to a small pan.
  7. 7Heat the sauce gently over a low to medium heat, stirring, until it warms through and begins to thicken slightly.
  8. 8Once the tofu is crispy, add it straight to the pan with the sauce and toss well until every piece is evenly coated and sticky.
  9. 9Remove the tofu from the heat.
  10. 10Rinse the basmati rice, quinoa and lentils well.
  11. 11Cook the rinsed basmati rice, quinoa and lentils together in a rice cooker or in a pan with water until tender.
  12. 12Divide the cooked grain base between two bowls.
  13. 13Top with the sticky popcorn tofu.
  14. 14Add the pan-fried tenderstem broccoli.
  15. 15Finish with a sprinkle of white sesame seeds.

Ingredients

  • 400 g extra-firm tofu, drained and pressed
  • 1 tbsp reduced-salt soy sauce
  • Freshly cracked black pepper
  • 2 tbsp cornflour
  • Olive oil spray
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1.5 tbsp gochujang
  • 20 ml reduced-salt soy sauce
  • 30 ml water
  • 0.5 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 8 g brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 60 g basmati rice
  • 30 g white quinoa
  • 30 g green lentils
  • 100 g Pan-fried tenderstem broccoli
  • White sesame seeds

Equipment

air fryerbaking traysmall panrice cookerpanbowls

Tips

  • If you prefer less heat, reduce gochujang to 1 tbsp.
  • When cooking tofu in an air fryer, shake the basket a couple of times for even crisping.
  • If baking tofu, flip halfway through cooking.