Now that my trip is only a few days away, I'm trying once again to use up all my groceries so that nothing goes to waste while I'm away. Fortunately I found just the right ingredients for Korean braised tofu (두부조림 or dubu chorim). This dish is prepared by pan searing firm tofu in oil and then braising it in a spicy mixture until the sauce is absorbed by the tofu.
1. The only difficult thing about this dish is the first step. Cut the tofu into slices and place them into heated peanut oil. Shake the pan very frequently so that the tofu does not stick. This is important or you will lose the shape of your tofu and the dish will be ruined. If one begins to stick, gently nudge it or use a spatula to gently release it. Continue frying on both sides until they are slightly browned.
2. In a pot, mix 4-5 tsp soy sauce, 1 tsp sugar, 2-3 cloves garlic, and 1 tsp chili powder. Add half a cup of water. Bring to a medium simmer and add the tofu pieces gently. Allow them to braise in the sauce until it is half boiled off.
3. Add chopped green onions to the top and allow to cook to until most of the liquid has been boiled off. Sprinkle the top of the tofu with sesame oil and sesame seeds. Serve hot with rice.
This was a great lazy bones meal for somebody with a huge appetite but not a lot of energy to cook something elaborate. In reality, this dish is a sidedish but when cooking for one, it will do just fine as a main meal.
Comments
That looks terrific, and I plan to make it at home, but do you think you could preceed your recipes with ingredient lists, like:
* tofu (firm? how much?)
* peanut oil (how much?)
* 4-5 tsp soy sauce
* 1 tsp sugar
* 2-3 cloves garlic
* 1 tsp chili powder
* half a cup of water.
* chopped green onions (how much?)
* green onions (how much?)
* sesame oil (how much?)
* sesame seeds (how much?)
Posted by: Joe Grossberg | April 19, 2006 07:55 AM
Hi Joe -- thanks for checking out my blog.
I'm sorry to report I'm one of those "a little pinch of this, a little pinch of that" cooks who adds and subtracts according to his own tastes. In this case, green onions, sesame oil, and sesame seeds are only garnishes and can be catered to your own taste but... for clarity sake, I used in this instance: 4-5 green onions, a few sprinkles of sesame oil (1/2 tsp maybe?), and a sprinkling of sesame seeds (1/2 tsp maybe?). I know, I know, my unscientific methodology is surely infruriating to the cooks who want specific measurements...!
Posted by: Evil Jonny | April 19, 2006 05:15 PM
Jonny,this looks incredibly delicious with a bowl of rice!"a great lazy bones meal"?I like the sound of that...Just my kind of dish:)I'll definitely try it when I get some tofu next time.Thanks for the idea!
Posted by: KT | April 20, 2006 01:00 AM
Holy mackerel, does this look absolutely amazing. Definitely something I'm going to try -- S. and I were just talking about tofu, how to cook it, why he's had some "bad tofu experiences" and how he's willing to have some good ones. PERFECT!
PS: My little pepper plants are about 2" tall now. The tomatoes wouldn't germinate for some reason, tried 6 different seeds. :(
Posted by: Rose | April 20, 2006 05:26 AM
hey...just to let you know that it's much easier to pan fry tofu if you let it "sear" on one side first, then flip it (once one side is toasted, it shouldn't stick anymore). you're actually doing it the harder way by constantly moving it around. just give it a try. just do it over a medium heat and not a super high heat so it gets to toast vs. burn. =)
Posted by: Anonymous | April 20, 2006 09:21 AM
Hey Anon: actually maybe I worded it too strongly. I do allow it to sear on its own (undisturbed) briefly and then move it periodically. So it's kind of a combination of searing and moving to prevent sticking.
Posted by: Evil Jonny | April 20, 2006 06:41 PM
You can't be 88788 serious?!?
Posted by: Mary Box | June 17, 2006 09:33 AM