Before I found out about my gluten intolerance, my husband and I used to go to our favorite little Korean restaurant once a week. I love that in addition to your main dish, you also get a variety of little side dishes called banchan. Unfortunately, it is hard to find gluten-free Korean food in a restaurant. Almost every dish involves soy sauce, fried elements, or gojuchang (a Korean chili paste that contains wheat!). So, as always, I have begun to try to replicate these dishes at home. I think that tofu is an under appreciated food here in the US, because it has been labeled as an option for vegans and vegetarians. Omnivores seem to avoid it here. However Asian countries have long since included in in their diets, in addition to meat. I greatly respect that, as it is a healthy and versatile source of protein. This particular dish is normally served as a banchan, but it is so good I could eat it by itself or maybe on top of some greens as a salad!
Ingredients
1 block tofu (14 oz)
2-3 stalks green onion – cut into 2 inch long peices
3/4 cup gluten free or tamari soy sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp gluten free gojuchang or other chili paste (I used a chili garlic paste I found at the Asian Market)
1/2 tsp minced garlic (omit if using chili garlic sauce)
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp sesame seeds (for garnish)
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a saute pan.
- Mix soy sauce, brown sugar, chili paste, garlic, and sesame oil in a separate bowl.
- Drain and cut tofu into desired size. I chose larger rectangles, but smaller bite-size pieces work too. Pat dry with a paper towel (this is very important, since any excess water will cause the hot oil to spit while cooking).
- Pan fry tofu on both sides until lightly browned.
- Add in green onion and saute to wilt it slightly.
- Add in sauce mixture and cook for a few minutes until it is slightly reduced.
- Top with sesame seeds, serve, and enjoy!
