Tomato Kimchi Fried Tofu
This tofu recipe is packed with flavour; the tofu is fried until crispy and then tossed in a tangy tomato and nasturtium kimchi. Sweet and spicy, with hits of umami, this vegan dish is one you will love.
Introduction
After trying this, my good friend said he could eat a whole bucket of this fried tofu: nuggets of joy! The kimchi caramelizes up really nicely around each piece of crispy tofu. I serve mine with cooling yogurt and spring onions but a little rice and veg would make it a complete meal.
Ingredients
| For the tomato and nasturtium kimchi: | |
|---|---|
| 1kg (2lb 3oz) | tomatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces |
| Large handful of | nasturtium leaves and flowers (or use coriander/cilantro), roughly chopped |
| 1 large | onion |
| Thumb-sized piece of | ginger, peeled and finely chopped |
| 6 | garlic cloves, peeled |
| 3 tbsp | soy sauce |
| 1 tbsp | miso paste |
| 4 tbsp | Korean red chilli flakes (gochugaru) or other chilli (red pepper) flakes of your choice |
| sea salt | |
| For the tomato kimchi fried tofu: | |
| 160g (1 cup/5½oz) | tomato kimchi |
| 2 tbsp | sesame oil |
| 4 tbsp | maple syrup |
| 1 x 300g (10½oz) | block of extra-firm tofu, drained |
| 6 tbsp | cornflour (cornstarch) |
| 4 tbsp | neutral oil, for frying |
| To serve: | |
| Cooked rice | |
| Coconut yogurt | |
| Sliced spring onions (scallions) |
Essential kit
You will need: a 2-litre (3½ pint) jar.
Method
First make the tomato and nasturtium kimchi.
Place a large bowl on your weighing scales and set to zero. Add the tomatoes and nasturtium leaves/flowers to the bowl.
Slice a side of the onion off to use a layer as the kimchi ‘plug’, then roughly chop the rest of the onion and add it with the ginger, garlic, soy sauce and miso paste to a food processor and blitz to a smooth paste. Stir the paste through the tomatoes, along with the chilli flakes. Weigh the mixture and calculate 2% of the weight, then add that amount of sea salt.
Stir the ingredients together really well, then cover the bowl with a clean tea (dish) towel and set aside for at least 1 hour so the natural brine is drawn out.
Transfer the mixture, with the brine, to a sterilized 2-litre (3½ pint) jar, leaving 2.5cm (1 inch) of headroom at the top of the jar. Make sure you’ve added enough brine to cover the mixture by around 1cm (½ inch). Use the slice of onion to cap off the jar. Place a glass fermentation weight on top to hold everything beneath the brine.
Leave to ferment out of the fridge for about 5–7 days. The length of fermentation will depend on the temperature of your kitchen – optimal temperature is around 21°C (70°F). Give the brine a little taste after around the 5-day mark; when it has an acidic tang you like, place it in the fridge, where it can be stored for up to 3 months.
To make the tofu, add the kimchi, sesame oil and maple syrup to a food processor and blitz to a smooth paste.
Pat the tofu dry with kitchen paper, then tear it into really rough, bite-sized chunks and place into a bowl.
Dust the tofu with the cornflour and toss together, making sure each piece is well coated.
Place a large cast-iron pan over a medium heat and add the oil for frying. When hot, add the tofu and fry until really golden and crisp – invest some time in this, turning the tofu every now and then.
Turn the heat down to low and add the kimchi paste. Stir really well, allowing the paste to caramelize around each piece of tofu. This should take around 4–5 minutes.
When the sauce has melded into each piece of tofu, serve up with rice and coconut yogurt and top with sliced spring onion.
Reviews
Have you tried this recipe? Let us know how it went by leaving a comment below.
Thank you for your rating. Our team will get back to any queries as soon as possible.
Please note: Moderation is enabled and may delay your comment being posted. There is no need to resubmit your comment. By posting a comment you are agreeing to the website Terms of Use.
