Easy Chef Lee Won-il’s Dubu Jang (Braised Tofu) Recipe: Make a Delicious Side Dish
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Worried about the rising prices lately? With the staple ingredients of tofu and fragrant perilla leaves, try making this simple yet delicious Dubu Jang! It’s a magical side dish that will make you finish a bowl of rice in no time. Make it right now!
Main Ingredients- 1 block (approx. 300g) firm tofu, for pan-frying
- 15-20 fresh perilla leaves
Golden Ratio Sauce- 1/2 cup (100ml) water
- 3/4 cup (150ml) seasoned soy sauce (recommended: 1:1 ratio of regular soy sauce and mentsuyu)
- 2 Tbsp (30g) sugar
- 1 Tbsp (15g) honey
- 1 Tbsp (15g) minced garlic
- A pinch of black pepper
- 1/4 finely chopped onion (approx. 40g)
- 1 finely chopped green chili pepper (seeds removed)
- 1 finely chopped red chili pepper (seeds removed)
- 1/2 cup (100ml) water
- 3/4 cup (150ml) seasoned soy sauce (recommended: 1:1 ratio of regular soy sauce and mentsuyu)
- 2 Tbsp (30g) sugar
- 1 Tbsp (15g) honey
- 1 Tbsp (15g) minced garlic
- A pinch of black pepper
- 1/4 finely chopped onion (approx. 40g)
- 1 finely chopped green chili pepper (seeds removed)
- 1 finely chopped red chili pepper (seeds removed)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, prepare one block of firm tofu suitable for pan-frying. Cut the tofu into approximately 6-7 pieces for bite-sized portions. Don’t cut them too thin, so they hold their shape well when absorbing the sauce later.
Step 2
Fill a pot with plenty of water and bring it to a boil. Once the water is boiling, carefully add the cut tofu pieces and blanch them for about 1-2 minutes. This step makes the tofu softer and prepares it to absorb the marinade.
Step 3
After blanching, remove the tofu from the hot water and immediately immerse it in cold water to cool down. Cooling in cold water gives the tofu a firmer, chewier texture and helps it maintain its shape.
Step 4
Now it’s time to wrap the tofu with perilla leaves. Using 2-3 layered perilla leaves adds a richer aroma. Place the blanched and cooled tofu onto the perilla leaves and carefully wrap them up.
Step 5
Arrange the perilla-wrapped tofu pieces neatly in a serving dish or an airtight container. Avoid packing them too tightly; leave a little space so the sauce can permeate evenly.
Step 6
The key to the sauce is the seasoned soy sauce! If you don’t have seasoned soy sauce, you can mix regular soy sauce and mentsuyu (Japanese dipping sauce) in a 1:1 ratio. If mentsuyu is unavailable, try mixing tuna extract or anchovy extract with a little mirin for added umami. (Example: 75ml regular soy sauce + 75ml mentsuyu)
Step 7
In a bowl, combine 3/4 cup of seasoned soy sauce (or alternative), 1/2 cup of water, 2 Tbsp sugar, 1 Tbsp honey, 1 Tbsp minced garlic, a pinch of black pepper, and the finely chopped onion (1/4), green chili pepper (1), and red chili pepper (1). Stir well until the sugar dissolves to prepare the sauce.
Step 8
Finally, pour the prepared sauce evenly over the perilla-wrapped tofu in the dish. Your delicious Dubu Jang is complete! For an even richer flavor, refrigerate for about a day to let the flavors meld. However, it’s also delicious to enjoy immediately!
