Pan-Fried Tofu with Fragrant Wild Chives Sauce
Savory Pan-Fried Tofu Paired with Aromatic Wild Chives Sauce
Here’s a delightful dish of pan-fried tofu served with a wonderfully fragrant wild chives sauce. This sauce is a ‘rice thief’ – perfect for mixing into rice when you lack appetite, or fantastic when wrapped in crispy roasted seaweed. It’s a simple yet incredibly satisfying meal!
Main Ingredients- 1 block Tofu (approx. 300g)
- A handful of Wild Chives (approx. 50g)
- 1 Tbsp Minced Scallions
Fragrant Wild Chives Sauce Ingredients- 5 Tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1 tsp Minced Garlic
- 1 Tbsp Plum Extract (adjust sweetness to taste)
- 1 Tbsp Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
- 1 Tbsp Toasted Sesame Seeds
- 1 Tbsp Sesame Oil
- 5 Tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1 tsp Minced Garlic
- 1 Tbsp Plum Extract (adjust sweetness to taste)
- 1 Tbsp Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
- 1 Tbsp Toasted Sesame Seeds
- 1 Tbsp Sesame Oil
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, gently press the tofu to remove excess water. Then, cut it into bite-sized pieces, about 1.5 to 2 cm thick. It’s best to cut them to a moderate thickness so they don’t break apart easily during cooking.
Step 2
Rinse the wild chives thoroughly in cold water several times to clean them. Trim off any loose outer skin from the bulbous root ends and remove any tough root parts. Chop the cleaned wild chives into pieces about 1 to 2 cm long. If the root bulbs are too large, they can be unpleasant to chew.
Step 3
Heat a frying pan over medium heat and add a generous amount of cooking oil. For an enhanced nutty flavor, add a little perilla oil too. Pan-fry the tofu pieces until golden brown and crisp on both sides. Cooking them slowly over medium heat ensures they are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.
Step 4
While the tofu is frying, let’s make the sauce. In a bowl, combine the soy sauce, minced garlic, plum extract, gochugaru, toasted sesame seeds, and sesame oil. Mix well. Add the prepared wild chives and minced scallions to the sauce and gently toss them together. The key here is to use more wild chives than sauce for a truly vibrant, aromatic flavor.
Step 5
Once the tofu is beautifully pan-fried, generously spoon the delicious wild chives sauce over the top. Your ‘Pan-Fried Tofu with Fragrant Wild Chives Sauce,’ a true ‘rice thief’ infused with the essence of spring, is ready! It’s incredibly tasty served over warm rice or wrapped in crispy roasted seaweed. Enjoy this aromatic and satisfying meal.
