Gochu Jeon (Stuffed Chili Peppers)

Ingredients

1 block firm tofu, drained or dried with paper towel

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

½ onion, finely diced

2 green onion, chopped

1 tsp sesame oil

½ tsp salt and pepper

1 tbsp flour for mix (more if necessary to remove excess liquid from tofu)

2 tbsp flour for coating

1 beaten egg

10 green or red chili peppers, halved & deseeded

olive oil for frying

Preparation

Wearing disposable or plastic gloves, halve the chili peppers with a knife. If the peppers are relatively small, cut about ⅓ leaving more room for the stuffing. Deseed the peppers, rinse under cold water, and set aside. Do not touch any part of your face while wearing the gloves!

Combine the flour, tofu, onion, garlic, green onions, sesame oil, sugar, pepper and salt in a mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly by hand or even a whisk. The stuffing should be void of excess water or liquid.

Stuff the peppers accordingly and then gently roll them in the flour, shaking off any excess. Next, coat the peppers into the beaten egg.

In a large frying pan, add olive oil and gently pan-fry the chili peppers over medium heat until the mixture is cooked through, roughly 5 minutes on the stuffing side and a few minutes reversed. Enjoy while it's hot!

If there is leftover stuffing and remaining halved chili peppers, you can saute it together or you can form into small bite-sized patties similar to jeon (Korean pancake). Just make sure to roll them into the flour and dip into the egg mixture

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About

Gochu Jeon (Stuffed Chili Peppers): It’s been a while since I made one of the many kinds of Korean jeons, so it was only natural that I make some when I came into possession of a handful of local chili peppers. And continuing with my healthier diet and lifestyle, I decided to make this gochu jeon without any ground pork or beef. Since these particular jeons are pretty light (not because they’re vegetarian), it’s often nice to pair with other banchan side dishes and possibly a jjigae (stew/soup) to get a complete, heartier meal. For those who can’t go without any meat (I used to fall in this category), you’re more than welcome to add a protein of your liking.