Dubu Kimchi 두부 김치 (Tofu w Sauted Kimchi)
By: olivia kim
Published: Tuesday, June 19, 2012 - 5:02pm

Ingredients




•2 cups kimchi , roughly chopped into 1 inch pieces
•1/2 cup of thinly sliced pork (or bacon), sliced into 1 inch pieces
•1 block firm tofu, cut into 2-inch squares
•2 tbsp gochujang (red pepper paste)
•2 tbsp vegetable oil
•2 garlic cloves, minced
•1 tsp soy sauce
•1 tbsp brown sugar
•1 tsp sesame seeds
•1 tsp sesame oil
•2 tbsp olive or vegetable oil
•green onion strips (garnish)

Preparation

1 1.Cut the tofu block into squares (see pics above) and pat dry with paper towels, removing excess liquid. Coat a non-stick frying pan or skillet with generous amount of oil and cook the tofu pieces until browned on both sides. Remove and set aside on paper-lined plate to remove excess oil. 2 2.In the same pan or skillet, add 1 tbsp of oil and saute the pork pieces on medium-high heat until almost cooked through. Pink coloration should not be visible, as pork should always be cooked thoroughly. 3 3.Add kimchi and remaining ingredients to the sauteed pork and fry for about 7, 8 minutes. If sauce has evaporated, adding water is optional to thicken. 4 4.Plate the tofu pieces on the outside edge of the serving dish, while topping the sauteed kimchi and pork in the middle. Garnish with sesame seeds and green onion strips. Enjoy!

About

Like many weekend nights, we try to make something extra special after the kids go to sleep (usually something with more spice and kick to it) and this time we made some delicious dubu kimchi (tofu with sauteed kimchi). The best part about this dish is its simplicity and ingredients (basically two), and since most Koreans have a ready supply of kimchi, this dish can be made as a quick banchan side dish. However, most Koreans usually eat this as an anju (Korean drinking side dish) using kimchi (the older the better) and firm tofu. We love this dish because it has a nice balance of flavors and texture--spicy and sour kimchi combined with the soft and smooth texture of tofu. The tofu can be either boiled whole or pan-fried depending on your taste buds, but we always go with the latter in order to get that slightly crunchy exterior. And with most of our dishes, we always add some sort of protein like pork or beef, which makes it a hearty snack for us non-vegetarians. Though we are trying to cut back on our meat consumption, it didn't happen on this particular night.