Fire Noodle (불닭볶음면) Braised Tofu |
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Braised Fire Tofu
| 2 | packs | firm or extra form tofu, drained and pressed | ||
| 60 | ml | oil for frying (may need more/less depending on how wide your pan is) | ||
| 1/2 | tbsp | tapioca starch (to help prevent oil splatter) | ||
| 5 | cloves | garlic, minced | ||
| 1/2 | bulb | shallot, diced | ||
| 250 | ml | vegetable broth | ||
| 30 | ml | soy sauce | ||
| 3 | tbsp | sambal oelek | ||
| 30 | ml | mirin | ||
| 1 | packet | Samyang fire noodle sauce of your choice | ||
| 40 | g | sugar | ||
| 1 | tsp | white pepper | ||
green onion, chopped (your preference on the amount) | ||||
Sesame and seaweed toppings from the fire noodle package | ||||
bed of rice or you can eat it with the fire noodles |
Drain tofu from packaging. Use a towel to absorb as much moisture as possible. Put something heavy on top for 5-10 minutes to help this process.
While waiting for for tofu to dry, mix vegetable broth, soy sauce, sambal oelek, mirin, fire noodle sauce, sugar, and white pepper in a small bowl.
Once tofu is pressed and dried, cut them into large squares (we made 3x3 cuts into the tofu).
Pour oil into a pan and add tapioca starch. Stir well. Adding tapioca starch is a trick to prevent oil from splattering while frying.
Heat your oil on high. You will know that your oil is ready when you stick in a chopstick/tongs and small bubbles form. Place tofu into the pan and fry until the bottom is golden (~3-5 minutes). Flip the tofu over and fry the other side for another 2-3 minutes or until until golden and crispy. Set aside on a paper towel to absorb excess oil.
In a medium sized saucepan, sauté shallots for 2-3 min until fragrant. Saute garlic until fragrant about minute. Then add fire noodle mixture and stir. Cook mixture on high until it lightly boils.
After mixture has boiled, add your tofu to the pan and continue cooking. Make sure to stir occasionally. After 5 minutes, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer until the sauce is reduced by half (~10 min). If it doesn't reduce, increase the heat.
Toss in the scallions and fire noodle toppings, stir well, and turn off heat. Enjoy over a bed of rice or with your noodles.