ramyaramesh3007This 5-minute flavourful silken tofu (soft tofu) dish drenched in a creamy peanut gochujang sauce is the perfect protein packed meal when paired with rice and noodles!
Tofu originated in China and has been an integral part of Chinese cuisine for over 2,000 years since the Han dynasty. It has made its presence now over the world due to its versatility. There are also different types of tofu – including firm, soft, silken and frozen. Today we’ll be experimenting with silken tofu: a soft tofu predominantly made from soy beans and water. The water content in this tofu is significantly higher than other types of tofu.
I used Japanese Silken Tofu with Omege-3 DHA. The brand is called Fortune, and is readily available at the supermarkets near me!
With silken tofu, I decided to make a recipe so simple that anyone can make it with their eyes closed. This is the perfect vegan snack or meal for anyone and everyone. The best part, this recipe doesn’t require any cooking (except heating the sesame oil). It can be made in just 5 minutes because all you have to do is combine a few ingredients and pour the sauce over pre-packaged silken tofu.
For the sauce, we’ll be using some of my asian pantry friendly ingredients, namely:
- unsweetened peanut butter – perfect for adding to smoothies, sauces and broths to make it creamy.
- gochujang – korean red pepper paste that has a sweet and spicy flavour profile. I used this in most of my korean stews, bibimbap and as a sauce base!
- light soy sauce – you can opt for a gluten free one like gluten free soy sauce, tamari or coconut aminos.
- rice wine vinegar – again, can be versatile enough to use in a lot of asian recipes!
- sweetener – agave or maple syrup are perfect refined sugar free options.
- gochugaru – korean red pepper flakes that vary between mild and spicy while also having a bright red colour. You can find this in korean marts or asian supermarkets. If not available, you can substitute this with 1 tsp regular chili flakes.
- spring onions – to add a subtle sweet aroma to the sauce.
For the garnish, we’ll be using more spring onions, crushed peanuts and my 5-minute Homemade Chili Oil (gluten free and alliums free!)
Gluten free substitutions: Use a gluten free chili paste and a gluten free soy sauce / tamari / coconut aminos.
Allium free substitutions: Substitute spring onions with chopped coriander. Use an allium free chili paste like sambal or chili oil.
5-minute Peanut Gochujang Tofu
Ingredients
- 1 block silken tofu 300g
- 2 tbsp peanut butter
- 2 tsp gochugaru
- 1/2 tbsp gochujang
- 2 tsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp rice wine vinegar
- 1/2 tsp sweetener
- 1 tbsp spring onions
- 1.5 tbsp sesame oil
Garnish
- chili oil
- crushed peanuts
- spring onions
Instructions
- Pat the silken tofu dry to remove excess moisture.
- In a small bowl, add gochugaru and spring onions. Heat up sesame oil and pour over the aromatics.
- Whisk together the peanut butter, gochujang, light soy sauce, rice vinegar and sweetener. Add a little warm water (a teaspoon at a time) if you need to thin the sauce to your preferred consistency.
- Place the tofu on a plate, pour over the spicy peanut gochujang sauce.
- Top with chili oil, chopped green onions, and crushed peanuts.
- Serve over cooked rice or noodles for a complete meal. You can also add on sauteed greens on the side.