Korean Tofu & Mushroom Bulgogi

This vegan version of korean-style bulgogi is made with pan fried tofu and shimeji mushrooms coated in a spicy, slightly sweet and tangy bulgogi sauce.

I grew up appreciating many different types of cuisines and cultures, thanks to the prevalence of hawker centres all around Singapore. Hawker centres sell different cuisines of food at different stalls: there are Japanese, Korean, Malay, Noodles, Cai Fan (Chinese Mixed Vegetables), Indian stalls and many more. It’s definitely becoming more modernised now too with more fusion shops emerging every few months.

One dish I would regularly find and eat at Korean stalls was their chicken hotplate bulgogi. It’s served hot, sizzling and with rice and kimchi. It’s very delicious and addictive! And also an accessible and affordable option in the Singapore food scene.

This is a super easy Korean BBQ tofu and mushroom recipe for anyone and everyone – the ingredients are all mixed together in one bowl and transferred to a claypot to cook there. You can serve this with rice, noodles or even in lettuce wraps.

This recipe requires no marination as the flavours are strong and can coat the tofu and mushrooms nicely. I like to pan fry or air fry my tofu before adding it to the sauce for better flavour and texture.

Ingredients You Need

• extra firm tofu – pan frying the tofu in olive oil gives it an extra crisp and makes it more firm
• mushrooms – you can use any type of mushrooms but I love how the sauce coats shimeji brown mushrooms
• bulgogi marinade – grated pear (you can substitute with apple), soy sauce, coconut sugar, garlic and ginger, gochujang, sesame oil
• aromatics – scallions (both white and green parts)
• optional – vegan kimchi and gochugaru

Gluten free substitutions:

• Use gluten free soy sauce, tamari or coconut aminos.
• Omit gochujang – use gluten free and vegan kimchi instead.

Allium free substitutions (no onion, no garlic):

• Omit gochujang and use vegan & allium free kimchi instead. You can also choose not to add both.
• Omit garlic and add a pinch of hing.
• Instead of stalks of scallions, use thinly sliced fennel or celery.