The marinade is ridiculously delicious; you’ll also want to use it on ribs or chicken.
Recipe information
Yield
4 Servings
Ingredients
Tofu
1
1
½
¼
¼
1½
Rice and Assembly
2
½
4
1
1
½
¼
2
Special Equipment
Preparation
Tofu
Step 1
Place tofu on a rimmed baking sheet layered with paper towels; top with several more paper towels and press gently to squeeze out excess liquid. Transfer tofu to a shallow baking dish.
Step 2
Give garlic, soy sauce, chili paste, cilantro, and ginger a whirl in a blender, scraping down the sides as needed, until smooth, about 3 minutes (consistency will be similar to ketchup). Pour over tofu and turn to coat. Chill at least 2 hours.
Step 3
Do Ahead: Tofu can be marinated 12 hours ahead. Cover and keep chilled.
Rice and Assembly
Step 4
Place rice in a sieve and rinse under cold running water, rubbing with your fingers, until water runs clear. (This yields fluffy grains that won’t clump.) Let drain 5 minutes.
Step 5
Transfer rice to a medium saucepan; cover with 3 cups water and season with salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed, 12–15 minutes.
Step 6
Remove saucepan from heat and fluff rice with a fork. Cover with a kitchen towel, then replace lid. Let sit 10 minutes for steam to absorb.
Step 7
Pour oil into a medium pot to a depth of 2" and fit pot with thermometer. Heat oil over medium-high until thermometer registers 350°.
Step 8
Place cornstarch in a shallow bowl. Working in batches, remove tofu from marinade (do not scrape it off) and toss in cornstarch; shake off excess. Working in batches, fry tofu, turning occasionally, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet; let drain.
Step 9
Divide rice among bowls. Make a small well in the center of each and nestle a poached egg inside. Top with fried tofu, then kimchi, cilantro, basil, scallions, peanuts, and sesame seeds.
Nutrition Per Serving
Leave a Review
Reviews (37)
Back to TopI've probably made this recipe 10 times at this point. It is super easy! I never put the marinade in the blender, out of sheer laziness, and because I never seem to plan ahead when I make this, I usually marinate the tofu for like 15 minutes or so. I also always add the remainder of the marinade into the pan halfway through frying (and I also use less oil so it's more of a stir fry - maybe a couple tsp). The flavors are delicious.
Anonymous
Nashville, TN
3/18/2019
Can the tofu be fried in an air fryer? Thoughts on time and temperature?
Emily I
1/15/2022
This is an amazing recipe that has stood the test of time in my family (including veg and non-veg members). However I disagree with previous reviews that it is easy. It is very time-consuming if followed to the letter and it pays to plan ahead and marinate the tofu properly. If made this way, the usually bland tofu is somehow transformed into delicious crispy chunks as flavourful as fried chicken. You can sub in all kinds of toppings including greens (bok choy or kale), onions (shallots or pickled red onions), etc... A true delight, so long as you have time to make it.
BlackinBlighty
London
12/11/2022