Dubu Kimchi (Korean Tofu and Kimchi Stir Fry, 40g Protein)
Dubu kimchi is warm slabs of pan-fried tofu topped with kimchi and pork that has been stir-fried until the edges caramelize. One serving lands at about 40 grams of protein, which makes it a real meal and not a side dish. It comes together in half an hour with a single pan.
The idea is two textures on one plate. The tofu stays soft and clean-tasting, and the kimchi and pork on top carry all the heat and funk. You get spice, sourness, and a little sweetness in every bite without deep-frying anything. It sits in the same family as our Korean spicy pork, just built around a block of tofu instead of rice.
This is the one to make on nights when the fridge has aging kimchi and not much else. Older, more sour kimchi is actually better here, because the heat mellows it and the sugar rounds it out.
Why this works
Pan-frying pressed tofu gives you a firm surface that holds up under the topping instead of falling apart. Get the pan properly hot and leave the tofu alone for a few minutes a side so a skin can form. For the topping, lean pork shoulder or loin keeps the protein high and the fat in check, and cooking the kimchi until its liquid evaporates concentrates the flavor rather than leaving it watery. A spoonful of gochujang and a little sugar balance the sourness of well-fermented kimchi.
Ingredient notes
Extra-firm tofu is the one to buy. Softer tofu will not fry cleanly and will break when you lift it. Press it for ten minutes under a weighted plate while you prep everything else.
Use well-fermented kimchi, the more sour the better. Fresh, barely-fermented kimchi tastes flat once it is cooked. Cut it into bite-size pieces and save a couple of tablespoons of the juice from the jar to add at the end.
For the pork, trim a shoulder steak or a loin chop and slice it thin. Pork belly is traditional but it doubles the fat and cuts the protein per serving, so I skip it here. Ground pork works too, just break it up fine as it cooks. If you like a soupier tofu dinner, our mapo tofu with extra lean pork is another good way to use a block of tofu.
Gochujang brings the deep chili paste flavor and gochugaru adds dry heat and color. If you only have one of them, gochujang alone is fine. Start with a tablespoon and taste before adding more.
Dubu Kimchi (Korean Tofu and Kimchi Stir Fry)
Ingredients
Method
- Press the tofu. Wrap the block in a clean towel, set a plate on top weighted with a can or two, and leave it for 10 minutes while you prep everything else. Slice into pieces about 1 cm thick.
- Heat the neutral oil in a large nonstick or cast iron pan over medium-high heat. Fry the tofu for 3 to 4 minutes a side until a golden skin forms. Lift the slices out and arrange them around the edge of a serving plate.
- In the same pan, add the sliced pork and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until it loses its pink color. Push it to one side of the pan.
- Add the onion and garlic and cook for 1 minute, then add the kimchi and stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes until the liquid cooks off and the edges start to caramelize.
- Stir in the gochujang, gochugaru, soy sauce, sugar, and kimchi juice. Cook for about 2 minutes until glossy and thick. Taste and adjust the sugar or chili.
- Off the heat, fold in the sesame oil and most of the green onions. Pile the topping into the center of the tofu plate.
- Scatter the remaining green onion and the sesame seeds over the top. Serve hot with rice or lettuce leaves.
Tips and storage
Serve it hot, straight from the pan, with rice or lettuce leaves for wrapping. The kimchi and pork topping keeps in the fridge for three to four days and deepens in flavor overnight, so it is good for meal prep. Store the topping separately from the tofu if you can, since reheated tofu weeps a little water. Fry fresh tofu when you eat, or warm the stored slices gently in a dry pan. For a soupier tofu night instead, try our sundubu jjigae with prawns and egg. To push the protein even higher, add a fried egg on top for another six grams.
