Spicy Tofu and Eggs

I don’t watch TV that often, but I often overhear conversations about particular foods seen on TV. As a foodie, I always have to find out what it is and if I would like it.

This recipe, spicy tofu and eggs, 매운 두부달걀찜(maewoon dubu dalgyal jjim), was one recipe that I heard is really good. It is simply braised tofu with egg in a spicy sauce. I made braised tofu with radish a couple of years ago and it is one of my favorite ways of enjoying tofu. This would be another version with a similar flavor but with eggs.

It is simple and wonderful to eat as with rice. Quick and simple, this would be perfect for a weeknight meat-free Korean food theme, if you can handle the spiciness.

Slice the tofu into about 3/8 inch thickness.

Sprinkle with some salt on top, and set aside for a few minutes.

Meanwhile, you will need to make a quick anchovy – sea kelp stock by simmering the two together with water for 5 minutes. Reserve the stock and discard your sea friends.

You can use plain water instead, but the stock will give more in-depth flavor to the dish. If you want to make this dish vegetarian, you can omit the anchovy and use the sea kelp only, or just use water.

Combine onion, garlic, soy sauce, Koran soy sauce for soup, Korean chili flakes, sugar, pepper, and sesame seeds in a bowl.

Add the anchovy stock and mix well.

Press the tofu slices firmly with a piece of paper towel to remove the extra moisture.

Fry in a little oil until golden brown, about 3 minutes on each side. You might need to do this in 2-3 batches depending on the size of your skillet.

Put all the fried tofu back in the skillet and pour the sauce over them. Let the whole thing boil.

Cover and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes.

Looking good~! Taste the sauce to see if you need any additional seasoning.

Crack 3-4, or how ever many eggs you desire, on top, and continue to cook. You might want to cover the skillet again to cook the egg white part but leave the yolk under cooked.

Here is the finished look. Sprinkle on some green onion to finish it off!

Serve with rice! Crack the yolk and mix with all the great flavor that got soaked into tofu. You will love the flavor!

Enjoy every little drop of the sauce. So great to drizzle over the rice and you can easily empty out one bowl of rice within seconds. You don’t need a fancy serving dish. Just place the skillet on the table the way it is and share. This is where the human bonding begins, the Korean way…!

Spicy Tofu and Egg

Holly Ford

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Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 25 mins

Total Time 35 mins

Cuisine Korean

Servings 3 -4 serving

Ingredients

  

• 1 package 1 lb firm tofu
• 2 tablespoon canola or grape seeds oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 medium onion chopped
• 1 cup water or anchovy sea kelp stock *
• 2 tablespoons Korean chili flakes
• 2 tablespoons sou sauce
• 2 tablespoon Korean soy sauce for soup
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• dashes of black pepper
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1-2 green onion chopped
• 3-4 eggs

Instructions

 

• Drain the tofu from the package and slice into 3/8-inch thickness. Sprinkle salt all over the tofu and let them sit for 5 minutes.
• Heat 1-2 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Press tofu with a piece of paper tower to remove excess moisture and add the tofu to the skillet. Fry for 3-4 minutes until golden brown. Flip to the other side and fry another 3-4 minutes. You might need to do this in 2-3 batches. Keep the tofu in the skillet.
• Meanwhile, combine all the rest of the ingredients except the green onion and eggs in a bowl and mix well. Pour the sauce over tofu. Bring the mixture to gentle boil, cover loosely with a lid of foil and let it simmer for 10 minutes. When the tofu is very soft and the sauce is simmered, crack the eggs on top, cover again and simmer for 2 minutes or until the egg white is no longer translucent but the yolk is still loose.
• Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed. Sprinkle with green onion and serve hot with rice.

Notes

* To make anchovy sea kelp stock, pour 2 cups of water in a sauce pan and add 6-7 large dried anchovies and a piece of dried sea kelp (konbu). Bring to boil first, then simmer over low heat for 5 minutes. Remove the sea kelp and let it rest for a few more minutes. Discard the anchovies before adding to the recipe.