Hello, friends! Happy Spring! We have been enjoying a beautiful spring weather in the San Francisco Bay Area these last two weeks. The days are are sunny and warm while can still be chilly. I love this combination of bright and cozy. Flowers of different color, sizes and textures are everywhere. They make the world cheerful to wake up to. Wishing you all a beautiful season as we move to summertime. Hopefully it does not get too hot where you live!

Korean Mapo Tofu

I made this recipe twice already and will keep on making it over and over again! This recipe is so easy to make. It only takes about 20 minutes and you are done. When my coworker tasted it, she said that it was better than her favorite mapo tofu from a restaurant near our work. Please see my notes for more information on ingredients.

This recipe has been adapted from Maangchi. While hers include pork, I made mine vegetarian. (Thank you, Maanghi, for sharing your delicious recipe.)

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 4 garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon peeled ginger, minced
• 1 tablespoon Korean hot pepper flakes (gochugaru)
• 1 cup onion (or medium onion), cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 2 mild green chili peppers (or ½ green bell pepper), chopped
• 8 green onions, sliced into ½ inch pieces
• 1¼ cup low-sodium vegetable stock (divided into 1 cup and 1/4 cup)
• 2 tablespoons gochujang (or Korean fermented hot pepper paste)
• 1 pound  soft tofu, cut into ½ inch cubes
• 1 tablespoon  potato starch (or cornstarch)
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce (optional) *See note below

HOW TO MAKE:

1. Heat vegetable oil, garlic, and ginger in a skillet until the garlic turns golden brown. Stir while cooking to ensure that garlic does not burn.
2. Stir in hot pepper flakes for about 30 seconds until it smells a little smoky.
3. Add the onion, green chili pepper, and green onion. Stir for one minute until the vegetables turn soft.
4. Stir in soy sauce and hot pepper paste.
5. Add 1 cup vegetable broth and cook for about 2 minutes until boiling.
6. Add the tofu cubes and gently mix with a wooden spoon. Cook for about 3 to 4 minutes, being careful to keep the tofu intact.
7. Combine the rest of the broth ( ¼ cup broth) and potato starch or corn starch in a small bowl. Stir until thoroughly mixed.
8. Add it to the boiling mapo tofu and gently stir it until the sauce is thickened.
9. Remove from the heat and stir in the sesame oil.
10. Enjoy with rice!

MY NOTES

1. Gochujang (Korean pepper paste) can be found at major grocery stores in the Bay Area. I get mine from Trader Joe’s. I also saw them at Safeway.
2. Gochugaru (Korean hot pepper flakes) are almost similar to cayenne pepper in texture but gochugaru is coarser. Based on my readings, cayenne will not make a good substitute. Gochugaru has its distinct flavor and texture. I found mine at a Korean grocery store. I am sure that Amazon sells this spice.
3. These ingredients are good to have in your pantry. They are not very expensive and can be used for many delicious Korean meals.
4. Gochujang is typically vegan but check the ingredients to make sure that there are no animal products.
5. To lower the sodium content of the dish, I do not use soy sauce. It is still very tasty even without.