Go Back
Dubu kimchi served on a white plate: white tofu slabs arranged around a mound of red stir-fried kimchi

Dubu Kimchi Recipe

The simplest dubu kimchi recipe you'll cook this week: warm tofu slabs plus kimchi stir-fried with a little sugar. Three ingredients, fifteen minutes.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 2
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Korean
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 block firm tofu, about 300 g (10.5 oz), sliced into 1 cm (about 1/2 inch) slabs
  • 250 g (about 2 packed cups / 9 oz) well-fermented sour kimchi, squeezed and cut into bite-size pieces
  • 2 tbsp (30 ml) kimchi brine from the jar
  • 1 tbsp (15 ml) neutral cooking oil such as canola or grapeseed
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp gochugaru, Korean coarse chili flakes
  • 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
  • 100 g (3.5 oz) pork belly, thinly sliced, optional
  • 1 scallion, sliced thin on a diagonal
  • 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
  • Pinch of fine salt, to taste

Method
 

  1. Drain the tofu block and pat it dry on both sides with paper towels.
  2. Slice the tofu crosswise into slabs about 1 cm (1/2 inch) thick.
  3. Squeeze the kimchi lightly over a bowl, saving 2 tbsp of the brine, then cut it into bite-size pieces.
  4. Bring a wide pan of water to a gentle simmer, slide in the tofu slabs, and heat for 4 to 5 minutes until they are hot all the way through; lift them out with a slotted spatula and drain.
  5. Alternatively, pan-fry the slabs in 1 tsp oil over medium heat for 3 minutes per side, until the surfaces firm up and turn pale gold.
  6. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers.
  7. If using pork belly or bacon, add it now and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the edges are browned and the fat has rendered.
  8. Add the chopped kimchi and stir-fry for 4 minutes, until it darkens from bright red to a deeper brick color and stops smelling raw.
  9. Stir in the sugar, gochugaru, and reserved kimchi brine, and cook 2 minutes more until the liquid mostly cooks off and the pan sizzles rather than bubbles.
  10. Taste and add a pinch of salt only if the kimchi was mild.
  11. Turn off the heat and stir in the sesame oil.
  12. Fan the warm tofu slabs around the edge of a plate and pile the kimchi in the center.
  13. Scatter scallion and sesame seeds over the top and serve immediately, while the tofu is still hot.