Looking for a simple stir-fry recipe with banging, firecracking flavours? Then make sure you check out and save this Crispy Tofu Kimchi Stir Fry recipe. Kimchi, whilst typically served on its own as a side dish, is a very versatile ingredient to play with. It’s a key base ingredient for many traditional Korean stews and soups, and its distinct spicy & tangy flavours make it great to play around with in stir-fry dishes. Particularly, I enjoy the combination of kimchi with tofu, where I feel the two ingredients sit harmoniously without overpowering one another. This Tofu Kimchi Stir Fry is perfect to serve with a steaming bowl of Jasmine rice.
Why You’d Love This Crispy Tofu Kimchi Stir-Fry Recipe
Stir-fry recipes are always quick and easy to whip up. And with this crispy tofu & kimchi combination? The flavours are going to wow your palate with that piquant taste. By first frying up the tofu, it adds a lovely crispy texture to the dish and a tinge of extra flavouring layer. Whether you’re looking for a hearty dish to warm up over the cold winter nights or something to open up your palate during the hot summer months, this recipe will do the job! Moreover, this recipe is all halal-friendly.
How to Make Crispy Tofu & Kimchi Stir Fry
Ingredients You Need
- Firm Tofu – read more in recipe notes below
- Kimchi – read more in recipe notes below
- Shallots / Onion
- Lee Kum Kee Chilli Garlic Sauce
- Turkey Rashers – optional
- Corn Flour, Garlic Powder, Paprika, White Pepper, Salt – for the crispy tofu coating
Recipe Notes
How to Make Crispy Tofu
Generally speaking, tofu is categorised into silken (soft), regular, and firm tofu. For this recipe, I suggest using firm tofu (or even extra firm). The obvious reason is that its firmer texture makes it easier to cook without breaking apart. Additionally, both soft and regular tofu release more water when cooking, which won’t be ideal if you’re trying to make crispy tofu.
To make them golden and crispy, I coated them with a seasoned cornflour mixture before pan-frying them. The seasonings used to mix with the cornflour include garlic powder, paprika, salt, and white pepper.
What is Kimchi & Where to Get It
If you don’t already know, kimchi is a staple of Korean cuisine, consisting of fermented cabbage. It’s got a distinct spicy and tangy flavour which you either love or dislike. Typically, kimchi itself can be served as a side dish or simply eaten together with rice. It is also often used in many Korean dishes in stews, soups, fried rice, etc.
You can get kimchi at most oriental supermarkets and sometimes at the oriental section in major supermarkets too, due to its growing popularity (e.g. Sainsburys). Please do look out for Korean brand ones for the best & most authentic taste.
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Crispy Tofu & Kimchi Stir-Fry Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 Shallots (or 1 onion) sliced
- 3 slices Turkey Rashers sliced (optional)
- 160 g Kimchi (with juices) roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp Lee Kum Kee Garlic Chilli Sauce
- 2 Spring Onion sliced
- 2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
For the Crispy Tofu:
- 280 g Firm Tofu cubed
- ½ cup Cornflour
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp Paprika
- 1 tsp Salt
- ½ tsp White Pepper
Instructions
- Mix together all the seasoning with the cornflour. Drench tofu cubes in the mixture until fully coated.280 g Firm Tofu, ½ cup Cornflour, 1 tsp Garlic Powder, 1 tsp Paprika, 1 tsp Salt, ½ tsp White Pepper
- Heat vegetable oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Cook tofu cubes until crispy and golden, roughly 3 minutes on each side. Set aside.2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
- In the same pan, add more oil if needed. Cook turkey rashers, if using, for a few minutes until they start to crisp up.3 slices Turkey Rashers
- Add in the sliced shallots. Cook for a few minutes until softened.2 Shallots (or 1 onion)
- Toss in the kimchi, together with its juices. Add the chilli garlic sauce, stir-fry for 5 minutes. Add a tablespoon of water if it gets too dry.160 g Kimchi (with juices), 2 tbsp Lee Kum Kee Garlic Chilli Sauce
- Add in the crispy tofu cubes and spring onions. Toss to mix well. Serve immediately.2 Spring Onion
Notes
- Use firm tofu (or extra firm) for this recipe. Soft or medium tofu would break apart too easily for this occasion and releases too much water.
- Cornflour helps to form the crispy coating and the golden colour. Feel free to switch up the seasoning for your own taste.
- Turkey rashers have been used to replace the typical use of pork belly in Korean cuisine.
- This Crispy Tofu & Kimchi Stir-Fry is ideal to serve with Jasmine rice.
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is corn flour the same as corn meal?
Not really. Both are made from corn but functions differently!
I thought this was delicious. I added fresh chilies, garlic and a little ginger to the scallions to give it some freshness and heat.
Hi Kim, thanks for leaving a comment and love the idea of adding extra heat & freshness! Very glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Very confused about the cumin in this. Otherwise a great recipe. But cumin does not go with this flavor profile at all.
Hi John, thank you for your comment. The purpose of including cumin together with paprika and garlic powder as the coating over the tofu is to give it an earthy smoky touch. It’s only very subtle and not a main flavour. You can totally omit it if you don’t like it. Hope this helps!
This was exactly what I was looking for. It’s going to be a meal I have often. Thank you 💕
Hi Gee, I’m so happy to hear that you enjoy the recipe! Thank you for leaving a comment and review 🙂
This was awesome and delicious!
I used turkey bangers instead of rashers, 4 Tbsp of cornstarch (instead of cornflower) and two green onions.
Thank you and so pleased that you enjoyed the recipe! 🙂 That totally works too!