Ingredients:
- 2 blocks (500g) extra firm tofu, pressed and cubed
- 1 tsp ground Chinese five spices
- Salt and pepper to season
- 2 tbsps corn starch
- 1 tbsp neutral cooking oil
- 1 spring onion, thinly sliced
- 1/3 thumb-sized ginger, finely minced
Sauce:
- 3 tbsps light soy sauce (GF options available)
- 2 tbsps mirin
- 2 heap tsps gochujang paste
- 1/2 tsp dark soy sauce
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 4 tbsps water
Other Ingredients:
- 200g Shiitake mushrooms, sliced
- 200g spinach
- 200g soy bean sprouts
- 2 carrots, grated
- 1 cucumber, thinly sliced
- 4 servings medium grain rice, cooked
- Oil for cooking
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 200 Celsius.
2. In a large bowl, coat tofu with Chinese five spices, salt, pepper, oil, and cornstarch evenly.
3. Bake tofu for 30-40 mins until golden and crunchy, flipping halfway.
4. While tofu is baking, prepare other ingredients for the bowl.
5. Blanch spinach in boiling water for a few seconds, drain, and squeeze out excess water, set aside.
6. Sauté mushrooms and carrots separately until tender but not overcooked.
7. Thinly slice cucumber, set aside.
8. In a frying pan, sauté spring onion and ginger until fragrant.
9. In a bowl, mix all ingredients for the sauce until well combined.
10. Pour the sauce mixture into the pan, reduce heat to low, and stir to thicken the sauce.
11. Add baked crunchy tofu, toss to combine until tofu is well coated with sauce, set aside.
To Assemble:
- Mix more gochujang paste with water to make sauce.
- Serve rice with all the toppings and garnish with chives, sesame seeds, and drizzle more gochujang sauce.