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19. How to finish off your sour kimchi deliciously.(Kimchi salad)

  • Radish (cucumber, celery, or bell pepper can also be used), one piece about the size of a fist.
  • The radish should be sliced very thinly so it blends well with the kimchi more quickly.
  • 5–6 sprigs of cilantro (more would be better, but this is all I picked from the garden today).
  • About a handful of well-fermented napa cabbage kimchi.
  • Mix the thinly sliced radish and cilantro with the kimchi.
  • Sprinkle generously with whole sesame seeds and toss lightly, as if making a fresh salad kimchi.
  • The fresh radish and cilantro mellowed out the salty and sour taste of the aged kimchi, turning it into a fresh “kimchi geotjeori.” I ended up finishing all the kimchi today, which I normally would have left behind.
  • When kimchi is fermented in the refrigerator, it becomes nicely aged and rich in probiotics after about 1–2 weeks (or 2–4 weeks in a kimchi fridge).
  • It’s best to buy one or two heads of napa cabbage, make a manageable amount of kimchi, and enjoy it while it’s well fermented—before it becomes too sour.
  • Even so, if the kimchi becomes too sour for any reason, you can use it like this.
  • Kimchi stew
  • Stir-fried kimchi (drained of excess liquid)
  • Kimchi fried rice
  • Kimchi pancake
  • And you can also make and enjoy “kimchi salad” by mixing in fresh vegetables like this.
  • That way, nothing goes to waste when it comes to kimchi.

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18.Korean Seaweed and Cucumber Salad

  • 30g of dried seaweed (after soaking, it turned out to be a huge amount — 15g would have been plenty)
  • 5 small cucumbers
  • 1 medium onion
  • Three stalks of green onions
  • Since there’s a lot of seaweed, you’ll need plenty of cucumbers too.
  • Soak the dried seaweed for at least 15 minutes.
  • Stir 2–3 times and turn off the heat after 30 seconds.
  • Squeeze out the excess water from the blanched seaweed by hand, then cut it into bite-sized pieces.
  • Thinly slice the cucumber and onion, sprinkle with 2–3 pinches of salt, and let them sit for a few minutes to soften.
  • Chop the green onions finely.
  • Place all the ingredients in a large bowl, add the prepared seasoning (below), and mix well.
  • The key to seaweed and cucumber salad is its sweet and tangy flavor.
  • Season with 2T of Korean soy sauce and 2T of Yeondu (new product).
  • If you don’t have Yeondu, use 4T of Korean soy sauce instead.
  • Add 4 T of vinegar to give it a tangy flavor.
  • Add 1T sugar and 1T agave syrup to give it a sweet flavor.
  • Add 2T minced garlic for extra depth of flavor.
  • Add 1T sesame seeds to give it a rich, nutty taste.
  • It still tasted a bit under-seasoned, so I sprinkled in a few more pinches of salt and added 1 tablespoon of lemon juice for extra tanginess.
  • I hadn’t made it for a long time, so I accidentally made double the amount.
  • Who knew sweet-and-sour seaweed and cucumber salad would go so well with spicy jalapeños?
  • Recently, Haru and Evelyn came over, and since they wanted some seaweed and cucumber salad, I made it for them after a long time. Since Evelyn usually skips breakfast, I served her just the salad without rice. She felt something was missing in terms of spiciness, so I brought out some soy-marinated jalapeños. She really liked it and ate it all. Even I thought the combination worked quite well. I wouldn’t have thought of that idea myself because I don’t usually enjoy sharp, spicy flavors. My husband, on the other hand, likes spicy food and often comes up with these kinds of ideas. It seems this only works because we have different tastes. For those who aren’t used to the slippery texture of seaweed, pairing it with something spicy like jalapeños can make it much more enjoyable. Seaweed is an incredibly healthy ingredient, packed with minerals, vitamins, and dietary fiber. On cold days, having a warm bowl of seaweed soup feels like it gives my body everything it needs.Since the hot weather is starting to pass, I should make some seaweed soup soon and post it on the website.

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17. Spicy Korean Pork Bulgogi with Gochujang

  • Prepare 400g of pork , mixed with pork shoulder and pork belly.
  • Slice thinly.
  • Trim off the excess fat, leaving only a moderate amount.
  • Gochujang Bulgogi Marinade.
  • Cooking wine (ginger cooking wine, soju, white wine, rice wine, etc). 2T
  • Sweetness (banana syrup, agave syrup, sugar, etc) 1T
  • Korean soy sauce 2T
  • Gochujang 2T
  • Minced garlic 1T
  • Sesame oil 1T
  • A pinch of black pepper
  • Ginger powder (using tumeric) 1/3 t
  • First, add cooking wine and banana syrup, and lightly mix to coat the pork.
  • Marinating the meat first with cooking wine and a touch of sweetness helps reduce odors, tenderize the texture, and enhance the flavor with a pleasant sweetness.
  • Making the gochujang marinade.
  • Mix all the remaining seasonings except the cooking wine and sweetener, then pour over the meat and gently rub to coat.
  • Season the meat about 30 minutes before cooking and let it sit at room temperature.
  • Heat the frying pan over high heat, then add the meat and spread it out evenly. Reduce to medium-low heat right after that, as the marinade can burn if left on high heat.
  • Cover with a lid and cook for about 10 minutes, as if simmering.
  • After 10 minutes, open the lid and flip the meat. Then close the lid again and cook for another 10 minutes.
  • When the meat looks almost cooked, open the lid and stir/turn it once more to cook it evenly."
  • It can also be enjoyed with the broth.
  • You can also cook off all the broth and enjoy it as if it were charcoal-grilled."
  • Today, I finished the dish by quickly tossing in some thinly sliced vegetables and oregano at the end.
  • After plating, drizzle some sesame oil over it and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
  • It’s also delicious when the meat is grilled until nicely browned and served with ssamjang and lettuce wraps.
  • Making Korean bulgogi marinade is easier than you might think.
  • Ingredients like cooking wine, ginger, and garlic are added to eliminate the smell of the meat.
  • For sweetness, ingredients such as banana syrup, agave syrup, sugar, or sweet fruit juice can be added.
  • For saltiness, ingredients such as Korean soy sauce, regular soy sauce, salt, or doenjang (fermented soybean paste) can be added.
  • To give it a spicy flavor like gochujang bulgogi, ingredients such as gochujang (Korean chili paste), korean chili powder, or fresh chili peppers can be added.
  • Recall the taste of bulgogi and add the ingredients that match it.
  • For seasoning the meat, think of using about 1 tablespoon of soy sauce per 100 grams of meat. (If using Korean soy sauce, use about 0.7 tablespoon — a little less.)
  • When making gochujang bulgogi, mix soy sauce and gochujang in a 50:50 ratio. For example, if you’re marinating 400 grams of meat, for regular bulgogi use 4 tablespoons of soy sauce. For gochujang bulgogi, use 2 tablespoons of soy sauce and 2 tablespoons of gochujang — half and half.
  • The key to Korean bulgogi seasoning is soy sauce and gochujang.
  • With this approach, you’ll be able to make bulgogi seasoning without a recipe — and even go on to invent your own version.
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16. Grilled tofu, brown rice, and mool kimchi for breakfast

  • It's the Pulmuone tofu I love. (I think this tofu does the best job of keeping the natural, savory flavor of soybeans among all the tofu you can find in the U.S.
  • Cut it into six pieces and sprinkle salt on them in advance, as shown in the photo on the left.
  • Pan-fry the tofu over medium heat until both sides are golden brown.
  • It tastes great when pan-fried in olive oil, but when you use perilla oil, it has a deep, nostalgic flavor that feels almost sentimental.
  • Two pieces are enough for me in the morning. (This is more than the amount of protein in one egg.)
  • Grilled large matsutake mushrooms are also deliciously chewy and full of flavor.
  • A pinch of salt, a few cracks of pepper.
  • Matsutake mushrooms are a premium health food that is low in calories but rich in protein, dietary fiber, and B vitamins. They are known for boosting the immune system and providing antioxidant benefits.
  • This is what I' ve been having for breakfast over the past few months.
  • Tofu grilled in perilla oil, matsutake mushrooms grilled in perilla oil, brown rice, and mool kimchi (water kimchi)-- the combination of flavors is so satisfying that I never get tired of it, even after eating it for months. It's nutritionally well- balanced and, above all, easy to digest, which makes it even better.
  • I used to really enjoy my mornings with sweet bread and coffee. But after six months of battling with coffee, I finally gave up black coffee -- and the sweet bread, too. In the end, mool kimchi (water kimchi) triumphed over coffee, and tofu with brown rice won out over bread. And with that, peace returned to my stomach.
  • I’ve been experiencing digestive issues for several years, but I didn’t know the exact cause. I just assumed it was a normal part of getting older. Starting last year, I began waking up frequently at night, often running to the bathroom, and I struggled to get a good night's sleep. Again, I thought it was just age catching up with me. However, when I started going to a traditional medicine clinic for acupuncture, I began reflecting on my overall habits and the things I was eating. The most obvious and significant cause, I concluded, was the ‘black coffee I drank every morning.’ I absolutely loved the warm taste of coffee on an empty stomach. When I woke up, the thought of having coffee already made me happy. How could I possibly give that up? It took a long time to cut out that single cup of black coffee. It wasn’t just the coffee; it was the sweet breakfast (bread) that came with it that I struggled to let go of. I realized that I needed to cut out the caffeine and sugar, not just the pretty, packaged bread and coffee. With that deeper understanding, the issue began to resolve. I spent several months switching from coffee to green tea, then replaced the bread with brown rice and tofu. Eventually, the green tea was replaced with mool kimchi(water kimchi). It took more than six months. In the photos, it looks like a simple meal, but getting to this point was no easy feat. After several months of eating like this, I’ve noticed a few major improvements. First, my stomach is much more comfortable now. It took some time, but it feels great now. Second, I’m sleeping better at night without waking up as much. It’s not quite like when I was younger, but now I only wake up once in a while. Third, I checked my blood sugar twice recently, and it was 83 and 85 — a very healthy level. In the past, my blood sugar was around 100–105, which wasn’t alarming but still something I had to keep an eye on. Now, eating brown rice, tofu, and mool kimchi(water kimchi) in the morning feels amazing. I’m so happy with how I feel now, and I’m never going back to my old eating habits.

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15. A Praise for Tofu

  • Tofu is made from soybeans.
  • Soy protein is considered the highest-quality plant protein.
  • Like milk, meat, fish, and eggs, it provides a protein that is close to complete.
  • Soy protein, particularly from the yellow soybeans used in Tofu, contains nearly all nine essential amino acids and is considered nutritionally superior.
  • It takes only about 3 minutes to prepare fresh tofu for eating. Simply open the tofu pack, rinse the tofu in clean water, and cut it. If it seems less fresh, you can briefly blanch it in boiling warer.
  • It tastes great with kimchi.
  • No. 15 Tofu and mushrooms grilled in a pan.
  • It takes just 10 minutes to prepare grilled tofu and mushrooms with some brown rice from the rice cooker. If you have pre-cooked rice and tofu that's already been lightly salted, you can easily create a simple yet healthy meal. Kimchi goes well with it, and if you have mool kimchi (water kimchi), it makes a perfect breakfast.
  • No. 6 Braised Tofu
  • It takes about 15 minutes to make braised tofu. While the tofu is being pan-fry, you can prepare the onions and sauce , so it's a dish you can cook quickly and still make it look and taste great.
  • No.10 Mapo Tofu
  • It'll take at least 20 to 30 minutes. It probably depends on how prepared the ingredients are, but chopping vegetables and meat usually takes the longest. Once you start cooking -- stir-frying the meat and vegetables-- the actual cooking time is quite short.
  • On days when you feel like making something really nice, it's a great idea to take your time and cook like a chef.
  • The process of making tofu is quite long. Soybeans are soaked for 8 to 12 hours, then blended and brought to a boil. Then, the soy pulp (called okara) is separated from the soy milk. A coagulant is added to the filtered soy milk to make it curdle, and finally, the curds are poured into a tofu mold and pressed to remove excess moisture. That's how the tofu we eat is made. Other than the coagulant, no special additives are used. It is rich in nutrients such as protein, calcium, and iron. It is very easy to digest. It's also very affordable. For a meal, two people can share a block of tofu--it costs just $1.99, or $2.49 for organic. When you're in a hurry, you can just slice it and eat it -- it's mild and nutty as is. It's also delicious pan-fried in olive oil or added to a thick, hearty soup. Given all this, how could I not love tofu?

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14. Kimchi Fried Rice

  • My husband prefers kimchi stir-fry served over rice, while I prefer kimchi fried rice.
  • I buy a chunk of oven-roasted ham and use it.
  • Instead of ham, using finely chopped pork belly or pork shoulder makes it even more delicious.
  • I dice it into bite-sized pieces for a better texture.
  • Two bowls of cold rice
  • Chop the kimchi finely.(The main stars today are kimchi and rice, but it's best to add the kimchi just a little sparingly. Also, be sure to squeeze out a bit of the kimchi juice.)
  • A little bit of onion. (My husband really loves sauteed onions.)
  • The egg is for myself.
  • Drizzle plenty of olive oil and stir-fry the cold rice well.
  • Break up any large clumps and stir-fry the rice so that each grain gets nicely coated in olive oil.
  • In a separate frying pan, add some olive oil and saute the onions and ham.
  • If you have one frying pan, you can temporarily transfer the fried rice to a bowl and then stir- fry the vegetables.
  • Once the onions are sauteed to a certain point, add the well-drained kimchi and stir-fry them together.
  • Stir-fry the kimchi until it's well coated in the oil and looks glossy and shiny. It only takes a short moment.
  • There's no need to add any seasoning--kimchi already contains all the essential flavors : spicy, salty, sweet, and well-fermented.
  • Scoop the fried rice into a bowl first, then top it with the stir-fried kimchi and ham--and it's ready to serve.
  • My husband enjoys eating this as a rice bowl, with stir-fried kimchi, onions, and ham on top.
  • I served my husband his rice topped with the stir-fried kimchi and ham, while I mixed the rice with the kimchi and stir-fried it once more, then added a fried egg on top for myself.
  • This time, it's a kimchi fried rice made on a different day--in the style I personally love.
  • 2 shiitake mushrooms.
  • 1 bowl of cooked rice
  • A fistful of kimchi (today's kimchi ripened just enough)
  • When you stir-frying shiitake mushrooms, you need to use plenty of oil.
  • Well- cooked shiitake mushrooms have a meaty texture, and to me, they taste even better than meat.
  • Once the shiitake mushrooms are nicely cooked, add the well- drained kimchi and stir- fry them together again.
  • Today, the brown rice had a nice, fluffy texture, so I didn't stir- fry it separately -- I just added it in and mixed everything together. The amount of kimchi was just right, so I didn't need to add any extra seasoning.
  • Once everything is done stir- frying, just drizzle some sesame oil over the top and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds before serving it on a plate.
  • Nothing but one kind of delicious kimchi.
  • Chewy shiitake mushrooms.
  • Perfectly cooked fried egg.
  • A simple but truly satisfying meal.
  • A lot of people try to make kimchi fried rice look better by adding more chili powder or sweetening it with sugar. But when you use truly tasty kimchi, you honestly don't need anything else. One good kimchi does it all.
  • If kimchi is not sour, kimchi itself is enough for the kimchi fried rice. However, if kimchi is sour then it loses its freshness. In that case, put the same amount of cabbage as well with kimchi and it should taste much fresher.

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13. Stir-fried Pork and Vegetables with Soy Sauce

  • This dish is perfect when you want to enjoy plenty of both vegetables and meat.
  • Half an onion
  • Half a pine mushroom
  • One small carrot
  • Three stalks of green onions
  • A little bit of zucchini
  • One small bell pepper (It's from our garden.)
  • Three small jalapenos.(It's from our garden.)
  • Three cloves of garlic
  • I picked out only the vegetables from the fridge that taste better when stir-fried.
  • I season the meat in advance. You can add it directly while cooking, but if you 're sensitive to the smell of meat like I am, it's better to marinate it beforehand.
  • 350g pork shoulder
  • 1T ginger wine (Any kind of cooking wine)
  • 1T Korean soy sauce
  • 1T banana syrup (Agave syrup or sugar)
  • 1/3 t ginger powder (using tumeric)
  • When marinating meat in advance, it's better to season it lightly, as you'll have a chance to adjust the flavor later.

  • Everything is ready to be stir-fried now.
  • Lotus root,as well.
  • Keep salt and soy sauce near the stove for extra seasoning.
  • Flatten the meat and cook it evenly on both sides.
  • When the meat is almost done.
  • Add the firm lotus root, carrots, and garlic first, and stir-fry them together.
  • Then add the onions, bell peppers, zucchini, and jalapenos, and stir-fry them.
  • Sprinkle 2-3 pinches of salt, add 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, and stir-fry the vegetables are tender.
  • After tasting the meat and the vegetables, I added 1 tablespoon more of soy sauce today since there are a lot of vegetables. For the final seasoning, taste it and adjust according to your preference.
  • Add the green onions, give it one more stir, and then turn off the heat.
  • Drizzle 1 tablespoon of sesame oil, sprinkle with sesame seeds, and plate the dish.
  • Stir-fried pork and vegetables with soy sauce is quite similar to making Japchae. But without the hassle of cooking glass noodles, it's much easier - just stir- fry the meat and vegetables together.
  • If you slice and season a large batch of pork in advance, you can enjoy a variety of dishes over the next few days-- like mapo tofu, japchae, pork bulgogi, bibimbap with pork, or a soy sauce stir-fry with pork and vegetables
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12. Basic Seasoning for Korean- Style Vegetable Mix (Moochim)

  • Fine sea salt (Fine Korean solar sea salt)
  • Korean soy sauce
  • Korean red pepper powder
  • Korean sesame seeds
  • Korean sesame oil
  • vinegar
  • Fine sea salt (Adding salt to vegetables makes them not only tastier but also helps you enjoy more of them.)
  • Salt with a texture between coarse and fine (With salt of this fine texture, just a small sprinkle is enough to season perfectly)
  • We choose to use sea salt because it is rich in minerals like calcium, potassium, magnesium, and sodium, making it healthier and giving dishes a deeper, more complex flavor compared to refined salt.
  • Sun-dried Korean red pepper powder.
  • The added spiciness stimulates the appetite and makes vegetables taste even better.
  • It is rich in vitamins, with capsaicin and beta- carotene known for their antiinflammatory and antioxidant properties, helping to strengthen the immune system.
  • Sesame oil (Just as Italy and Spain have olive oil, we have sesame oil and perilla oil.)
  • It adds a nutty flavor to the vegetables.
  • It is rich in healthy unsaturated fatty acids, which help regulate blood cholesterol levels and support cardiovascular health. For this reason, sesame oil is a food that adds excellent nutrition and rich flavor to dishes even in small amounts.
  • Korean native heirloom sesame seeds from the country.
  • Sesame seeds bought from the market become even nuttier and more flavorful if you toast them once more until they're plump and golden.
  • A health food packed with a variety of nutrients in tiny seeds.
  • It's an incredibly healthy food, rich in good unsaturated fatty acids, plant-based protein, dietary fiber, and minerals such as calcium, potassium, and iron.
  • Sesame seeds can be considered a Korean superfood.
  • Apple cider vinegar
  • It adds a tangy and refreshing flavor. (So, it makes you eat more vegetables. Of course, there are some people who don't, though.)
  • Vinegar does a lot more than you might think. The organic acids and polyphenols in vinegar help with digestion, promote fat breakdown, regulate blood sugar, have antibacterial effects, prevent cell damage, and boost immunity. It also helps with gut health, lowering cholesterol, energy metabolism, and fatigue recovery. Because of these great benefits, some people dilute it in water and drink it between meals instead of alcohol.
  • Korean soy sauce ( It is an authentic Korean soy sauce, made only from 100% soybeans and salt, following and developing the traditional method passed down through generations.)
  • When you want to add a deeper umami flavor, you can use it instead of salt.
  • I usually use salt and soy sauce together.
  • It contains a rich, deep umami flavor along with various nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and antioxidants.
  • These basic seasoning ingredients are already excellent sources of nutrition on their own.
  • If you keep good- quality basic seasoning ingredients on hand, you can always create clean, satisfying dishes. When I feel too lazy to add various ingredients and use pre-mixed sauces instead, they often have an overpowering sweetness, artificial flavor enhancers, and unfamiliar preservative tastes, making it almost impossible to enjoy a truly satisfying dish.
  • The taste and healthiness of a dish begin with these unseen, foundational seasonings.
  • They say that 80% of a dish's flavor comes from its ingredients. That's why I belive these basic seasoning s are all the more important.

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11.Korean fresh vegetable geotjeori (Fresh vegetable salad)

  • When you want to eat a lot of vegetables, try this.
  • 5 lettuce leaves
  • 10 sprigs of cilantro
  • 2 small cucumbers
  • Wash them all thoroughly and slice thinly
  • Basic seasoning for vegetable salad (korean style)
  • 3-4 pinches of salt
  • 1T whole sesame seeds (Sprinkle lightly)
  • 1T sesame oil (Sprinkle lightly)
  • 1t korean soy sauce (Adjust the seasoning little by little)
  • 1T Korean red pepper powder
  • 1T apple cider vinegar
  • You can skip the vinegar and just use salt, red pepper powder, sesame seeds, and sesame oil.
  • You can season with only soy sauce instead of salt.
  • If you add vinegar, it becomes a very refreshing vegetable salad--similar to how olive oil and lemon juice are used together in Western cuisine.
  • This salad also pairs well with meat dishes.
  • If you buy a bunch of lettuce, a bunch of cilantro, and a bag of small cucumbers and wash them, you can enjoy plenty of fresh vegetables for 3-4days.
  • These three vegetables wilt quickly with salt or soy sauce, so it's easy to season and enjoy a large amount in no time.
  • Any leafy vegetable with thin leaves can be used as an alternative.
  • With beet greens from the garden, 4 stalks of green onion, and 1/8 of an onion, you can easily make a fresh vegetable salad by slicing them thinly.
  • The beet greens survived the cold snap in January and are still being harvested and eaten through February.
  • A fresh vegetable salad with plenty of green onions pairs perfectly with oven roasted pork belly like this. (I'll share the oven- roasted pork belly recipe next time.)
  • Fresh vegetable salad is my favorite vegetable side dish after Kimchi. If cucumbers are added, it becomes a great vegetable side dish on it's own. When grilling meat, if you thinly slice a generous amount of green onions and season them, they become pa-jeori, the best side dish to pair with meat, even surpassing kimchi. My fresh vegetable salad is lighter and less sweet compared to American-style salads, as it doesn't include cheese or sugar. Instead, it becomes a flavorful vegetable side dish where the natural taste of the ingredients shines through, thanks to the combination of mineral-rich sea salt, savory Korean soy sauce, sesame oil, toasted sesame seeds, red pepper powder, and vinegar.
  • On days when you crave plenty of fresh vegetables, you can simply pick up 2-3 kinds of vegetables , give them a quick rinse, and enjoy a delicious vegetable side dish made with just five seasonings.
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10. Mapo Tofu (Tofu Soup)

gluten free

The most important ingredients in Tofu soup

  • One block of tofu
  • 200g of marinated pork ( leftover from step8 )
  • Marinade for 200g of pork (1T cooking wine, 1/2T Korean soy sauce, 1t banana syrup, 1/2t ginger power)
  • Using sliced pork instead of minced pork enhances the texture and makes the dish taste even better.
  • A handful of cabbage (Tofu soup tastes better with cabbage.)
  • Carrots (a bit)
  • Mushroom (A little bit)
  • Red bell pepper (a bit) (instead of onions)
  • Jalapeno
  • Red jalapeno
  • Mince 4 clovess of garlic finely.
  • Finely chop 3 stalks of scallions (green onions)
  • I am happy today because I have all the vegetables I want.
  • Olive oil
  • Korean soy sauce
  • Sesame oil
  • Korean powdered red pepper 2-3T
  • Starch water (1T starch + 3T water)
  • Pour enough olive oil and saute the garlic first.
  • Using homemade chili oil instead of olive oil enhances the aroma and gives the dish a deeper, richer flavor.
  • When the garlic sizzles in the oil, add the meat and cook it while turning it back and forth until evenly done.
  • It's best to fully cook the meat before adding the vegetables.
  • I tend to add a generous amount of meat to my mapo tofu.
  • I tend to add a lot of meat for my husband, who loves it, and thanks to that , the broth has a richer flavor.
  • When stir- frying the meat, adding 1 tablespoon of cooking wine helps remove any gamey smell. ( But since I already used wine for the marinade, I'll skip it today.)
  • When the meat is almost done cooking.
  • Add the vegetables, sprinkle 2-3 pinches of salt, and stir-fry.
  • I always season with both salt and soy sauce because I like the taste of soy sauce but don't like it to be too strong.
  • Add 1 tablespoon of chili power and stir-fry together.
  • Add 1 tablespoon of Korean soy sauce and stir-fry again.
  • Pour just enough water to submerge the ingredients, then add the sliced tofu.
  • Add 1 more tablespoon of chili power.
  • Add 1 more tablespoon of Korean soy sauce.
  • Then, cover the lid, and let it simmer over medium-low heat for at least 5 minutes to infuse the broth with flavor.
  • After simmering for more than 5 minutes, open the lid and stir gently to submerge the tofu in the broth.
  • Taste the broth and adjust the seasoning as needed
  • Pour in the starch water to thicken the broth, then turn off the heat.
  • After turning off the heat , drizzle 1 tablespoon of sesame oil.
  • Before serving, sprinkle the chopped green onions over the hot Mapo Tofu broth.
  • This amount is enough for 3 servings.
  • Today, I cooked at home and packed it in a glass container as a lunchbox. I heated it in the microwave for 2 minutes at the store before eating.
  • Mapo Tofu is spicy, but it really makes you crave some kimchi.
  • My husband, who loves meat, had a lot of meat, while I served myself more tofu. I took multiple servings to eat while it was still warm.
  • I have experimented with various Mapo Tofu recipes for quite a long time, trying everything from commonly used Doubanjiang sauce to premium ingredients. I have also tried adding doenjang (fermented soybean paste) and gochujang (Korean red pepper paste). The recipe I made today is the most delicious to me and suits my taste best. It's a clean-tasting tofu stew without any Doubanjing sauce or artificial seasonings. That's why, to be honest,I prefer calling it "Tofu soup" rather than "Mapo Tofu".