Marinated Grilled Tofu Recipe
w/ homemade kimchi, pickled daikon & beansprout
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Ingredients
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Marinated Grilled Tofu
Quick Homemade Kimchi (small batch)
Quick Pickled Daikon
Seasoned Beansprouts
To Serve
Method
Marinated Grilled Tofu
- 1
Press and slice tofu
Drain the tofu and press it for 20–30 minutes between clean towels with a weighted plate to remove excess water. After pressing, slice tofu into 1/2-inch thick slabs (about 8 slices from 1 lb).
- 2
Make marinade
In a shallow dish, whisk together soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, mirin, brown sugar, minced garlic, grated ginger, and gochujang (if using) until sugar dissolves.
- 3
Marinate
Place tofu slices in the dish or a resealable bag and pour marinade over them, turning gently to coat. Marinate at room temperature for 15–30 minutes or refrigerate up to 4 hours for deeper flavor. Reserve marinade.
- 4
- 5
Grill tofu
Remove tofu from marinade (reserve marinade). Grill each side 3–5 minutes until well-marked and slightly charred, basting once with reserved marinade in the last minute of each side (discard any marinade that contacted raw tofu if used later as sauce). Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds and sliced green onion over grilled tofu.
Quick Homemade Kimchi (small batch)
- 6
Salt the cabbage
Cut the napa cabbage into bite-sized pieces. Dissolve coarse salt in 4 cups water and pour over cabbage in a bowl, or sprinkle salt between layers. Let sit 20–30 minutes, tossing once, until leaves limp and reduced in volume.
- 7
Rinse and drain
Rinse cabbage thoroughly under cold water 2–3 times to remove excess salt, then squeeze gently to remove excess liquid.
- 8
Mix seasoning and toss
Combine gochugaru, fish sauce (or soy sauce), minced garlic, minced ginger, and sliced scallion in a bowl. Toss the drained cabbage with the seasoning until evenly coated. Taste and adjust salt or gochugaru. For a quick kimchi, refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving; for more fermentation let sit at room temperature 12–24 hours then refrigerate.
Quick Pickled Daikon
- 9
Prepare pickling liquid
In a small bowl or jar, combine rice vinegar, water, sugar, and salt. Stir until sugar and salt dissolve.
- 10
Pickle daikon
Pack peeled julienned or thinly sliced daikon into the jar and pour pickling liquid over it to cover. Let sit at room temperature for 15–30 minutes for quick pickle or refrigerate at least 1 hour for brighter flavor. Keeps up to 1 week refrigerated.
Seasoned Beansprouts
- 11
Blanch beansprouts
Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil. Add bean sprouts and blanch for 30–45 seconds until just tender-crisp. Immediately drain and plunge into an ice bath to stop cooking; drain well.
- 12
Season beansprouts
Toss drained sprouts with sesame oil, minced garlic, salt, and toasted sesame seeds. Adjust seasoning to taste and set aside at room temperature until serving.
To Serve
- 13
Assemble plates or bowls
Divide cooked rice or mixed greens between two plates or bowls. Arrange grilled tofu slices on top. Add a generous spoonful of kimchi, a portion of pickled daikon, and seasoned beansprouts. Add cucumber slices if using. Drizzle a little sesame oil over the bowl and sprinkle with extra sliced green onion and crushed toasted sesame seeds.
- 14
Optional finishing sauce
If you reserved marinade, bring it to a boil in a small saucepan for 1–2 minutes to make it safe, reduce slightly, and drizzle lightly over the tofu for extra gloss and flavor.
- 15
Serve
Serve immediately while tofu is warm alongside kimchi, pickles and beansprouts. Leftovers keep separately in refrigerator for 2–3 days.