Korean Perilla Braised Tofu
Quick answer
- Total time
- 26 min
- Level
- Easy
- Servings
- 2 servings
- Ingredients
- 9
About this dish
This dubu-jorim sears 350 g of tofu before braising it in soy sauce, then thickens the remaining liquid with 2 tablespoons ground perilla seeds.
Read more
Press the tofu dry with paper towels, cut it into thick pieces, and brown each side for 2 minutes in 1 teaspoon cooking oil over medium heat. The light crust helps the pieces keep their shape and gives the sauce a surface to cling to. Mix 1.5 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, and 180 ml water. Slice 0.5 onion thinly, spread it over the seared tofu, and pour the braising liquid around the edge of the pan. Simmer for 6 minutes over medium-low heat while spooning liquid over the top. Add the ground perilla gradually and stir each addition into the liquid immediately; dumping it in at once can leave dry, chalky lumps. Reduce the heat and cook for 3 more minutes. When the sauce coats the tofu thickly, add green onion and 0.5 teaspoon sesame oil, fold the pieces over once with a broad motion, and turn off the heat. This sequence keeps the tofu intact while leaving the perilla and sesame aromas at the surface.
Ingredients
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Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Prep
Pat 350 g firm tofu dry with paper towels, then cut it into thick slabs.
Remove as much surface moisture as possible so the pieces sear instead of steaming and breaking apart in the pan.
- 2Control
Heat 1 tsp cooking oil in a skillet over medium heat, then add the tofu in a single layer.
Sear about 2 minutes per side, just until lightly golden and firm enough to handle.
- 3Season
Mix 1.5 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp minced garlic, and 180 ml water for the braising liquid.
Slice the half onion thinly so it softens quickly and releases sweetness into the sauce.
- 4Control
Scatter the sliced onion evenly over the seared tofu, then pour the sauce around the edges.
Simmer over medium-low heat for 6 minutes, spooning the liquid over the tofu so the seasoning penetrates evenly.
- 5Control
Add 2 tbsp ground perilla seeds a little at a time, stirring them into the hot liquid right away.
Reduce to low heat and simmer only 3 more minutes, stopping once the sauce turns creamy and lightly thick.
- 6Season
When the sauce clings thickly to the tofu, add the green onion and 0.5 teaspoon of sesame oil.
Fold broadly so the tofu does not break, then turn off the heat.
Practical Cooking Checks
The cues that matter most while cooking.
- Key technique
- Deulkkae dubu-jorim braises firm tofu in a creamy, nutty perilla seed and soy sauce liquid.
- Finish cue
- Sear about 2 minutes per side, just until lightly golden and firm enough to handle.
Cooking decision evidence
Calculated Charim data and applicable official cooking and food safety guidance.
This recipe
26min, 9 ingredients
Category median
45min, 8 ingredients
Based on 183 recipes
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