Gochujang Tofu with Smashed Sesame Cucumber
Tofu goes in plain, comes out with a chewy skin, and meets a sticky gochujang glaze and a cold, garlicky cucumber bruised with the flat of a knife.
Why it works
Tofu is glazed after cooking, not before: the sugar in gochujang scorches long before the cubes crisp, so the fryer dries them first and the sauce goes on at the end. Smashing the cucumber rather than slicing it tears the flesh into rough facets that hold dressing, and the salt pulls out water so nothing dilutes it. Frozen edamame thrown into the basket halfway needs no separate pan and comes out blistered.
Method
- Heat the air fryer to 200°C (400°F). Toss the tofu with the sesame oil and spread it in a single layer in the basket. Air fry for 12 minutes, shaking at 6 minutes and scattering the frozen edamame in as you do.
- Lay the cucumbers on the board, press hard with the flat of a knife until they split, then chop into rough 3 cm chunks. Toss with the grated carrot and the salt in a bowl.
- Stir the gochujang, soy, vinegar, honey and garlic together in a mug.
- Tip the cucumber's salty water away and dress it with the vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, sesame seeds and spring onion.
- Heat the rice pouches in the microwave for their 2 minutes and fork the rice into four warm bowls.
- The tofu is done when the cubes sound hollow against the basket and the corners are deep gold. Tip the tofu and beans into the glaze and toss until every face is red and sticky, then spoon it over the rice. Serve the cucumber alongside, cold against hot.
For the toddler
Lift out a few tofu cubes and some edamame at step 6, before the rest meets the gochujang glaze, and leave theirs plain with a drop of sesame oil. The glaze carries chilli and honey, and honey is not for a baby under one, so use maple syrup in its place if you want them to have a little. Take their cucumber before it is salted at step 2. Squash the edamame and cut the tofu small.
How the toddler notes workChef’s notes
Tempeh takes 10 minutes; chicken thigh cubes take 14 and want the same glaze.
Glaze in the basket itself once cooking is done — one less thing to wash.
Shop-bought kimchi, and a bowl of hot stock with spring onion in it if the weather is against you.
The tofu softens overnight but reheats crisp in 4 minutes. Keeps 3 days chilled.