Dubu Duruchigi / Spicy Tofu & Veggie Stir Fry with Noodles

Dubu-duruchigi/Spicy Tofu & Veggie stir fry is a popular regional dish from our family’s hometown of Daejeon, South Korea.  Warning!  This dish is spicy!  If you love spicy foods and everyone is amazed at your ability to eat spicy foods then we recommend adding the *Super Spicy* ingredients as well.  Dubu-duruchigi is often served on a bed of noodles but if you don’t fancy noodles it can also be served over rice.  

Dubu-duruchigi / Spicy Tofu & Veggie Stir Fry with Noodles

두부 두루치기 

Servings:  3-4

 

Ingredients:

2 cups 1 inch cubed Firm Tofu(18 oz package)  **do not use soft tofu

1 cup sliced your favorite fresh Mushrooms-we’re using King Trumpet Mushrooms

⅔ cup sliced Onions(½ medium Onion)

½ cup sliced carrots(1 medium Carrot)

1 cup sliced Bell Pepper(1 large Bell Pepper)-we’re using ½ yellow and ½ orange

1 cup 1 inch sliced Green Onion(3 medium stalks)

2-3 cups Udon Noodles-Ramen(no flavor packets) or even Pasta noodles are fine but we **don’t recommend thin rice noodles

¼ cup Olive or Vegetable Oil

*Super Spicy* 1 sliced Jalapeño Pepper 

Sauce

4 tablespoons Gochujang(Korean Red Pepper Paste)

2 tablespoons Soy Sauce

2 tablespoons Sugar **do not use brown sugar

2 teaspoons minced Garlic

2 tablespoons Mirin(Sweet Cooking Rice Wine), optional

1 tablespoon Shiitake Mushroom Powder, optional

*Super Spicy* 1 tablespoon Gochugaru(Korean Red Pepper Powder)

Garnish

1 tablespoon Toasted Sesame Seeds, optional 

**See below for substitutions

Preparation:

1.  Cut tofu into 1 inch cubes.

2.  Medium slice mushrooms, onion, carrot and bell pepper. 
*Super Spicy* slice jalapeño pepper.

3.  Slice green onion in 1 inch pieces.

4.  Mince garlic.

Directions:

1. Bring pot of water to boil and cook noodles according to directions on package(do not add flavor packets), drain and set aside.

2.  For the sauce, combine gochujang(Korean red pepper paste), soy sauce, sugar, mirin, garlic and Shiitake mushroom powder.  Mix well and set aside.   

*Super Spicy* add Gochugaru(Korean red pepper powder) to sauce mix.

3.  Heat pan over medium high heat, add half the oil and heat.
 
4.  Add carrot and onion slices and stir fry for 40 seconds.  
*Super Spicy* add jalapeño slices.  

5.  Add bell pepper slices, 1 teaspoon of soy sauce and stir fry 30 seconds.


6.  Add green onion slices and stir fry another 10 seconds.

7.  Stir in mushroom slices and take pan off heat.  The veggies should still be a little bit crisp.

8.  Heat a separate pan over medium high heat, add rest of the oil and heat.

9.  Add tofu cubes and stir fry until tofu cubes are just heated through and very lightly golden, about 5 minutes. 

10.  Place the pan with veggies back on medium high heat and stir in tofu cubes.

11.  Gently stir in sauce mixture until tofu and veggies are evenly coated.  Turn off heat. 

 

12.  Spread out the noodles on a large serving dish.

13. Top the bed of noodles with the Spicy Tofu and Veggie stir fry.

14. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds, optional.  

15. Enjoy! 

**Tips/Notes/Substitutions:

*Why not soft tofu?  Soft tofu is too...delicate.  After being cubed, stir fried, combined with veggies and mixed with sauce, soft tofu would cease to have any discernible form.    

*Why not thin rice noodles?  Thin rice noodles are also too...delicate for this dish.  

*Other vegetables can be substituted for this dish but the onion and/or green onion is essential.  

*Why not brown sugar?  The strong flavor of brown sugar overwhelms this dish.  White sugar, organic sugar or other sugar substitutions are fine.

*Shiitake mushroom powder aka Oak Mushroom Powder adds extra depth of flavor, especially for vegetarian dishes AND it’s healthy!  If you can't find mushroom powder then you can make your own.  Using a spice grinder, grind dried Shiitake mushrooms into a fine powder.   

*Feeling lazy? Pressed for time?  Instead of stir frying the tofu cubes you can heat it in the microwave, 3 minutes on high.  Normally we wouldn’t recommend using the microwave but in this instance, the objective isn't browning but heating.  So let the microwave heat the tofu while you stir fry the veggies.     

*Gochugaru (Korean red pepper powder/chile flakes) unfortunately is not the same as the chile flakes you get with your pizza.  Standard chili powder is also very different since it often includes salt and other spices.  

*Are your sesame seeds untoasted?  Place sesame seeds in a pan over medium low heat until lightly browned.

*All the Korean ingredients can be found in your local Korean grocery store like Hmart or some even online.