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Peanut Crusted Tofu with Cold Kimchi Noodles

A tangle of Cold Kimchi Noodles get cozy with slices of spicy Peanut Crusted Tofu topped with cucumbers and a hard boiled egg.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Marinating Time 1 hour
Servings: 4
Course: Main Course
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

Cold Kimchi Noodles
  • 400g (14 oz) uncooked somen noodles
  • ½ cup kimchi coarsely chopped
  • 2 tbsp gochujang
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
  • 2 tsp sesame oil
Peanut Crusted Tofu
  • ½ cup natural crunchy peanut butter
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 ½ tbsp kimchi juice
  • 1 tbsp ginger minced
  • 4 tsp gochugaru divided
  • 1 brick extra firm tofu cut into 8-10 slices
  • ½ cup unsalted roasted peanuts
  • 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • ¼ cup cornstarch
  • ½ tsp salt
Toppings
  • 2 mini cucumbers sliced
  • 2 large eggs hard boiled
  • 2 tbsp black sesame seeds for sprinkling

Method
 

For the Noodles
  1. Bring a large pot of water up to a boil. Add the noodles and cook until tender. This should take about 3-4 minutes. Keep adjusting the temperature of the stove to prevent the pot from boiling over.
  2. Once the noodles are cooked, drain and rinse them under cold water. Place them in a large bowl along with the kimchi and set aside.
  3. In a small bowl whisk to combine the gochujang, honey, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, and sesame oil. Pour the sauce over the noodles and toss to coat. Cover the bowl and chill in the fridge until ready to serve.
For the Tofu
  1. Place the peanut butter, garlic, honey, soy sauce, kimchi juice, ginger, and half of the gochugaru in a bowl and stir to combine. Toss the tofu in the sauce so it's completely coated. Cover the bowl and transfer it to the fridge. Leave the tofu to sit for 1 hour.
  2. Once the hour has passed, place the peanuts in a food processor. Blitz until the peanuts resemble fine gravel. Transfer the peanuts to a bowl and add the panko breadcrumbs, cornstarch, salt, and the remaining gochugaru. Whisk to combine.
  3. Place the tofu in the peanut mixture and toss until fully encrusted. Transfer the breaded tofu to a plate and set aside.
  4. Pour about an inch of neutral oil in a non-stick skillet and place over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add half of the tofu and fry until crispy on both sides, roughly 3 minutes a side. Transfer the finished tofu to a cooling rack place on top of a baking sheet and repeat with the remaining tofu.
  5. Once all the tofu is fried, transfer it to a 150°F oven to keep warm until ready to serve.
To Serve
  1. Divide the noodles across four bowls and add 2-3 slices of tofu to each bowl. Top the noodles with cucumber slices, half a hard boiled egg, and a sprinkling of black sesame seeds. Serve immediately with beer.