{"slug":"buttery-gochujang-tofu-and-broccoli","collection":"michael","is_recipe":true,"visibility":"public","title":"Buttery Gochujang Tofu and Broccoli","description":"Cornstarch-crusted tofu pan-fried until golden, then tossed with tender broccoli in a glossy butter-gochujang sauce sweetened with maple and sharpened with garlic and ginger.","body_md":"1. Place the cornstarch on a large plate or small rimmed sheet pan. Add 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper and toss to combine. Coat both sides of the tofu in the cornstarch mixture, shake off any excess, and set aside on a large plate or platter.\n\n2. Heat a large (12-inch) skillet on medium-high for 2 minutes. Drizzle with 1 tbsp of the oil, add the broccoli, season with salt and pepper, and toss until just tender, 3 to 5 minutes, or longer if preferred. Transfer to a bowl.\n\n3. With the heat still on medium-high, drizzle the skillet with 2 tbsp of the oil. Working in two batches, add half the tofu in a single layer and cook until golden, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to the large plate. Add the remaining 2 tbsp oil and cook the remaining tofu. Transfer the final batch of tofu to the plate.\n\n4. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the butter, gochujang, soy sauce, maple syrup, garlic, and ginger, and cook until the butter has melted. Add 3 tbsp water and cook until the sauce has thickened slightly, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tofu and broccoli and gently toss until lightly coated.\n\n5. Top with scallions and sesame seeds, and serve with rice.\n\n## Notes\n\n-   **Weights added 2026-09-05.** The cornstarch dredge was written as `120ml` —\n    a cup measure in metric clothing, not a weight — and is now `60g` at the\n    house rate of 120g/cup. Butter and oil were spoons only; they are now `42g`\n    and `70g` at 14g/tbsp.\n-   **The cornstarch rate is an estimate.** Published figures run 113g/cup\n    (King Arthur) to 128g/cup (USDA); the house rate of 120 splits them. For a\n    dredge the number is a shopping figure more than a measuring one — you coat\n    the tofu and shake off the rest.\n-   **`Salt and pepper` is now split and quantified**, because step 1 specifies\n    1 tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper for the dredge and a bare \"salt and pepper\" line\n    hid that. Salt is Diamond Crystal kosher at 3g/tsp — Morton or table salt at\n    the same volume is nearly twice the salt.\n-   **Maple syrup stays at 40g for 2 tbsp**, which is *not* the house\n    honey/syrup rate of 340g/cup (that would give 42g). Maple is the thinner\n    of the two — about 1.33 g/ml against honey's 1.42 — so 40g is right for\n    maple and the house rate is a honey figure. Left as written on purpose.\n-   The 5 tbsp of oil is split 1 + 2 + 2 across steps 2 and 3, which sums.\n","draft":false,"servings":"4","source_name":"notes.improvisedscience.org","source_url":"https://notes.improvisedscience.org/michael/buttery-gochujang-tofu-and-broccoli/","created_at":"2026-07-19T00:01:59.789631Z","updated_at":"2026-09-05T20:46:15.641354Z","categories":["Main"],"tags":["Broccoli","Quick","Spicy","Tofu"],"methods":["Stove-Top"],"themes":["Korean","Vegetarian","Weeknight"],"ingredients":[{"section":"","items":["60g (½ cup) cornstarch","3g (1 teaspoon) Diamond Crystal kosher salt, plus more for seasoning","½ teaspoon black pepper, plus more for seasoning","2 blocks (400–450g / 14–16oz each) extra-firm tofu, drained and cut into ½-inch slices","70g (5 tablespoons) vegetable oil","454g (1 lb) broccoli, cut into small 1-inch florets","42g (3 tablespoons) unsalted butter","3 tbsp gochujang paste","2 tbsp soy sauce","40g (2 tbsp) maple syrup","2 garlic cloves, finely chopped","1 (1-inch) piece ginger, peeled and finely chopped","2 scallions, thinly sliced","Toasted white sesame seeds, for topping","Rice, to serve"],"parsed":[{"raw":"60g (½ cup) cornstarch","qty":60,"unit":"g","item":"cornstarch"},{"raw":"3g (1 teaspoon) Diamond Crystal kosher salt, plus more for seasoning","qty":3,"unit":"g","item":"Diamond Crystal kosher salt","prep":"plus more for seasoning"},{"raw":"½ teaspoon black pepper, plus more for seasoning","qty":0.5,"unit":"tsp","item":"black pepper","prep":"plus more for seasoning"},{"raw":"2 blocks (400–450g / 14–16oz each) extra-firm tofu, drained and cut into ½-inch slices","qty":2,"item":"blocks extra-firm tofu","prep":"drained and cut into ½-inch slices"},{"raw":"70g (5 tablespoons) vegetable oil","qty":70,"unit":"g","item":"vegetable oil"},{"raw":"454g (1 lb) broccoli, cut into small 1-inch florets","qty":454,"unit":"g","item":"broccoli","prep":"cut into small 1-inch florets"},{"raw":"42g (3 tablespoons) unsalted butter","qty":42,"unit":"g","item":"unsalted butter"},{"raw":"3 tbsp gochujang paste","qty":3,"unit":"tbsp","item":"gochujang paste"},{"raw":"2 tbsp soy sauce","qty":2,"unit":"tbsp","item":"soy sauce"},{"raw":"40g (2 tbsp) maple syrup","qty":40,"unit":"g","item":"maple syrup"},{"raw":"2 garlic cloves, finely chopped","qty":2,"item":"garlic cloves","prep":"finely chopped"},{"raw":"1 (1-inch) piece ginger, peeled and finely chopped","qty":1,"item":"piece ginger","prep":"peeled and finely chopped"},{"raw":"2 scallions, thinly sliced","qty":2,"item":"scallions","prep":"thinly sliced"},{"raw":"Toasted white sesame seeds, for topping","item":"Toasted white sesame seeds","prep":"for topping"},{"raw":"Rice, to serve","item":"Rice, to serve"}]}],"servings_int":4,"qc":{"status":"passed","last_checked_at":"2026-09-05T20:52:44.724321Z","checked_by":"claude-code","standard_version":"2026-09-05","findings_count":0,"stale":false,"completeness_gaps":["time"]},"mine":false}