My love of Korean food came when I was living in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, in 1997. To further my language skills, I took English conversation classes offered by local volunteers. That’s where I got to meet a lot of people from all over the world.

Every week, we had an international potluck. We would all bring dishes from our home country. I got to taste so many delicious dishes. One I distinctly remember was called Bulgogi. Bulgogi means “fire meat.” It’s made of thin, marinated slices of beef or pork grilled on a barbecue or a stove-top griddle. It can also be stir-fried in a pan.

I was thinking of incorporating that Bulgogi flavor with tofu. I try to include tofu in my family’s diet whenever I can. Tofu is a good source of protein and has many essential vitamins.

Ingredients

Tofu

• 1 12.3 oz. pkg. extra firm tofu
• 1 1/2 tbsp. canola oil for frying tofu
• 2 tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 tbsp. sesame oil
• 1 tbsp. sugar
• 1 tbsp. green onion, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• Pinch of each salt and ground black pepper

Soy dipping sauce

• 2 tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 tbsp. sesame oil
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. toasted sesame seeds

Green oil

• 1/4 cup green onion 1/4 inch slices
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• Pinch of pepper and sugar

Sautéed kale

• 4 cups washed, thinly sliced dinosaur kale (tough stem removed)
• 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp. canola oil
• 1/3 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. red chili flakes

Instructions

Tofu

Mix all ingredients except tofu and canola oil in a shallow baking dish. Set aside.

Drain package of tofu and pat dry with paper towel. Cut tofu into 10 pieces. I usually cut along the longer side of the tofu block.

Rub tofu with marinade. Let tofu sit for 30-60 minutes. Flip tofu pieces 1-2 times in marinade. You can also cover the bowl and marinate the tofu overnight in a refrigerator.

Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Drizzle around 1-1 1/2 tablespoons of canola oil over the grill pan. Add tofu slices on top of pan. Arrange them so tofu slices are laid diagonally for grill marks. Cook tofu until grill marks appear on surface. It should take around 2-3 minutes. Flip tofu over and repeat steps on other side.

Soy dipping sauce

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

Green oil

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds, stir, and set aside.

Sautéed kale

Heat oil in a large deep frying pan over medium high heat. When oil is hot, add garlic. Stir for a few seconds. Add kale and stir, then add salt and chili flakes. Cook until kale is wilted.

Serve the grilled tofu with cooked white rice and sautéed kale. Drizzle soy dipping sauce and green onion oil over all ingredients.

You can use as little or as much green oil and dipping sauce as you like.

Serves 4-5

Did you make this dish? I’d love to know how it turns out! Feel free to like this post and comment or use the hashtag #globaldinein on Instagram. If you would to be notified of upcoming posts, please consider subscribing to my blog!