Air fryer recipe · Starters
Crispy Popcorn Tofu
Bite-size tofu nuggets in a crunchy cornflour crust tossed in a glossy sweet-spicy Korean glaze.
- 26 minTotal time
- 200°CAir fryer
- 5Serves
- VegetarianDiet
Nutrition per serving
- 165kcal
- 8.3 gprotein
- 18.7 gcarbs
- 7.1 gfat
- 0.5 gfibre
Per serving, about 5 servings. Figures are estimates from standard ingredient databases, not medical, dietetic, or nutritional advice.
Ingredients
- Firm tofu, cubed300 g
- Cornflour1/2 cup
- Gochujang2 tbsp
- Soy sauce1 tbsp
- Honey or maple1 tbsp
- Sesame seeds1 tbsp
Method
Press the tofu
Press the cubed tofu between paper towels under a weight for 10 minutes to squeeze out the water. Drier tofu crisps up far better in the basket and will not turn rubbery or steamy inside.
Coat in cornflour
Toss the cubes with a splash of soy sauce and a little oil, then dredge them in cornflour until each piece is fully dusted. That thin starch shell is what turns shatteringly crisp in the heat.
Mix the glaze
Stir the gochujang, the rest of the soy sauce, the honey and a spoon of water into a pourable glaze. Warm it briefly so it loosens and will coat the crisp tofu evenly at the end.
Toss and finish
Once fried, toss the hot crisp tofu in the glaze just until every cube is coated, then sprinkle over the sesame seeds. Glazing right at the end keeps the crust from going soft.
Air-fry
Arrange the coated tofu in a single layer and air-fry at 200C for 14 min, shaking twice, until golden and crunchy on all sides. Glaze it straight away and serve while hot.
