Want an easy, full-flavoured healthy meal? Try this Korean stir fry. It is a favourite of mine, packed with vegetables, full of spicy deep flavours, assorted textures & quick to prepare (under 30 mins in total).

I love it especially on busy days when you get home from work & want something easy, healthy, but flavoursome for dinner. Much better than a takeaway! It is a great way of using up your left over vegetables too, so economical to make.

This recipe uses tofu so it is ideal for vegans & vegetarians or for those on meatless days. You can substitute the tofu for meat if you prefer. This recipe works well with seafood too!

This tofu dish can be eaten on its own or accompanied with brown rice or quinoa; the latter ensuring that the meal remains gluten-free.

The secret ingredient is Korean hot red pepper paste (Gochujang paste).This has a intense savoury (‘umami’) chilli flavour & it is derived from fermented soybeans, red chillies, glutinous rice & salt. It is frequently used in Korean cooking. 

As a fermented food, this Korean paste is an excellent probiotic, promoting good digestive health, through cleansing, purifying the intestines & stimulating good digestion. The chilli component helps calm the stomach & facilitate excretion. Perhaps this is why it has been attributed to help prevent diabetes & obesity. Also, as with other soyabean products, it also contains vitamin B2, B12, protein & carotene

Traditionally, this paste was only available in oriental supermarkets, but is now being stocked in mainstream supermarkets (especially after William Sitwell recommended it as an up-and-coming foodstuff for 2016 in Waitrose magazine!).

Serves: 2 hungry people or 3

Preparation time: 8 mins

Cooking time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

1/2 tbsp coconut oil

1 large red onion, peeled & diced into 2cm chunks

2 plump garlic cloves, minced

400g firm tofu, drained, blotted & diced into 2cm chunks

260g broccoli, cut into florets

260g chestnut mushrooms, cut into quarters

1 large red pepper, sliced into strips

2 tbsp Korean red pepper paste

10 tbsp water

100g edamame soya beans

50g black kale, tough stems trimmed away & sliced finely

Garnish: sprinkle of black sesame seeds, 2 spring onions sliced diagonally

Optional garnish: handful of raw cashews & a sprinkle of ground flaxseed or chia seeds.

Method:

Melt coconut oil in a large frying pan or wok. Add the crushed garlic & diced onion. Brown for about 3 mins.

Add the tofu chunks & cook for about 4 mins.

Add the broccoli florets, quartered mushrooms & red pepper. Continue cooking for 3 mins.

Add the Korean chilli paste & water. Stir fry for 4 mins.

Add the edamame beans & sliced black kale. Cook for a further 4 mins. Plate up. Garnish with chopped spring onions & black sesame seeds. Serve on its own or with quinoa or wholemeal rice.

Optional garnish: raw cashews & ground flaxseed.

Don’t forget you can find my favourite recipes in my FREE eBook here.