It was a early morning. The sun had barely crept out and the grey night sky was tainted with soft shades of orange, yellow and pinks. I crawled out of the warm comforts of bed and made my way to the kitchen. The small clock on the stove showed “6:04″am. I knelt down on the carpet, folded my arms and quickly said an inaudible prayer. I felt a little more awake. I lifted my head. The pinkish hue had now spread across the vast sky, perfectly outlining the snow-topped mountains. It was such a beautiful morning.
It was now time to get to work. The clanking of pans, knives, measuring cups broke the silence of the small kitchen. Soon enough, the faint sound of chopping, the rush of water was heard. After a while, a distinct sizzling noise along with spluttering sounds of oil hitting a warm pan. Just moments later…a spicy, wonderful aroma drifted through the air.
In the midst of a rather early morning, the creation of this korean tofu and egg skillet dish was born. That was when the phone buzzed. In the midst of an early morning, a friend was in need. I smiled. What a perfect coincidence. A few fast motions of tapping and typing – a text message was sent: “Come over for dinner tonight! We need to talk!”
Over a cosy, simple dinner, we had a long conversation. The warm meal filled our empty stomachs. Many words were said. Hearts were comforted.
Was it the food or the company that made the difference? I’m not sure. But one thing for sure, it was a great day. My heart filled with gratitude for a perfect start and end of just one day out of many I would enjoy in this life.
- ½ pack of firm tofu (9 oz)
- 4 eggs
- ½ medium onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp Korean chili flakes (gochugaru)
- 1 cup dashi stock/anchovy stock (or chicken stock)
- 2 tbsp GF Soy Sauce
- ½ tsp sugar
- Green onions, finely chopped (garnish)
- Drain tofu and slice into squares (about 1" squares and ¼" thick)
- Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and onions. Pan fry till fragrant (add some water if it sticks).
- Once the onions are slightly translucent, add in the gochugaru. Stirfry until fragrant (1-2 mins). Add some water if it starts to stick.
- Spread out the garlic/onion/gochuargu mixture in an even layer. Place the tofu in a single layer.
- Combine the stock, sugar soy sauce and pour over.
- Bring everything to boil and lower to simmer until the sauce is reduced to half. (10 mins)
- Crack the eggs over the tofu. Cover again and simmer for 2 minutes till the egg whites has set a little, but the yolk is still runny.
- Remove from heat and garnish with green onions. Serve immediately with a bowl of rice.
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