Step 1

Preheat oven to 400°F/205°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Step 2

Drain and press firm tofu. In a large mixing bowl, mix black pepper, cornstarch, oil, and soy sauce. Toss in tofu and generously coat with mixture. Bake in oven for 30 minutes or until crispy (if your tofu is too wet, it won’t crisp up!)

Step 3

Mix the gochujang, water, soy sauce, mirin, sesame oil, grated ginger, and minced garlic in a shallow saucepan and simmer. Create a cornstarch slurry with 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 2 tablespoon water. Pour into gochujang mixture and stir until the sauce thickens. Keep your eye on the sauce as you don’t want it to stick to the pan.

Step 4

Throw the baked tofu in the sauce and coat generously. Toss lightly so it’s all covered.

Step 5

Serve with white rice and top with some chopped scallions and white sesame seeds.