Balhyocha Tofu Salad

Tofu is a great medium that you can easily infuse with tea and it is also a good protein option instead of meat. Tea-infused tofu can be added to any kind of salad you choose to have.

* Note: Firm tofu is better than soft tofu for this type of tofu salad.

Ingredients (1-2 servings):

Salad

· 6g or 2 heaping tablespoons Balhyocha 

· 1 cup (8 oz) Water

· 200g firm tofu, diced

· 3-4 cherry tomatoes, cut in half

· 1/4 cucumber, sliced

· 1/4 bell pepper, cut into strips

Dressing

· 2 tablespoons Korean perilla seed powder

· 3 tablespoons mayonnaise

· 1 tablespoon plain yogurt

· 1 tablespoon lemon juice

· 2 tablespoons oligodang (Korean cooking syrup) or honey

· 1 tablespoon sugar

· 2 tablespoons vinegar

Instructions:

1) Make tea using double the amount of tea leaves (6g of Balhyocha and 1 cup of water) to yield a stronger infusion, and let cool. (Optional: You can leave the Balhyocha leaves in the tea infusion while cooling it down if you wish to have stronger flavour of Balhyocha infused tofu).

2) Drain and remove liquid from tofu and cut into 2-3cm cubes.

3) Soak the diced tofu in the tea infusion for 15-20 minutes. Occasionally flip the tofu over if it is not fully covered with the tea infusion so that the diced tofu will have consistent colour.

4) Drain the tofu and pan-fry it at medium heat using just a little bit of oil. You can also pan-fry it at low heat without oil. Be sure to rotate the tofu in order for all sides to be equally cooked. When all the surfaces of each tofu cube are crispy, remove from pan, and let them cool down.

5) Combine the ingredients for the dressing in a small bowl.

6) Add vegetables into a bowl or plate and top with the tofu, and add the dressing. 

 

Enjoy the tasTEA salad!