DIY Korean Tofu Hand Rolls with Gochujang Aioli and Pickled Radishes

These Korean-inspired hand rolls are all about building your own bite. Crispy tofu coated in a sweet soy glaze meets tangy pickled radishes, crunchy cucumber sticks and a kick of gochujang aioli. Wrap it all in roasted seaweed with fluffy rice for a meal that’s as fun to assemble as it is to eat.

Perfect for a weeknight dinner or a casual gathering, this recipe lets everyone customize their rolls. The contrast of textures and flavors-sweet, savory, spicy and pickled-makes every hand roll a little adventure.

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Ingredients

3 ounce CarrotView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 tablespoon CornstarchView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 ounce Sweet Thai Chili SauceView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

5 teaspoon White Wine VinegarView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

0.5 teaspoon TurmericView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 unit TofuView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 unit Mini CucumberView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

4 tablespoon Sweet Soy GlazeView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

3 unit RadishesView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 unit Gochujang AioliView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

0.75 cup White RiceView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 unit Roasted Seaweed SheetsView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 teaspoon (tsp) SaltView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 teaspoon (tsp) SugarView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 teaspoon (tsp) Cooking OilView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

teaspoon (tsp) Black PepperView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

Instructions

1. Wash and dry produce. In a small pot, combine rice, 1¼ cups water (2¼ cups for 4 servings) and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low. Cook until rice is tender, 15-20 minutes. Keep covered off heat until ready to serve.
2. While rice cooks, trim and thinly slice radishes. Trim and quarter cucumbers lengthwise into spears; cut spears into sticks (like fries). Trim and peel carrot; grate on the largest holes of a box grater. Open and drain tofu; press out excess water with paper towels. Cut tofu crosswise into planks (we got 12 planks). In a small bowl, combine sweet soy glaze, chili sauce and 2 TBSP water (4 TBSP for 4 servings). Set aside.
3. In a second small microwave-safe bowl, combine radishes, vinegar, half the turmeric, 3 TBSP water, 2 tsp sugar and a pinch of salt (all the turmeric, 6 TBSP water and 4 tsp sugar for 4 servings). Microwave until radishes are softened and yellow, 60-90 seconds. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
4. In a medium bowl, combine tofu, cornstarch, ½ tsp salt (1 tsp for 4 servings) and pepper. Toss until tofu is evenly coated. Heat a large drizzle of oil in a large, preferably nonstick, pan over medium-high heat. Add coated tofu and cook, turning occasionally, until crispy all over, 3-5 minutes. Turn off heat; stir in sauce until tofu is thoroughly coated.
5. Cut or tear seaweed sheets in half along perforations into about 4-inch-wide strips. Fluff rice with a fork.
6. Serve rice, seaweed strips, tofu, cucumbers, carrot, pickled radishes (draining first) and gochujang aioli family style and build your own hand rolls! To make a hand roll, place a seaweed strip horizontally in front of you, rough side up. Spread a spoonful of rice on left half, leaving a ½-inch border around edges. Top with cucumbers and carrot, aligning diagonally toward upper left corner. Top with tofu, radishes and a drizzle of gochujang aioli. Fold bottom left corner of seaweed strip up over filling, then wrap right side over to form a cone. It will seal itself. Eat and repeat! TIP: You can also spread rice over left half of seaweed strip, add toppings over rice and fold right side of strip on top for a taco shape!

Recipe Tips

FAQ

Can I use regular cucumber instead of mini cucumber?

Yes, use half a regular cucumber, seeded and cut into sticks.

What if I don't have a microwave for the pickled radishes?

You can simmer the radish mixture in a small saucepan over medium heat for 2-3 minutes until softened.

Can I make these hand rolls ahead of time?

It’s best to assemble just before eating to keep the seaweed crisp. Prep all components separately and refrigerate.