Guardian food writer Meera Sodha has created an innovative vegan recipe that beautifully marries Korean and Italian culinary traditions. Her gochujang and tofu ragu with gnocchi and pickled cucumber offers a comforting, filling meal ideal for busy weeknights.
A Fusion of Flavours and Textures
This unique dish represents what Sodha describes as "a coming-together of good things: thoughts, feelings, ingredients, time and effort." As a self-confessed ragu enthusiast, she approaches this recipe with particular passion, noting that the joy of ragu comes from the entire cooking process - from the chopping and stirring to the aromas that fill the kitchen.
The recipe cleverly combines the umami depth of Korean gochujang paste with the comforting familiarity of Italian gnocchi, creating what Sodha calls "a comforting and filling mix of Korean and Italian flavours and textures."
Recipe Preparation and Ingredients
The complete recipe serves 2-3 people and requires approximately 20 minutes preparation time with 40 minutes cooking time. Key components include a tangy pickled cucumber side and the main ragu featuring blitzed firm tofu as the protein base.
Essential ingredients include:
- 500g gnocchi
- 280g firm tofu, drained and blitzed
- 1½ tbsp chilli bean sauce (Lee Kum Kee recommended)
- 1 tbsp gochujang paste
- 2 tbsp tomato puree
- 200g spring onions, thoroughly washed
- Fresh garlic and ginger
The pickled cucumber accompaniment requires 200g thinly sliced cucumber, rice vinegar, sesame seeds, and sea salt for draining excess moisture.
Cooking Method and Technique
The cooking process begins with properly preparing the spring onions, which need thorough washing to remove any dirt. Sodha recommends slicing them from top to bottom and placing them in a sieve resting in cold water, swooshing to dislodge dirt before draining.
The method involves:
- Boiling gnocchi according to packet instructions
- Preparing the cucumber pickle by salting, draining, then adding vinegar and sesame seeds
- Creating the ragu base by frying spring onions, garlic and ginger in rapeseed oil
- Adding blitzed tofu and frying until golden brown
- Incorporating the flavour elements: chilli bean sauce, gochujang, tomato puree, soy sauce, sesame oil and agave syrup
- Combining with cooked gnocchi and water before finishing with remaining spring onions
The dish is served immediately with the pickled cucumber arranged on top, creating a vibrant contrast of colours and textures.
Special Guardian Live Event
Food enthusiasts will have the opportunity to engage with Meera Sodha directly during a special Guardian Live event scheduled for Wednesday 26 November. She will be joining writers Stuart Heritage and Tim Dowling in an event hosted by Nish Kumar, with Georgina Lawton hosting You Be The Judge live.
The event celebrates the best of Guardian culture and will be available both for London attendees and via livestream, offering audiences multiple ways to participate in this culinary conversation.
