Not so bad!

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The first thing that my family and I do when at a Japanese restaurant is look for the Agadashi tofu! Ever since we’ve gotten into this delicious east Asian cuisine, those fried tofu squares have never left the spotlight. They’re no doubt our favorite!

When you’ve found a food that you’re into, it’s never a bad idea to attempt recreating it by yourself. I mean, why not? You can modify the food the way you like, diversify your home menu, and save a little money in the process (most likely). So, a couple of weeks ago, with this mindset, my mom tried a new recipe for (you guessed it), the classic Agadashi tofu.

“Not so bad!” I thought after taking my first bite. In under half an hour, my mom had very successfully brought the classic Japanese item to our dinner table (probably at least 30 pieces). Given that this was her first attempt, the Agadashi tofu that night earned a five out of five. The fried batter didn’t take away too much flavor/texture, but also provided a spot for the dashi sauce to soak in. Cooked just right, the steaming, soft tofu just dissolved in my mouth, leaving it wanting more. Combined with white radish, bonito flakes, sushi ginger, and green onions, the Agadashi tofu really seemed like something you would order at a restaurant. In addition, instead of receiving small, 4-6 piece portions, the recipe below allows you to make a whole platter of tofu, everything still in fabulous condition. It’s an entire dinner, all by itself!

For some, a rare dish (not something that everyone is familiar with) like Agadashi tofu can seem daunting, too fancy, or just unreasonable. However, the recipe is quite simple, and it totally pays off in the end. All of you should 100% try it! Agadashi tofu is a great appetizer, vegan meal, and at the very least, “Not so bad!”

Source of recipe: website

Ingredients

  • 300 g Firm Tofu
  • 2 tbsp Katakuriko corn starch
  • Cooking Oil to deep-fry

Sauce/Broth

  • ½ cup dashi made out of dried Shiitake *1
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp Mirin
  • 1 tbsp sugar

Toppings

  • 5 cm of daikon grated or ¼ cup
  • Spring onions
  • White sesame seeds to sprinkle *2

Instructions

    • Make the sauce by putting all the ingredients into a sauce pan.
    • Over a medium heat, bring the all broth ingredients to boil, then turn the heat off and set aside.
    • Cut the tofu 3cm x 4 cm x 2cm (1.2inch x 1.6inch x 0.8inch)
  • Drain the water out of the tofu by wrapping it in a paper towel and leaving it for about 10 minutes without any weight over the tofu.
  • Place the katakuriko onto a flat tray and dip each tofu into the katakuriko and dust off excess with a brush.
  • Heat oil in a deep frying pan to 170°C and deep-fry 4 pieces of the tofu at a time for a few minutes.
  • Take deep fried tofu pieces out of the oil and leave it on a paper towel to drain the excess oil.
  • Place the fried tofu into a serving bowl and top with the toppings then pour the sauce over the top.

Notes

*1 or ½ cup water and ½ tsp dashi powder if you don’t mind it completely vegan.

Shiitake dashi

*2 other suggestions are finely cut Shiso leaves, grated ginger and Shichimi Togarashi

*3 Nutritional value is indication only as it is very difficult to calculate amount of oil used for deep frying accurately. The oil used for deep frying is not included in calculation

Nutrition

Calories: 83kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 1g | Sodium: 1135mg | Potassium: 38mg | Sugar: 10g | Iron: 0.4mg

 

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Look at all of the food! Tofu galore!

 

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Can’t have it without dashi broth, that’s for sure.

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Bitter yet flavorful radish, sweet ginger, crunchy bonito flakes, and green onions. Oh my!

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