This Japanese dish, agedashi tofu recipe is a delicious small bite of floured and deep-fried tofu that is served in a tasty broth which you sip with each bite of tofu.
It’s delicious as a food item, but it’s one which should be eaten as soon when it’s served to ensure the fry remains as crisp as it can be.
A little background
I’m not sure why people dislike Tofu. It could be a slight disconnection from what it is actually made of as it’s the white jiggly blocks. We meat-loving Americans are being left out of lots of great things because we don’t try new food. Are you among them?
Tofu is a staple food for more than 2,000 years in China and agedashi tofu has been consumed in Japan for more than 200 years. I’m not certain how long this Vietnamese tofu and tomato dish is, but it’s likely where I get the majority of my daily tofu consumption.
What exactly does agedashi translate to?
“Agedashi“, the word “age” is a reference to fried food “agedashi”, “age” refers to fried”age” means fried, in addition “dashi” is of course the broth it’s served in, which is appropriately called. It’s one of my favorite dishes in Japanese eateries and izakayas because of its simplicity and how delicious it tastes. This is probably the reason I like plain nigiri sushi with less distraction, so that you can concentrate on the good stuff.
I typically buy my tofu from local Vietnamese markets because there’s the possibility of fresher tofu as opposed. the blocks that are mass-produced. But they are a good alternative. The major American supermarkets are beginning to sell tofu, even though there’s not too many choices in terms of brands, and often this is worth it for the ease of access.
Tofu is one of the few food items that is nearly digestible. However, since this recipe is deep-fried I wouldn’t go so far as to say that agedashi tofu recipe is healthy, however it is delicious!
Cook some, try a little bit and top it the dish with Bonito chips and let me let you know your thoughts!
Japanese Agedashi Tofu recipe (Deep Fried Silken Tofu in Broth)
Ingredients
- 1 block silken tofu
- 4 tbsp potato starch
- neutral cooking oil for frying
BROTH
- 1 cup dashi – I cheated here with instant dashi granules
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp mirin
TOPPINGS / GARNISH
- daikon radish finely grated
- 1 stalk green onion
- katsuobushi dried bonito flakes
Instructions
- Cut the tofu into half and then press it between half sheets and flat plates. Press for fifteen minutes, alternating sheets of paper towels to eliminate the most moisture possible
- In the meantime, chop finely green onion, and then grated daikon.
- Add soy sauce, dashi and mirin to the pot and bring it to a boil. Adjust the what you like.
- Make sure that the tofu remains dry! Then, cut it into eight even pieces, or any desired size.
- To coat each piece of tofu with an even layer of potato starch.
- In a large pot of oil, submerge the tofu pieces, then fry them at 350F until crisp.
- Pour the tofu into an empty bowl, sprinkle toppings, and add the broth in the final second to make sure it's crispy until you're ready serve.
