Lightly battered fried tofu topped with scallions on a bed of light tsuyu broth, is a popular side dish in Japanese cuisine. Served hot, it's light and crispy on the outside, but silky on the inside. It's great as a starter to a meal of Japanese food, where all the flavors will work together in harmony.
If you’ve never had the immense pleasure, Agedashi Tofu is a popular appetizer in Japanese restaurants that features square pillows of tofu that are coated and fried, making them crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. It's a must-try appetizer from Japanese restaurants and Izakaya (Japanese pubs/tapas restaurants). Crispy outside, deep-fried soft tofu inside served with a sophisticatedly flavored sauce called “Tsuyu”. This has a robust umami flavor and is a to die for Japanese dish! Furthermore, it is an unbelievably simple and easy dish to make.
Agedashi tofu is defined as “fried tofu in dashi,” and it’s one of those magical dishes where a few simple ingredients come together in a harmonizing balance that elevates the dish from ordinary and unexceptional to sublime and glorious. It’s made with blocks of soft tofu that are coated in a thin layer of corn starch before being lightly fried. Then, the tofu is served in a savory dashi broth with a few garnishes, like scallions, daikon, nori, or ginger.
We know it sounds mindlessly simple, and you’re probably wondering how it could possibly be as good as we describe. Nevertheless, a great #Agedashi #Tofu is like a perfect warm custard that melts on your tongue into a creamy pool of savory dashi, lightly accented by the garnishes. The allure is in the way the coating mops up the flavorful #dashi, seasoning the tofu, while also releasing some residual oil into the broth, imparting a hint of richness without being greasy.
Ingredients:
1 block of tofu
1 stalk of green onions (scallions)
1-inch slab daikon radish
1 tbsp. grated ginger
1/2 cup water
2 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
1 1/2 tbsp mirin
1/4 tsp dashi powder
1/2 cup corn starch
Vegetable oil for frying
Directions:
Remove the excess water out of the tofu by wrapping it in a paper towel and leaving it for about 15 minutes with a weight over the tofu.
Cut the tofu into 1.5-2 inch blocks
Heat oil in a deep frying pan or pot
When the oil is ready, place the corn starch onto a flat tray or plate and dip each tofu into the corn starch.
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.
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.
Place the fried tofu into a serving bowl and top with the toppings then pour the sauce over the top.
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