Most of the time when I dine out for sushi, I order an appetizer of agedashi tofu to start things off. It’s a simple Japanese dish of deep-fried silken tofu, and I love the textural contrast of the crispy outside and the piping hot, creamy tofu on the inside. The whole thing is served in dashi broth and topped with shredded daikon radish and green onions. Despite being deep-fried, the tofu absorbs very little oil, so I don’t feel bad about eating it.
I recently learned to make this dish at home when I was gifted Izakaya: The Japanese Pub Cookbook by a friend. I have a few Japanese cookbooks, but this has quickly become my favorite. I’ve already cooked this rendition of agedashi tofu several times.
Ingredients:
1 block silken tofu, about one pound
Potato starch for coating the tofu
Vegetable oil for deep-frying
3/4 cup dashi stock
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons mirin
1/2 cup lightly-packed dried bonito flakes (katsuo-bushi)
1 green onion, thinly sliced
1-inch daikon radish, peeled and shredded
1/8 teaspoon Japanese-style ground red chili pepper (ichimi togarashi)
1. Mix the shredded daikon with the chili pepper and set aside.
2. Bring mirin, soy sauce, and dashi to a gentle boil and turn off heat. Add bonito flakes and leave for 10 seconds, then strain through a mesh strainer. Set sauce aside.
3. In a heavy saucepan, heat 2 inches oil to medium-high heat.
4. Slice tofu horizontally into 2 pieces. If desired, slice each of these 2 pieces in half as well. Blot tofu dry and coat with potato starch. Fry the tofu until the surface is golden and crispy, about 5 minutes. Carefully transfer the tofu with a slotted spoon onto a paper-lined plate to drain excess oil.
5. Place tofu in a serving bowl and pour in the sauce. Garnish with the green onions and shredded daikon radish.
wow you actually make this at home ? It’s also one of my favorite starters. I just ordered it at sushi sam. Probably the last time we’ll go there, the lines are too long and the service too much of a hit and miss.
Yeah, I’m mixed on Sushi Sam’s too. I used to go there when I was in the Peninsula and always got their agedashi tofu too. The home-cooked version comes out very similar but I substituted cornstarch for potato starch when I made this. If you want to make it authentically, use the latter (Suruki in San Mateo carries potato starch, also called katakuriko).