Name: Agedashi Tofu
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 1 cake kinugoshi or “cotton” tofu (about 300 grams); 1 cup dashi; 2 tablespoons Japanese soy sauce; 2 tablespoons mirin ((see notes after the recipe)); 1 teaspoon grated ginger; ½ cup potato starch (or corn starch); 2 to 4 cups cooking oil (for frying); sliced scallions (to garnish); bonito flakes (to garnish)

Age means deep fried and dashi, of course, is the stock made from bonito flakes and kelp. Hence, agedashi tofu. For me, it’s the queen of tofu dishes. Squares of fried delicate soft tofu served with a light salty-sweet sauce.

Agedashi tofu garnished with bonito flakes and sliced scallions

Two characteristics make this dish stand out. First, the contrasting textures of the fried tofu — soft inside but crisp outside because of the coating.

Second, the sauce in which the tofu is served. Most restaurants serve the sauce on the side as a dipping sauce. I think it’s better to let the tofu sit in the sauce. By itself, the fried tofu is bland but give it a chance to absorb the sauce and it becomes perfectly seasoned.

The obvious question is whether the crisp coating won’t turn soggy if allowed to sit in the sauce. Two things. You have to press out the excess liquid from the tofu. And — this is really important — use starch rather than flour. Potato starch (preferred by the Japanese), if you can find it, or cornstarch as a substitute. Don’t use flour because a flour coating turns soggy within a few minutes even before the tofu touches the sauce.

Agedashi Tofu

Recipe by Connie Veneracion

Is agedashi tofu an easy recipe or is it for seasoned cooks only? Let’s just say that it doesn’t take a miracle to successfully fry soft tofu. The key is in finding the right kind of tofu and learning how to handle it. For me, the ideal tofu for this dish is kinugoshi or “cotton” tofu which is firmer than silken tofu but softer than firm tofu.

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 15 mins

Total Time 25 mins

Course Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine Japanese

Servings people

Print Recipe

Ingredients

1 cake kinugoshi or “cotton” tofu about 300 grams
1 cup dashi
2 tablespoons Japanese soy sauce
2 tablespoons mirin (see notes after the recipe)
1 teaspoon grated ginger
½ cup potato starch or corn starch
2 to 4 cups cooking oil for frying
sliced scallions to garnish
bonito flakes to garnish

Instructions

Prepare the tofu

Place the tofu between two stacks of paper towels.
Place a bowl on top and leave to allow the paper towels to absorb excess moisture.

Make the sauce

Pour the dashi, soy sauce and mirin into a small pot.
Stir in the grated ginger.
Boil the sauce for about five minutes to reduce and heighten the flavors then set aside to cool.

Fry the tofu

Cut the tofu into cubes.
Place the starch in a shallow bowl and gently roll each tofu cube to completely coat the outside. Shake off any excess.
Pour enough cooking oil into a wok or frying pan to reach a depth of at least three inches. Heat until wisps of smoke float on the surface.
Fry the tofu, in batches so as not to overcrowd the pan, just until the coating turns crisp, about two to three minutes per batch.

Serve the agedashi tofu

Arrange the cooked tofu in a shallow bowl.
Drizzle the sauce over and around the fried tofu.
Garnish with bonito flakes and sliced scallions.

Notes

Sake can be used in place of mirin. But because sake is not as sweet as mirin, you’ll have to add about a teaspoon of sugar to get a good balance of flavors.

Updated from a recipe originally published in May 14, 2012.

Keyword Tofu

Agedashi Tofu