Just in time for the colder months, agedashi tofu is lightly fried and served with a warm sauce. While this is a popular dish at restaurants, I think it is tastier when made at home. Hope this will become a favorite dish in your household too!
List of Ingredients for Agedashi Tofu
(3-4 servings)
- 1 Block firm tofu, cut into 1 inch cubes
- ~1-2 Stems of green onions, chopped
-
1 small packet (2.5 grams) of bonito flakes (dried fish flakes) or katsuobushi in Japanese
- Potato starch or cornstarch for dusting tofu cubes
- Oil for frying, enough for about ½ inch deep
List of Ingredients for Agedashi Tofu Sauce
(One full recipe is used for one block of tofu there should be no leftover sauce.)
- ½ C Water
- ¼ C Sake
-
¼ C Soy sauce or tamari sauce
-
⅛ Tsp Powdered katsuo dashi
- 1 Tbs Sugar
List of Tools
- Measuring cup for the sauce
- Something to mix the sauce, chopsticks or spoon
- Measuring spoons
- Cutting board and knife
- 2 large plates, flat bottom preferred
- Paper towels
-
Weight to put on top of a plate — I use 2-3 Pyrex containers.
The weight of 2-3 pyrex containers can help press out the water - Small bowl
- Soup spoon for starch
- Large plate when dusting the tofu with starch
- Cooking chopsticks or tongs
- Baking sheet lined with paper towels and a cooling rack that fits inside or on top, to help drain oil from the tofu and keep it crisp
- Heavy gauge pot for frying, I am using a 3 quart pot to us less oil
- Ladle and resting plate for the sauce
- Small pot to heat the sauce
- Serve individually in small bowls or serve in a larger shallow bowl
Prepare the tofu and green onions
Cut the tofu into 1 inch cubes. To remove water, press the tofu by lining a large plate with several paper towels. Next, place the tofu on top of the paper towels both neatly and close together in one layer. Place several more paper towels on top of the tofu and put a plate on top. (Like a sandwich!) Now add some weight to help press the water out. (I use 2-3 Pyrex containers.) Leave for about 20-30 minutes.
Clean and chop the green onions and set aside.
Prepare the sauce
Add the water, sake, soy sauce, dashi, and sugar to a small pot. Bring to a simmer then cover and set aside.
Fry the tofu
After 20-30 minutes, remove the top plate and top layer of paper towels. Put 2-3 spoonfuls of starch in a small bowl, take a cube of tofu and coat each side. Set aside on a clean dry plate. (Be sure the pieces do not touch to avoid sticking to each other.) Repeat with the remaining tofu.
Once all the tofu is coated, fill a heavy gauge pot with ~½ inch of oil for frying.
Heat the oil on medium high. Check the oil periodically by lightly pressing the tips of the chopsticks to the bottom of the pot. If the oil bubbles quickly around the tips, then the oil is ready. If you are not sure, stick one piece of tofu in the pot. It should bubble quickly if ready and if not, that’s okay. It is better to be under the right temperature than too hot. Too hot will burn the outside of the tofu.
When the oil is ready, fill the pot with tofu but do not overcrowd. Be sure to let the tofu fry a bit initially. Otherwise, the pieces will stick together when moved.
Check that no pieces are stuck to the bottom, move tofu around to cook evenly. Fry to a nice golden color. Once golden, place on the paper towel lined baking sheet with the cooling rack. Continue until all the tofu is fried. Reheat the sauce.
Place the tofu in individual bowls or in a larger shallow bowl. Pour the sauce over the tofu, then sprinkle the bonito flakes on top and follow with the green onions. You’re done! Enjoy!
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Also, don’t forget to submit a photo of your creations! You can upload your photos using my Contact form!
