Agedashi Tofu (Agedashidofu) is deep-fried Tofu blocks in savory Dashi sauce. It is one of the most popular appetizers at restaurant bars in Japan, but also a great home-cooking dish. Freshly fried Tofu in a very hot, soup like sauce will warm you up in a cold season.
There are many bars that serve alcohol in Japan, but you should go to Izakaya, restaurant bars, if you would also like to enjoy a lot of different kinds of food. Dishes on their menu are all small appetizers, like Spanish tapas, which go well with drinks, such as Karaage, Sashimi (raw fish), Edamame, etc. You can find Agedashi Tofu at almost every Izakaya bar. It is deep-fried but not very greasy since there is only a very thin batter around the Tofu, and also it is in a light Dashi sauce/soup.
Katakuriko, potato starch flour, gives the coating a distinctive soft and jelly-like texture when submerged in the soup. You could use regular flour for deep-frying, but the texture may become different. When you don’t have Katakuriko, you may want to substitute cornstarch before using flour.
Even though Agedashi Tofu is a staple menu at Izakaya, it is easy to make at home too. Try it with your beer or Sake, and you will like it!
Agedashi Tofu Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 package Tofu (about 14oz or 400g)
- Katakuriko (potato starch flour)
- deep-frying oil
- 2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
- 2 Tbsp Mirin
- 2 Tbsp Sake
- 2 cups Dashi
- chopped green onions
- grated Daikon radish
Instructions
- Cut Tofu into 12 blocks of generally equal size. Put a paper towel on a sheet pan, and arrange the Tofu cubes on the paper towel in one layer. Cover the Tofu with another paper towel. Place another sheet pan (the same size) on top and add a small amount of weight on the upper sheet pan. Leave for 20 minutes to press the Tofu.
- In a pot, boil Soy Sauce, Mirin, Sake and Dashi together. Keep the sauce warm.
- Heat deep-frying oil at medium heat. Coat the pressed Tofu with Katakuriko flour, and deep-fry. Cook a couple of minutes, turn once and cook a couple of minutes longer. Try not to disturb the coating. Remove from oil.
- Immediately place Tofu in a serving dish and pour the hot sauce over the Tofu. Top with green onions and grated Daikon if you like.
Video
3 Comments
I really want to make this, but I was wondering what type of Tofu to use? It’s hard to tell what you used watching the video. Please let me know! Thank you for the great recipes!
better to use medium – medium firm tofu.
I make it with silk tofu (the blue box) it’s wonderful.