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Agedashi tofu served with scallions, katsuobushi (shaved skipjack tuna), and grated daikon radish.
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Agedashi Tofu

Agedashi Tofu is one of those magical dishes where a few simple ingredients come together in a harmonizing synergy that elevates the dish from humble to divine. It's made with blocks of soft tofu that are coated in a thin layer of potato 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.
Course Appetizer
Cuisine Best, Japanese
Keyword dashi, deep-fried, fried, tofu
Level Beginner
Main Ingredient Tofu
Diet Dairy-Free, Low-Carb
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 4 small portions
Calories 117kcal

Ingredients

for tofu

  • 400 grams soft tofu
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • vegetable oil (for frying)
  • ¼ cup potato starch

for dashi

  • 1 ½ cups dashi
  • 2 teaspoons soy sauce
  • ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt

garnishes

  • 140 grams daikon (peeled)
  • 1 scallion (finely chopped)
  • 1 small pack katsuobushi (optional)
  • Shichimi togarashi to taste (optional)
Grams + US Cups - US Standard

Instructions

  • Slice the block of tofu in half one way, and then in half the other way to make 4 cubes. Sprinkle all sides of the tofu with the salt and then place the tofu on a wire-mesh tray or cooking rack to drain for 20-30 minutes. This step is very important as excess water will make the oil spatter when you fry it.
    400 grams soft tofu, ¼ teaspoon salt
    Salting soft tofu to draw out excess water.
  • While you wait for the tofu to drain, season the dashi, by putting the dashi, soy sauce, sugar and salt into a small saucepan and heating the mixture until the salt dissolves. Cover to prevent evaporation and keep it warm over low heat on a back burner.
    1 ½ cups dashi, 2 teaspoons soy sauce, ½ teaspoon granulated sugar, ½ teaspoon salt
    Dashi stock boiling in a stainless steel pot.
  • Grate the daikon using the rasp side of box grater (or a dedicated daikon grater if you have one), and then pour it into a small wire-mesh sieve, pressing on the solids to drain off any excess liquid.
    140 grams daikon
    Grating daikon on a daikon grater.
  • When you're ready to fry the tofu, add 1 ½ to 2 inches of vegetable oil into a heavy bottomed pot that's large enough to accommodate all the tofu and preheat to 360 degrees F (180 C). Prepare a wire rack lined with a triple layer of paper towels to transfer the tofu to when it's done frying. Add the potato starch to a plate.
    vegetable oil
  • When your oil has reached the correct temperature, dry the tofu off thoroughly using paper towels, and then roll each block of tofu in the potato starch to coat every side with a thin even layer of starch. Dust off the excess starch and gently lower each block of tofu into the oil.
    ¼ cup potato starch
    Coating tofu in potato starch to make agedashi tofu.
  • Fry the tofu until the sides have crisped and then use chopsticks or tongs to gently roll each piece of tofu over onto the other side. The tofu is done when all sides are crisp and the tofu looks slightly puffy. It should not be browned.
    Deep frying tofu for agedashi tofu.
  • Transfer to the prepared rack and let it drain for a few moments before plating each block of tofu into a small bowl.
    Fried tofu draining on paper towel lined rack.
  • Top with the katsuobushi, daikon, and scallions and then pour the hot dashi around the tofu. To add a dash of spice, sprinkle with shichimi togarashi.
    1 small pack katsuobushi, 1 scallion
    Sprinkling scallions on agedashi tofu.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 117kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 914mg | Potassium: 438mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 30IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 74mg | Iron: 1mg