Agedashi Tofu 🍲 Japanese Izakaya 🇯🇵

Description

Silky cubes of tofu lightly coated and fried until crisp, then bathed in a hot dashi–soy broth with grated daikon, spring onion, and a whisper of ginger. Clean, comforting, and irresistibly crunchy-juicy.

Hook
Crisp outside, custardy inside — the bite every izakaya lives for!

Ingredients

• 🧊 300 g firm or silken-firm tofu, well-drained
• 🌾 30 g potato starch (or cornstarch)
• 🛢️ Oil for shallow frying (about 400 ml)
• Broth (tsuyu) 💧 200 ml dashi (kombu/bonito or instant)
• 🍶 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 🍯 1 tbsp mirin
• Toppings 🫚 1 tsp grated ginger
• 🍚 2 tbsp grated daikon, squeezed
• 🧅 1 spring onion, finely sliced
• 🌿 A few torn nori strips (optional)
• 🌾 Pinch toasted sesame (optional)

Preparation

1. 1️⃣ Drain tofu: Wrap tofu in paper towels, weight lightly 15 min. Cut into 8 cubes.
2. 2️⃣ Make broth: In a small saucepan, bring dashi + soy + mirin just to a simmer; keep hot.
3. 3️⃣ Coat: Pat tofu dry. Dust all sides with potato starch; shake off excess.
4. 4️⃣ Fry: Heat oil to 170°C. Fry tofu 2–3 min, turning, until pale-gold and crisp. Drain on a rack.
5. 5️⃣ Serve: Divide tofu into bowls. Ladle over hot broth. Top with grated daikon, ginger, spring onion, and optional nori/sesame. Serve immediately.

Total Time

🕒 Preparation: 15 min
🔥 Cooking: 10 min
💤 Rest: 15 min
⏰ Total: 40 min

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