Agedashi Tofu 🍱 Japanese Appetizer 🇯🇵

Description

Silky tofu, lightly coated in potato starch and fried until crisp, served in a hot soy–dashi broth with grated daikon and ginger. 🍃

Hook
Crispy shell, custardy center — pure izakaya comfort!

Ingredients

• 🧊 Silken tofu (firm silken works best): 400 g (14 oz)
• 🌾 Potato starch (for coating): 30 g (¼ cup / 1.1 oz)
• 🛢️ Neutral oil for frying: 600 ml (2½ cups / 20 fl oz)
• Tentsuyu broth
• 🍶 Dashi: 200 ml (¾ cup / 6.8 fl oz)
• 🍶 Soy sauce: 30 ml (2 tbsp / 1 fl oz)
• 🍶 Mirin: 30 ml (2 tbsp / 1 fl oz)
• 🍚 Sugar: 5 g (1 tsp / 0.18 oz)
• Toppings
• 🌿 Grated daikon: 60 g (½ cup / 2.1 oz)
• 🫚 Grated fresh ginger: 6 g (1 tsp / 0.2 oz)
• 🧅 Scallions, thinly sliced: 15 g (2 tbsp / 0.5 oz)
• 🐟 Bonito flakes (optional): 1 g (a pinch / 0.04 oz)
• 🌿 Nori strips (optional): 1 g (a pinch / 0.04 oz)

Preparation

1. 1️⃣ Drain & cut: Pat tofu dry and cut into 3–4 cm (1¼–1½ in) cubes.
2. 2️⃣ Broth: In a small saucepan combine dashi 200 ml, soy 30 ml, mirin 30 ml, sugar 5 g. Bring to a gentle simmer for 2–3 min; keep hot.
3. 3️⃣ Coat: Dust tofu evenly with potato starch; shake off excess.
4. 4️⃣ Fry: Heat oil to 170–175 °C (338–347 °F). Fry tofu 2–3 min until light-gold and crisp. Drain on a rack.
5. 5️⃣ Serve: Divide tofu into bowls, ladle over hot broth, top with daikon, ginger, scallions, and bonito/nori if using. Serve immediately.

Total Time

🕒 Preparation: 15 min
🔥 Cooking: 10 min
⏰ Total: 25 min

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