Agedashi tofu (Japanese deep fried tofu) with Homemade Sauce
Agedashi tofu is a popular side dish made with firm tofu coated in a thin, light and crispy batter and served in a thick umami-rich sauce. It's one of my all-time favorites!
- Prep time
- 15 min
- Cook time
- 10 min
- Yield
- 2 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 300 g firm tofu (momen tofu)
- 4 tbsp potato starch (katakuriko) (or corn starch)
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 tsp water (cold)
- 1 tbsp finely chopped green onions (optional)
- 1 tbsp grated daikon radish (daikon oroshi) (optional)
- 1 pinch Japanese chili powder (shichimi togarashi) (shichimi togarashi, optional)
- 150 ml dashi stock
- 1 tbsp Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu)
- 1 tbsp mirin
- 1 tsp sake
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp water (for slurry)
- 1 tsp potato starch (katakuriko) (for slurry)
Instructions
- 1
Open 300 g firm tofu, drain the water and wrap it in kitchen paper. Place on a microwavable plate and microwave for 1 ½ minutes at 600W.
- 2
Unwrap the tofu and cut into approximately 12 pieces. (About 3cm cubes) Dry the surface of each piece with kitchen paper and sprinkle with 1 pinch salt.
- 3
Preheat the oil to 170 °C (338 °F). Mix 2 tbsp all-purpose flour and half of the potato starch, roll each piece of tofu in the mixture until coated all over.
- 4
In separate tray, add the other half the potato starch and mix with 1 tsp water to make "hailstones". Roll the tofu in the hailstones and place them directly into the preheated oil one by one.
- 5
Fry the tofu for 3 mins, turning half way. Once 3 minutes are up and the tofu is golden, transfer to a wire rack to allow the excess oil to drain off.
- 6
Take a small saucepan and add 150 ml dashi stock, 1 tbsp Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu), 1 tbsp mirin, 1 tsp sake and ¼ tsp salt. Mix and heat on medium, bring to a boil and allow to bubble for 30 seconds. Lower the heat and make slurry in a separate bowl, pour the slurry into the sauce and stir continuously over the low heat until slightly thickened.
- 7
Place the tofu in the serving bowl and drizzle with the sauce. Top with 1 tbsp finely chopped green onions, 1 tbsp grated daikon radish (daikon oroshi) and 1 pinch Japanese chili powder (shichimi togarashi) (optional).
- 8
Enjoy!