Classic Agedashi Tofu Recipe

Japanese cuisine offers a wide range of dishes that are known for their masterful combination of spicy, salty, sweet, sour, bitter, and umami flavors. Agedashi tofu is a popular Japanese recipe commonly served at Japanese restaurants whether you're dining at a sushi restaurant, a Japanese pub, or a formal fine dining establishment. It's made with deep-fried tofu cubes that are served with a warm soy-based sauce. The tofu has a crispy outside and a soft, silky inside. 

Recipe developer Miriam Hahn brings us this recipe for classic agedashi tofu and says, "Agedashi tofu is a very versatile dish. It can be enjoyed as an appetizer, side dish, or even as a main dish. It's also easy to make with very few ingredients and can be made vegan by using a vegan dashi broth and omitting the bonito flakes as a topper." Keep reading to learn how to make this traditional Japanese recipe in under 30 minutes.

To make this recipe, we'll need some tofu to start. "If you can find super firm tofu, that is my first choice for this recipe because you don't have to press the water out first. If you can't find super firm, then go with extra firm," Hahn remarks. 

While you're in the produce aisle, pick up some scallions, and ginger root. Then we'll need some dashi stock flakes, mirin, soy sauce, salt, potato starch, oil for frying, and bonito flakes. 

"The dashi stock flakes, and the bonito flakes can be found online or at an Asian grocery store, and if you happen to have corn starch on hand, you can use that in place of the potato starch," Hahn explains.

Our tofu is going to be paired with a warm sauce that is simple to make. Grab a small pot and add in the water, dashi flakes, mirin, soy sauce, and salt. Give it a stir and let it cook on low heat for about 10 minutes. Then put the lid on to keep it warm and remove it from the heat. "If you're using actual dashi broth, then you can just use 1 cup of that instead of the flakes and water," Hahn explains.

This step is quick and easy if you were able to find super firm tofu. It will be a little wet when you remove it from the package, but you can just dry it with a paper towel, no need to press it. If you are using extra firm tofu, you'll need to press the water out of it. You can do this with a tofu press or by placing the tofu in a shallow bowl, placing a flat plate on top of the tofu, then placing something heavy on top of the plate and letting it sit for 15 minutes. The excess water will collect in the shallow bowl. When the tofu is ready, cut the block into 6 large pieces. Pour the potato starch into a dish and coat the tofu pieces with it.

The tofu is ready to fry up and serve hot! Add the oil to a large, deep skillet and heat it up to medium-high. Wait a few minutes until the oil is hot, then add the tofu pieces. It should be sizzling like crazy. Cook for about 6 minutes, then flip it over and cook for 6 more minutes. When it's done, place the pieces on paper towels to dry. 

You'll have a few minutes now to prepare the toppings so go ahead and chop the scallions and grate the ginger. To serve the agedashi, pour some of the sauce into a shallow bowl, add three pieces of tofu, and top with scallions, ginger, and bonito flakes. Your authentic Japanese appetizer or meal is ready to serve. Hahn tells us that agedashi tofu is best served right after making it, but it will keep for two days if kept in an air-tight container in the fridge.