Crisp Agedashi Tofu with Ginger Dashi Broth

⏱ 35 min · Serves 2

Silky silken tofu in a shatteringly light potato-starch crust, sitting in a warm, savoury dashi broth with mounds of grated daikon and ginger. It looks like izakaya magic but comes together in half an hour.

Per serving: 320 kcal · 15.0g protein · 25.0g carbs · 18.0g fat

Ingredients

• 300g silken or soft tofu (one block)
• 4 tbsp potato starch (katakuriko), or cornflour
• 500ml neutral oil, for shallow frying
• 200ml dashi (from 1 tsp instant dashi powder or a kombu-bonito brew)
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp mirin
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 5cm piece daikon, finely grated and lightly squeezed
• 2cm piece fresh ginger, finely grated
• 2 spring onions, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp bonito flakes (katsuobushi)
• Shichimi togarashi, to serve (optional)

Method

1. Drain the tofu, wrap in kitchen paper and rest on a plate for 15 minutes with a light weight on top to draw off surface water.
2. Meanwhile, make the broth: warm the dashi, soy sauce, mirin and sugar in a small pan until steaming and the sugar dissolves. Keep hot but do not boil hard.
3. Grate the daikon and ginger, squeeze the daikon gently and set both aside with the spring onions.
4. Cut the tofu into 6 neat blocks. Pat every face very dry — this is the difference between crisp and soggy.
5. Heat the oil in a small deep pan to 180C (a pinch of starch should sizzle briskly).
6. Dust each tofu block generously in potato starch, tapping off the excess, and lower carefully into the oil. Fry 3–4 at a time for 3–4 minutes, turning once, until pale gold and crisp. Drain on a rack, not paper.
7. Divide the tofu between two shallow bowls. Pour the hot broth around, not over, the tofu so the crust stays crisp.
8. Top with a mound of grated daikon, a little ginger, spring onions and bonito flakes. Dust with shichimi and eat immediately.