Tofu originated 2000 years back in some part of ancient China. It is one of the favorite ingredients used in east and south east cuisines. Tofu has an enormous amount of health benefits, like large amounts of proteins and iron. It has relatively low calories and fats which makes it eminently suitable for heart patients. Tofu has a unique taste and sweet smell and can be used in many dishes, including savory as well as sweet dishes.
In China and Japan, tofu is cooked in various forms including in stew, in its raw form, in soups, and in stuffing. In Japan, many scrumptious dishes are cooked with tofu.
Here are five ways to cook Japanese inspired dishes with tofu.
1 Hiyayakko
In Japan, this is a common lunch delicacy in the summer season. It is also known as cold tofu. It is made up of chilled tofu with various toppings. It is the easiest recipe which cooks in just 10 minutes.
Cut chilled tofu in square shaped blocks and put these in a bowl. Add grated ginger, bonito flakes, sesame seeds, sliced okra, and chopped green onions on top. Pour mustard paste, soy sauce, and plum paste to make it even more delicious.
2 Agedashi-dofu
It is another famous Japanese dish made of tofu. It is deep fried tofu with some sizzling sauce.
Take a piece of tofu and press it hard to drain excessive water from it. Now make dashi stock. Fry tofu in peanut oil until light brown, and put it in a bowl. Serve with grated daikon radish and add dashi stock to the top.
3 Mapo Tofu
This is one of the best known dishes in Japan. It originated from China but boomed into Japan in the last century. It is cooked in Japanese style now to give it an authentic Japanese touch.
First, make a sauce adding one third cup sake, oyster sauce, red miso, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, potato starch, and tobanjan. Add pork chunks to the sauce and cook it. Now, add tofu to the mixture and coat it well. Keep cooking until it becomes thick. Serve with steamed rice.
4 Stir Fried Tofu
Stir fried tofu is used as a wrap, in salads, or in different sandwiches. It gives a unique taste of Japanese origin.
Marinate tofu with white miso paste, Ponzu sauce, dark brown sugar, honey, rice vinegar, wasabi paste, and ginger garlic paste. Put it aside for 24 to 48 hours. Pour vegetable oil in a pan and gently fry marinated tofu until nicely brown.
5 Silk Tofu with Soy Sauce and Carrot
In a small bowl, stir together soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and ginger root until the sugar is fully dissolved. Finely grate some carrot. Put tofu in a bowl and serve with grated carrot and soy sauce mixture.
Andrew is a food blogger with a strong passion for Asian and more specifically Japanese. Being a sushi maker distributor, Andrew had the chance to visit some of the best restaurants in Japan.
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