Agedashi Tofu Recipe

Agedashi tofu in a bowl with brown dashi liquid.

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5 from 10 votes

Deep fried tofu in a dashi base broth. This katsuobushi dashi is the perfect bath for my perfectly fried, fluffy tofu.

Prep Time30

Cook Time15

Resting Time30

Total Time45

Course: Appetizer, Main, Main Course

Cuisine: Japanese

Diet: Kosher

Servings:

Calories: 310kcal

Author: Candice Walker

Ingredients

Tofu

2 lbs. tofu medium or firm
arrowroot powder or cornstarch, rice flour, potato starch, or all-purpose flour, for dredging
canola oil or other flavorless oil like vegetable oil, for frying
2 inches fresh ginger finely grated
2 scallions thinly sliced
nori seaweed optional, for garnish

Sauce

30 oz. katsuobushi dashi recipe and ingredients below
5 fl oz. mirin
3 fl oz. soy sauce
3 tsp arrowroot powder or cornstarch
2 tbsp water

Dashi

4 cups water
10 g kombu seaweed
10 g dried bonito flakes (katsuobushi) or sub with dried shitake mushrooms for vegan option

Instructions

Dashi

Prepare the dashi by soaking the kombu in water for 30 minutes in the refrigerator. Heat the water on low without letting it come to a boil.
Remove the kombu, add the bonito flakes, and bring to a boil. Turn off as soon as it comes to a boil and steep for 10 minutes. Strain out the bonito flakes.

Sauce

Dry the tofu by draining as much water out as possible. Surround the tofu with paper towels, and top with a book or plate to add even pressure and draw the water out. Let it sit for 30 minutes.
In the meantime, finish making the sauce. Add the 30 oz. of dashi (the seaweed liquid made in step 1), mirin, and soy sauce to a saucepan. Heat over medium heat until it comes to a boil. Reduce to low.
Mix the arrowroot powder with the water in a small bowl until dissolved and then stir into the sauce until thickened. Then turn off the sauce.

Fry the tofu

Cut the tofu into 1.5-2 inch blocks. I usually get 9-12 out of each of my 1 lb. blocks, depending on the brand of tofu.
Heat ¼-inch of flavorless oil in your non-stick fry pan. Roll the tofu in flour, and fry over medium heat for 2 minutes per side.
Heat 1/4-inch of oil in your non-stick fry pan.
Roll the tofu in flour, and fry over medium heat for 2 minutes per side. You only need to cook 4 sides.

Serve

Serve by splitting the tofu across 4 individual bowls. Pour the broth into the bowls. Garnish with the grated ginger, scallion slices, and seaweed.

Notes

Always use a non-stick fry pan to fry the tofu. If you do not use a non-stick pan, you will need at least 1-inch of oil, or preferably a full deep-fry amount of oil, or the tofu will stick.

Make sure the sauce is warm when you add the arrowroot and water mixture. If it isn't, the sauce will not properly thicken.

You can make the dashi in advance and freeze it, just as you would stock. However, the complete sauce does not freeze well.

I use firm or medium-frim tofu in this recipe and all-purpose flour or cornstarch/arrowroot powder for dredging because they are easy ingredients to find and use for beginners. Try using soft tofu and potato starch if you can find it.

Nutrition