Agedashi Tofu
Agedashi tofu is one of my favorite Japanese appetizers. The secret is frying them for only a short amount of time: 30 seconds!
Ingredients
- 1 pound soft or silken tofu
- ½ cup potato starch (or cornstarch)
Sauce
- ¼ cup hot water
- 2 teaspoons dashi powder (or just make your own dashi stock)
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons mirin
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Open the box of tofu and invert it onto a cutting board. Remove the box and cut the tofu into bite-sized cubes.
- Place the tofu cubes on a dish towel, cover with another dish towel, and let them rest for 30 minutes.
- In a medium bowl, add the potato starch.
- Heat 2 inches of oil to 350°F. When you're ready to fry, coat about 6-8 pieces of tofu in starch, then gently lower them into the hot oil. Cook for only 30 seconds, then transfer them to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Once all the tofu is fried, allow them to rest for at least 10 minutes. In the meantime, combine all the sauce ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Reheat the oil to 400°F. Deep-fry the tofu cubes for another 30 seconds until super crispy. Transfer to a wire rack to drain.