Teriyaki Tofu

Crispy on the bite, yet delicately soft, this pan-fried Teriyaki Tofu is incredibly flavorful! Enjoy this Japanese dish as an appetizer, or even as the main dish accompanied with rice and a few of your favorite sides. It's a dynamic recipe for anyone to try, with easy options to turn the dish into vegan or gluten-free!

Ingredients

• 14 oz medium tofu (momen tofu)
• ¼-⅓ cup potato starch or cornstarch
• 1-2 Tbsp neutral-flavored oil (vegetable, rice bran, canola, etc.)
• 1-2 packs katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) ((3-6 g, more if you like; skip for vegan/vegetarian))
• 1 green onion/scallion
• pickled red ginger (beni shoga or kizami beni shoga) ((to garnish))
• 2 Tbsp sake
• 2 Tbsp mirin
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce ((Use GF soy sauce for gluten free))

Instructions

0. Gather all the ingredients.
1. [30 Minutes Before Cooking ] Wrap the tofu with a paper towel and place it between two baking sheets or plates. Then put a heavy object on top in order to press and drain water from tofu for 20-30 minutes. Discard the water. Alternatively, you can wrap the tofu with a paper towel and microwave it for 2-3 minutes.
2. To make teriyaki sauce, combine 2 Tbsp sake, 2 Tbsp mirin, and 2 Tbsp soy sauce in a measuring cup or small bowl.
3. Cut Tofu into small square pieces. The thickness should be about ½ inches.
4. Chop green onion. In a non-stick frying pan, heat 1-2 Tbsp oil on medium to medium-high heat.
5. When the oil is hot, put potato or cornstarch in a tray or bowl. Coat the tofu with the starch.
6. Shake off excess starch and gently place tofu pieces in the pan. Cook the tofu until the bottom side is crispy and golden brown. Flip and cook the other side.
7. When both sides are nicely brown, pour in the Teriyaki Sauce.
8. Flip tofu and shake the pan to evenly coat the sauce over the tofu. Sprinkle katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) before turning off the heat.
9. Serve the tofu on the plate and garnish with green onions and pickled red ginger. Serve immediately.