Agedashi Tofu

1. Gather all the ingredients. If this is your first time making this dish, use medium-firm tofu instead of the soft silken variety since it‘s easier to cook without breaking. If you prefer a silky texture, give silken tofu a try once you‘re more comfortable making Agedashi Tofu.
2. Place 1 block medium-firm tofu (momen dofu) on a tray or plate. Wrap the tofu in 2–3 layers of paper towels and place another tray on top. Set a heavy object on top to press the tofu. Drain the water out of the tofu for 15 minutes.

To Prepare the Toppings

1. Cut 2 green onions/scallions into thin slices. Set aside.
2. Peel and grate 2 inches daikon radish (I use a ceramic grater).
3. Gently squeeze most of the water out of the grated daikon, keeping some moisture. Set aside.
4. Peel and grate the ginger. You will have roughly 1 tsp ginger (grated, with juice). Set aside.

To Make the Sauce (“Tsuyu“)

1. Add 1 cup dashi (Japanese soup stock), 2 Tbsp soy sauce, and 2 Tbsp mirin to a small saucepan.
2. Bring to a simmer. Then, turn off the heat, cover with a lid, and set aside.

To Deep-Fry

1. Heat 2 cups neutral oil to 320–340ºF (160–170ºC) degrees in a deep fryer or medium pot. Make sure there‘s about 1 inch, 2.5 cm of oil in the pot. Remove the paper towels from the tofu.
2. Cut the 1 tofu block into 6 pieces.
3. Coat the tofu pieces with 4 Tbsp potato starch or cornstarch, dusting off any excess.
4. When the oil is hot, add the tofu pieces in batches. Here, I add 3 pieces at a time. Be careful not to overcrowd the pan or the oil temperature will drop. Deep-fry, turning once, until they are light brown and crispy.
5. Remove the fried tofu pieces from the oil and place them on a wire rack or a plate lined with paper towels to drain the excess oil. Continue to deep-fry the remaining tofu pieces. Then, place the fried tofu in individual serving bowls.

To Serve

1. To serve the Agedashi Tofu, gently pour in the sauce at the edge of each bowl without wetting the top of the fried tofu. Top with some grated daikon, grated ginger, and green onion slices. For optional garnishes, sprinkle with 1 package katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) and shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven spice).

To Store

1. You can keep the leftover sauce and fried tofu separately in airtight containers and store in the refrigerator for 3 days.