Teriyaki Tofu
User Reviews
5
Teriyaki Tofu
Description
Teriyaki Tofu begins with firm Chinese tofu cut into one-inch cubes, carefully coated with cornflour to achieve a golden, crispy crust when pan-fried. Toasted sesame seeds add texture and flavor to the tofu's surface. The sauce combines light soy sauce, sake, mirin, and white sugar, simmered gently until thickened, offering a sweet and savory glaze. Minced garlic and rice vinegar provide aromatic complexity and a touch of acidity. The tofu is then tossed in this sauce to soak up the flavors while retaining its crisp edges and soft inside.
This tofu dish pairs well with steamed rice or stir-fried vegetables, providing a balanced meal with contrasting textures. The inclusion of green onion and optional sesame oil drizzles introduces freshness and fragrance, enhancing the overall taste experience.
The teriyaki sauce can be prepared ahead and stored in the refrigerator for up to a week without garlic, or three days if garlic is included, offering convenient meal prep options. The recipe advises against using silken tofu to maintain the desired texture and cooking process.
Ingredients
For the crispy tofu
- 1 oz tofu about 396g- don't worry if your tofu is bigger/ smaller- just adjust the quantity of the other ingredients accordingly.) Cut into 1-inch cubes. I like to use Chinese tofu as it is firm enough to pan-fry but still very soft when you bite through the crisp exterior. Do NOT use silken tofu as it'll be VERY difficult, almost impossible, to fry! In a pinch, you can use firm tofu, but you won't get the same delightfully oozy interior that you will with Chinese tofu, block
- 1-2 Tablespoons cornflour Substitute: potato starch
- ½ Tablespoon sesame seeds lightly toasted: white or black work though I find white sesame seeds make the dish more appealing.
- ½ prig green onions Optional
- sesame oil Optional, a drizzle of
For the sauce
- 5 Tablespoons light soy sauce if you're on a gluten-free diet, you can use coconut aminos or 1 of these light soya sauce alternatives. Do not use dark soy or sweet soy instead, low-sodium
- 2½ Tablespoons sake Substitute: soju or mirin
- 2½ Tablespoons mirin Substitute: soju or sake + sugar
- 1¼ Tablespoons white sugar I don't recommend brown sugar or maple syrup as I prefer the cleaner taste of white, but if you have no choice, it won't ruin the recipe.
- 3 cloves garlic peeled and minced, optional
- ½-1 Tablespoon white rice vinegar or to taste, optional, substitute: juice from 1 calamansi lime
Instructions
Frying the tofu
- Cut all the tofu into 1-inch cubes. Handle the tofu gently so it doesn't break.
- Put the cornflour in a small bowl, followed by the tofu cubes. Turn them round till every side is coated with cornflour then shake off any excess.Do this for all the cubes.
- Using medium-high heat, fry all the tofu cubes till all sides are golden brown. Note: Make sure you place them in a single layer in the frying pan, and not too close to each other.For crispy teriyaki tofu, the oil needs to be hot enough before you add the tofu. To test if the oil is hot enough, you can use a food thermometer (180C/ 356F) OR insert a wooden chopstick into the hot oil. When you see bubbles around the chopstick, the oil is hot enough.
- Place the fried tofu on a paper towel to soak excess oil.
For the sauce
- Whilst the tofu cubes are cooling, pour the soy sauce, sake, mirin and sugar into a wok and stir-fry over medium heat till the sugar has dissolved and the sauce has thickened. (2-3 minutes but not too long or the sauce will be salty,
- If using the 2 optional ingredients: Add the minced garlic, stir-fry briefly then add the vinegar or lime juice.
- Taste to check the sauce is not too salty (if it is, add a bit of water and mix well.) Toss the fried tofu in the teriyaki sauce till well coated.Serve with rice, a drizzle of sesame oil and maybe miso soup!
Notes
- The tofu should be firm enough to hold shape during frying; avoid silken tofu for this recipe.
- To ensure a crispy texture, place tofu cubes in a single layer and fry in sufficiently hot oil (around 180°C/356°F).
- The teriyaki sauce can be made ahead and refrigerated up to one week without garlic, or up to three days if garlic is added.
- This sauce also complements fish and chicken dishes.
- Adjust tofu quantity proportionally if using larger or smaller tofu blocks.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 2people
Amount Per Serving
Calories 145 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 145kcal | 7% |
| Carbohydrates | 25g | 8% |
| Protein | 6g | 12% |
| Fat | 1g | 2% |
| Saturated Fat | 0.2g | 1% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 0.4g | 2% |
| Sodium | 2678mg | 112% |
| Potassium | 145mg | 3% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 13g | 26% |
| Vitamin A | 31IU | 1% |
| Vitamin C | 2mg | 2% |
| Calcium | 45mg | 5% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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