Crispy tofu skewers

The high school that I attended had Japanese as part of it curriculum. For me it was a love hate relationship. I loved the language, I loved the culture, I most certainly loved the food; I just wasn’t very good at speaking Japanese, let alone trying to grasp the written aspect of the language. But despite not being that good, I persisted for 4 years because I was completely enthralled by the country. I desperately wanted to visit Japan! I’d day dream about going to Yoyogi park in Tokyo, witnessing the cherry blossom season in March, relaxing in an onsen and sleeping in a capsule hotel. Not to mention all the food- maki sushi, okonomiyaki, yakitori, ramen, mochi, the list goes on and on. Despite attempts of fulfilling my dream, I haven’t yet managed to visit Japan (I’m sure I’ll elaborate on that in a future post.) Over the years, I have tried to make many of the staple Japanese dishes and this one has recently become a firm favourite. If you are short on time, these are still good without being marinated. Makes 6 skewers.

 

Preparation: 10 mins plus 2 hours 20 minutes

Cooking: 20 mins

 

Ingredients

• 349g firm silken tofu*
• 50g (approx) Potato starch (available in Asian supermarkets)
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 60ml soy sauce or tamari
• 2 tablespoons mirin
• 2cm knob of ginger, grated or diced as small as possible
• 6 wooden skewers

 

Instructions

• Place tofu onto a chopping board and place another chopping board on top of the tofu. Add a 400g tin (baked beans/ tomatoes/whatever) directly over the centre of the tofu. Place 4 sheets of paper towel around the tofu, so to collect water that will seep out. Leave for two hours.
• Cut tofu into 12 pieces. The tofu will be inclined to crumble if not carefully handled.
• Combine soy sauce/ tamari, mirin and ginger, placing half into a small bowl (dipping sauce) and the other half into a larger bowl (marinade). Add the tofu to the larger bowl and leave to marinade for 20 minutes. Remove from marinade and pat dry.
• Add potato starch to a plate. Add the tofu and coat each side with the starch.
• Place a frying pan over a medium- high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the oil and then the tofu in batches and cook for 2-3 minutes or until golden and crispy on each side, turning carefully.
• Thread onto skewers, if desired. Serve with noodles, rice or vegetables, and with the dipping sauce. Serve and enjoy!

 

I personally like Satonoyuki tofu, which can be purchased in some Tescos. I find the Yutaka brand to have an odd taste.