A popular appetizer menu at Izakayas and Japanese restaurants, Agedashi tofu is crispy deep fried tofu served in flavorful tsuyu sauce with grated radish, green onion, and bonito flakes as toppings. If you don’t mind deep-frying, this tofu dish is incredibly easy to make at home.
Agedashi Tofu (揚げ出し豆腐) is soft tofu coated with potato starch and deep fried so that the outer shell is crispy. It is typically served with grated daikon, katsuobushi (bonito flakes), scallion, and grated ginger on top. Then Tsuyu (sauce) made of dashi, mirin, and soy sauce is poured over the toppings and soaks the tofu to enhance its flavor. If you like spicy, you can add shichimi togarashi to spice up the taste.
Watch How to Make Agedashi Tofu 揚げ出し豆腐の作り方
Golden crispy deep fried tofu in delicious tsuyu and topped with grated radish, green onion, and bonito flakes.
This unique appetizer is crispy on the outside and creamy and soft inside. Soaked in the savory sauce, the combination tastes amazing! This light yet savory dish is served piping hot, so be careful not to burn yourself.
Agedashi tofu is a popular appetizer menu at Izakayas and Japanese restaurants. It is actually not difficult to make if you don’t mind deep frying. Sometimes it’s hard to believe a delicious dish like this is easy and simple to make at home yourself.
My family loves tofu dishes but my son especially is crazy about agedashi tofu. This is one of his favorite tofu dish that I make for him along with Mapo Tofu.
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- 1 block medium firm tofu (1 block = 14 oz) (or soft tofu, see Notes)
- 4 Tbsp potato/corn starch
- 3-4 cups neutral flavor oil (vegetable, canola, etc)
- 1 daikon radish (1 daikon = 2.5 cm)
- 1 green onion/scallion
- Katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) (optional, and skip if vegetarian)
- Shichimi Togarashi (Japanese seven spice) (optional)
Gather all the ingredients.
- Wrap the tofu with 2-3 layers of paper towels and place another plate on top. Drain the water out of tofu for 15 minutes.
- Peel and grate the daikon and gently squeeze water out. Cut the green onion into thin slices.
- Put dashi, soy sauce, and mirin in a small saucepan and bring to boil. Turn off the heat and set aside.
- Remove the tofu from paper towels and cut it into 8 pieces.
Heat the oil to 350F (175C) in a deep fryer or medium saucepan. Coat the tofu with potato starch, leaving excess flour, and immediately deep fry until they turn light brown and crispy.
- Remove the tofu and drain excess oil on a plate lined with paper towels or wire rack.
- To serve, place the tofu in a serving bowl and gently pour the sauce without wetting the tofu. Garnish with grated daikon, green onion, katsuobushi, and shichimi togarashi.
Tofu: If this is your first time making Agedashi Tofu, use medium tofu instead of soft tofu since it's easier to cook without breaking it. Once you're more comfortable making Agedashi Tofu and prefer silky tofu texture inside crispy outer layer of Agedashi Tofu, use soft tofu.
For vegetarian agedashi tofu, use kombu dashi.
Recipe by Namiko Chen of Just One Cookbook. All images and content on this site are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without my permission. If you’d like to share this recipe on your site, please re-write the recipe in your own words and link to this post as the original source. Thank you.
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on June 13, 2011 and has been updated with new pictures/video and revised recipe instructions.
Yay! ^^ Thank you so much, will be making it asap!! 🙂
delicious!
The kids must of had so much fun cherry picking! Your photos are so great and very helpful
Yum! We always order agedashi dofu when we go out to eat Japanese. I like it sprinkled with the little strands of bonito flakes waving in the heat.
I LOVE agedashi tofu!! The first time I ate it was in a Japanese restaurant here and it tasted fantastic! I have tried to make it myself but it wasn’t so great because the tofu tasted quite bland. I think the restaurant used soft tofu and I used firm tofu. Which tofu is actually normal to be used? When I buy tofu next time, I am sure I’ll try your recipe of agedashi tofu – but I think I’ll only have access to the firm ones, just because the organic ones are always firm (at least here). We can buy soft tofu in Asian markets but we’re trying to avoid that because the soybeans are very likely genetically modified :(.
Hi CG! Some home/restaurant uses silken tofu, but it’s actually quite hard to make as silken tofu can break very easily. You need to use two spoons to dredge in corns starch instead of using hands. I think (as long as I know) momen tofu (reg tofu) is most common. I am not sure about firm tofu…I barely use it. I think regular tofu is the hardest tofu you should use for this recipe.
Simple, Elegant, Health that surely is a meal that every one will love.
Haha, you start blogging after 8pm, I started after 11pm once, clearly blogging takes priority over sleep! I do love tofu but I’ve not heard of this one – I want to try it! (and don’t be scared of baking, I’m sure you’d be a natural!)
Nami, I still haven’t had anything today apart from a big coffee, so your beautiful pictures make me die of hunger!
I have never tried deep-frying tofu at home, but am often tempted… A Vietnamese shop (the same where I buy cheap shiso) sells deep-fried tofu and when I enter I try not to look in its direction… Every time I buy it, I finish the whole tofu in one day!
Seriously, your instructions are as usually so easy to follow and the dish looks so yummy, I’ll have to do this!
And thanks to you now I know what to do with the white grater I see in the Japanese shop!
Health & Simple tofu, delicious thanks for sharing this.
Hey there Nami dahling. Potato starch is really easily accessible here, I think that would be okay, right? You know, I’ve never made this homemade before, I’ve always bought it from the “supa” (lol) I love the burn I get with daikon, vinegar and shoyu (okay, I’m kinda weird but I blame the Mr. Sebastian for turning me onto it).
Hi Elle! Yes, 片栗粉 (potato starch) is what I used to use too. But I see corn starch often in American supermarket so I’m using it. You are lucky living in Japan… I miss Osouzai section. You can buy so many kinds of side dishes. Here, I have to make them myself!!! >_<
You can actually find potato starch in the grocery stores here (usually in the health food section of your grocer has one) or on amazon.com. Bob’s Red Mill is the most common brand, and it works well.
I use it frequently in gluten free cookery and baking.
Hi Michelle! Thanks for your tip on the health food section of the grocery store. Yes, Bob’s Red Mill is wonderful!
Sounds like a lot of fun! Boy, I WISH it was in the 70s…it’s finally not in the mid-90s today. I like your version!
yum! i used to have this all the time when i lived in nyc and could just pop into my favorite japanese place
Great step-by-step tutorial. The finished dish is simple and lovely.
LL
What a wonderful step by step instruction..I love this dish Nami. Looks very delicious, and your photos are fantastic as well as presentation!!!
Oh we love Agedashi Tofu and I feel silly but I tried recreating it at home without cornstartch or the heating and dehydrating step. Fail! I can’t wait to try it the right way! These recipes may seem simple to you but you are really heling me to cook better Japanese dishes by sharing! Thanks!
I love fresh cherries by the way. Picking fruit is such a great activity for your children! My favorite cherry harvest dessert is Cherry crisp. If you have any left, I can send you the recipe.
Thanks Nami! Keep posting–I love to see what you are cooking!!
Hi Nami! Tks for sharing this traditional Agedashi tofu recipe! My girls only eat this tofu and the fried egg tofu. 🙂
I always take out and rinse the tofu right away w/o draining for so long! Now I learn another new thing from you again! Tks! 😀
Glad to know that your kids enjoyed the cherry picking. I made cherry popsicles last year when cherry was on offer. Hopefully I can find some cheap and juicyones this year. Thanks for sharing the traditional Agedashi Tofu. They look gorgeous and delicious! 😉
I’m mad about this tofu. So simple yet so delicious. All the ingredients are already here in the cupboard and the fresh ones are definitely in the shops. Yayyy!
Glad you had a nice weekend, Nami. We did a little better with the sun in our area so my husband and I spent some time outdoors, too. Finally, we have warmer weather!
Agedashi tofu is one of my favorite dishes to order when in a Japanese restaurant. I keep meaning to try it at home myself but have not gotten around to it. I love the texture of the tofu and allowing it to soak up the flavors of the broth. My local resto serves it topped with bonito flakes, too. Gosh, I might just have this for lunch today. Yum! Yours looks perfect!
What a great recipe….a perfect appetizer. I love it that you went picking in Brentwood! Since I grew up in the Bay Area, we had a family ritual of going to Brentwood, picking, and then heading home to can and bake. Those cherries must be amazing! You have me craving them now. Oh, I’m finally healthy now! Thank you for all your kind words. 🙂
So the cherry picking went good! Fantastic! 🙂
And I’d love to taste this tofu dish (even if I don’t eat tofu often)! It looks very yummy!
It sounds like a perfect day cherry picking. My family lives in Michigan (lots of cherries there) and my sister has made almost everything with cherries, blueberries too. She has a cottage in Traverse City, where they have a huge cherry festival. I remember as a kid driving home from up north stopping at a roadside stand to get a box of black sweet cherries, and finishing them by the time we get home…mmmm. Here in Florida we get all our cherries shipped in, it’s just not the same.
The agedashi tofu looks simply wonderful! My daughter loves to snack on crispy fried tofu, but soft inside and dipping in ponzu sauce. I will have to try this I know my family will love it.
I feel the same way about baking! (I leave that to my sister)
I love tofu so much! I just bought some last week and have yet to use it so thanks for sharing this recipe!
Cherry Pie, Cherry Pie, Cherry Pie!!!!! I’m trying to hypnotize you ; ) Is it working???
This really looks yummy 🙂
What a delightful way to eat tofu! So light yet so yummy!
Looks great Nami! Cherry picking sounds like so much fun- hope your family had a good time. I’m trying to get my boyfriend to go to a U-Pick farm with me too. Hopefully we get our act together ASAP!
This tofu looks delicious! Great and healthy dish!
My hubs loves this, thanks for the recipe! I bought some cherries recently and they were a tad sour! I guess the cherry season is not here yet for us!
Congratulations on your well-deserved award. There will be many more to come your way. Your tofu sounds wonderful and I’m looking forward to seeing what you’ll do with those cherries. I hope you have a great day. Blessings…Mary
Finally, you’ve posted my absolute favorite Japanese dish of all times! I actually tried frying this tofu yesterday but didn’t refer to a recipe, so you can imagine what a disaster that turned out to be…LOL. I didn’t microwave and coat my tofu in cornstarch and it all stuck to the pan – disastrous! I’m so happy you’ve posted this, because my next try at making this dish will be perfect, Nami :-).
You know..I dont like tofu 🙁 But I would love to try this sauce with indian cheese [paneer] which is quite similar to tofu in texture. I love anything fried.I m sold on that sauce you made!
Try it just once – you’ll be surprised that it really doesn’t taste like tofu. I was certainly amazed and it’s a favourite dish now! 🙂
Comfort food. Mmmmm!
Oh, tofu. I absolutely love tofu. I could eat tofu every single day. I will try out this recipe when I find out where to buy daikon. Ughhhh.
Sandy
Hi Sandy! I’ve seen Daikon in Japanese, Chinese, Korean, and Indian markets before. I’ve seen one in Safeway, Whole Foods, and a high end supermarket too. I think the tag said Daikon Radish. You don’t have to put it if you can’t find. Katsuobushi is also nice addition, but it can be hard to find. You need to go to Japanese or Asian market for this. I’m sorry it’s a little bit complicated…. Good luck searching in your local supermarket. 🙂
Thank you, Nami! Yesterday, I went grocery shopping and found it at my local supermarket, which is kind of high-end store. I could not believe my eyes. There are no Asian markets nearby. 🙁
Sandy
I’m glad you found Daikon! In case you don’t know hat to do with leftover Daikon…. If you like miso soup, it’s a good way to finish up your daikon. Cook in Dashi broth until daikon is translucent and put miso in it. My kids like to drink daikon miso soup next day after being in fridge for over night. They like to drink it cold. 🙂
YAY!!!!! I love Agedashi tofu and so glad you are sharing the traditional recipe! I also love that you said 75 degree weather felt warm, I remember wearing a light jacket when it was 75 degrees here at Texas, seems like it was so long ago… It’s been around 100 degrees and lack of rain, no complains from me since this means less mosquito! I am hoping your family won’t finish all the cherries so I can get some sort of cherry pastry recipe from you and enjoy the beautiful photos!
I love tofu, but I’ve not really experimented with it in my own kitchen as I usually just get it when I’m out. This one really has me intrigued… maybe I’ll have to give it a go myself!
I didn’t know you stay in CA 🙂 which area ??
I had Tofu only a couple of times and I liked them .. not a big fan though. I have been trying to convince Arvind to try Tofu once again … not working out! Looking at this recipe .. i am getting so tempted.
Love agedashi tofu Nami! Cherry picking sounds so fun 🙂 Looks great! oh btw, I think I have the same black plates too hehe
What a fun weekend you had. Sadly I have never been a big fan of tofu – I think it is the texture. Your fried version looks very nice though.
🙂 Mandy
Picking the cherries sounds like so much fun. Picking cherries and blackberries is my favorite. I love how stained all the kids get near the end too!
Loving this tofu recipe. It looks delicious. I’m putting this on my list of food items to create from your blog. Thank you for sharing. You’re fantastic!
Hi Nami! Do you cut the tofu 1st then microwave or the other way round? Why is there so much water in plate after i microwave the tofu for 3mins? :O
Thanks for the question Lyn! Hmm either way is fine. It’s not that big deal. Microwave dehydrates tofu and without it, tofu has so much water inside. If you don’t dehydrate enough, it’s pretty dangerous when deep frying. 🙂 So make sure to dehydrate and coat well with corn starch! 😉
Tks Nami! But when after I microwaved the tofu, there was so much water being “force out” and my tofu became sort of like more “soggy” and sank down by half(??) and was outta shape! LOL It don’t look like yours, still so firm and in its original shape.. Hope you get what I’m trying to explain.. hee… 😛
Here are two things I am wondering: 1) I forgot which microwave is stronger…Asian one or US one… Maybe you need to reduce microwave time. 2) Did you use regular Tofu (Momen Tofu) too? I think I’d go with reducing microwave time. You don’t have to “cook” it. If you still don’t succeed, then just dehydrate for a longer time and gently wipe tofu with paper towel. Hope this helps…
Hi Nami! Tks for your information! Greatly appreciated. 😀
Actually I’m not really sure if that’s the Momen Tofu but it’s those in box type for regular cooking (they’ve got 3 types which are for frying, for soup and for deep-fry) I’ll try again and if really can’t, I’ll just stick to using the paper towel and a BIGGER shield when frying. LOL
Tks so much Nami! 😀
Make sure you coat with corn starch/potato starch well… that will absorb extra water and then coat tofu well that will prevent from splatter. 😉
Ok sure, truly appreciate your time explaining and teaching me. Tks so much Nami! 😀
Have a great day ahead! 🙂
This is so true as I found out a couple of nights ago. I have often made deep fried tofu dredged in cornstarch but the other night I decided to use a stainless steel pan. I preheated the oil as usual and I put the tofu in. Well, the little cubes shot out like tiny rockets all over my kitchen! Oil spattered everywhere, my fridge, the floor and, of course, all over my new oven! Shielding myself, I managed to turn the heat off and tofu just kept shooting out. Once the oil cooled I removed the tofu that remained and finished cooking it in a different pan. I look back now and laugh, but this could have been very dangerous if my dog or a small child had been in the room let alone an adult. Fortunately, no one got hurt. I forbade hubby from coming in the kitchen so he would not be burned or slip on the oily floor. First thing I did was mop the floor well to prevent slips. Then I served dinner and cleaned up the rest afterward with a microfiber cloth, easy peasy. I have never dehydrated my tofu before. My old oven never got as hot as my new one so that may be why I never had a problem previously. The tip about dehydrating the tofu in the microwave is a great tip and I believe it will prevent another kitchen disaster with rocket tofu. Thank you so much for this great advice!
Thank you for your feedback. 🙂 Tofu has lots of water in it and it’s necessary step to ALWAYS dehydrate before cooking. Only exception is when you eat it raw (Hiyayakko – cold tofu) or put it in miso soup. 🙂 Your disaster story could happen to anyone, and thanks for sharing your experience!
I think I said this before, but I have never eaten tofu before… I have a lot of catching up to do in the Japanese cuisine department!!!! This dish sounds so good (ohhh I love fried food!) and your presentation is, as always, simple and elegant!!! Great post Nami! <3
I am not a big fan of tofu ad it is usually a bit too mushy for my taste, but I think I could make an exception for this!
One of my fave Japanese dishes. There is just something irresistible about the golden, crusty exterior that gives way to a soft custardy interior.
Nami, I love this recipe…easy and so tasty. How interesting that you microwave the tofu to remove the water…I will have to try this method. Looks beautiful.
Cherry picking…brings me memories of the time when my sin was little.
Have a great week 🙂
Lovely to have both agedashi recipes, thanks for sharing Nami!
I’ve been berry picking, but never cherry picking… sounds like fun! And I love your dish Nami! Happy Tuesday!
Hi Nami,
This is truly one of my favourite Japanese entrees, the others being chawan mushi and also shishamo (pregnant fish – I think!)
I didn’t realise it’s relatively easy to prepare but I guess it’s the deep-frying that takes a bit of effort. I would definitely do it with the katsuobushi, always great fun watching it move as though it’s alive! 🙂
lovely recipe and I bet cherry picking is so much fun love them
Nami, sorry for not visiting you last week as I just came back from Bangkok. Look like you too had a great trip of cherry picking. I always like to order this tofu when take meal in outside Japanese restaurant, look like now i don’t need to do so as I can cook it at home. Thanks for sharing.
I have always been strawberry-picking and never tried cherry-picking before! Thanks for the recommendation. Are the cherries, organic?
Nami – I love this agedashi tofu. I love all sorts of Japanese food, you’re lucky being a Japanese. 🙂
I loved cherry picking as a child. I also loved cherry pit spitting competition, just for fun (I’m actually not competitive at all).
Very nice tofu dish! I’m still looking for ways to like tofu, we’re not friends yet, but one day maybe, and then I’ll try this. 🙂
I love agedashi tofu~ though I have yet to make it myself. Perhaps I can manage this? I love the way you make me feel like I can do it so easily 😀
$1.99 a pound for cherries is a steal! In the grocery store where I shop they are $4.99 a pound. Needless to say they don’t find their way home with me. Your dishes always look so sophisticated and this one is no exception.
I love agedashi tofu! It sounds simple so I’m going to try making this!
I just LOVE Agedashi!
i always get this when i eat out at a jap restaurant- i love it! yours looks gr8, i might try and make my own sometime soon thanks for the recipe!!
Lovely method, lovely photos — thanks for sharing!
I would like to take this to a Potluck, but won’t be able to fry the tofu there. Can this be partially made ahead of time? I would fry the tofu the night before and prepare the sauce. At serving time I would put it together. Do you think it would still be good? Thank you!
Hi Christine! Just like any other deep fried food, if you deep fry ahead of time, it can get soggy. You can use an oven toaster or oven to bake it again right before you serve to make it crispy if that option is available. Otherwise, the batter won’t be as crispy as just out of the deep fryer. But if you don’t mind the texture, you can definitely prepare it ahead of time and pure sauce right before you serve. 🙂
That’s a very interesting way to drain your tofu. I might start using your technique.. Thanks!
HI Nami, I made this tonight, so easy and delicious!!! Yay!
Hi Megan! I saw your IG and thanks so much for trying this recipe! 🙂
OMG having massive pregnancy cravings for agedashi tofu. Unfortunately do not have any of the ingredients to whip it up in the kitchen…sob! So I’m off to the shops tomorrow!
Btw is the bonito flakes part of the garnish?
Hi Nic! Ohhh thank you for noticing! I’ll edit and add that as garnish at the end too. I hope you will enjoy this recipe! Thank you for writing! 🙂
Hi Nami,
This recipe was sooo great!. i made it and hubby was so delighted. Even my family and Friends from Phils and Dubai is asking for the recipe.
Arigato Gozaimasu! 🙂
Hi Matsuda-san! Yay! I’m glad this recipe worked out for you and your family (even friends!). Thank you so much for your feedback. Arigato~~!
Hi.Nami,
This is so embarrassing! I tried making dashi stock, was puzzled as why the stock wasn’t clear in colour and realised it was dashi miso that I used! Lol
Hi Nic! Haha, you use miso that has dashi already in it? I see! In case you are not familiar with dashi, I have How To Make Dashi page. Hope this is helpful. 🙂
https://www.justonecookbook.com/how-to/how-to-make-dashi-jiru/
How was miso flavor Agedashi Tofu? I think it’s not bad at all! It’s kind of like miso soup with tofu? 🙂
Hello Nami,
I asked the shop owner if he has any dashi and was shown a tub with big Dashi word on it! I was gullible and took his word and didn’t even noticed the small print miso on the next line! Anyway I.made the dashi as per your instructions, surprisingly it turned out ok and was still yummy! Lol
Hi Nic! Oh no! I never thought of the owner of (Japanese, Asian?) shop would point at different thing! Now you have a box of miso so you can enjoy making miso soup at home. 😉 Thank you for sharing your story!
this looks delicious!
Thank you so much! 🙂
I see you’ve tagged this recipe with ‘vegetarian’ but because it contains dashi and traditionally, the bonito flakes are included, that label is misleading. Fish isn’t vegetarian!
Thank you for your comment, Valerie! This dish can be vegetarian if you don’t garnish bonito flakes on top (in recipe, it says optional for that reason). For dashi, you can use Kombu dashi (vegetarian dashi). Hope that helps! I hope vegetarian also enjoy Agedashi Tofu. 🙂
I just edited my recipe and added “skip if vegetarian”. Hope it’s more clear. Thank you for your feedback! 🙂
Yum this is one of my favorites! And so simple too. Thanks for sharing the recipe, my only problem is my fear of deep frying anything 🙂 But one day, when I get up the nerve, I will try this.
Looks great Nami! Fast and easy and delicious. Just the way I love it.
One of my favourite Japanese dishes! Yeah!!!
Your food looks so taste and healthy thanks
Thank you Georgette! 🙂
Yesterday I was in H-mart and got inspired to try and make this dish-my son and I had it for lunch this week. I…..started asking people in the Japanese food section and fist person I asked was a Japanese chef! Very kindly he explained the process, almost exactly like yours! I understood it better after reading about the different types of dashi as he instructed to boil bonito and water and strain, then use that water for the dish. He did say potato starch was better than corn starch because it ‘flowers’ when fried, which I understood to mean gets texture when fried- before I had spoken with him I had panko in the basket remembering the textue in the restaurant where I had first tried this dish.
FYI if you can’t easily find potato starch, check out groceries that carry Passover items- this year they should begin stocking up in late Feb. and the beginning of March. Tuesday, April 23rd, the day after the end of Passover it will go on sale for at least half price, and be on clearnace soon afterward. It comes in an air tight canister, like breadcrumbs, so you can buy a couple and they will keep over the year. It also may be found in the gluten-free sections of grocery and health food stores. Bob’s Red Mill makes it.
My teenagers love it and I could not take them out to dine as often as they’s like to have this for dinner or snack. My son was in the car waiting/studying while I shopped and when he began to text impatiently about how long it was taking, I explained what I was doing- getting this recipe and the ingredients and he texted back O.K.- and stopped complaining!
Hi Esther! Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful story! How interesting that you met a chef in a supermarket. Very lucky. 🙂 Yes, potato starch is a better choice for karaage and agedashi tofu etc. Gets really nice, crispy, airy texture.
Thank you so much for the GREAT tip on shopping for potato starch!
Love this tofu dish. Very simple, looks delicious and easy to make. Nice instructional video. Thank you.
I didn’t know agedashi tofu was so simple to make, but I’ll bet it’s the dashi that makes the dish!
Hi Donna! Yes, a lot of people don’t want to deep fry, so it’s not commonly cooked at home, I guess? The tsuyu is the key indeed! Each family has different flavor (sweeter or saltier etc) so it’s something we can make it personalized. Thank you for your comment! 🙂
I very rarely cook with soft/silken tofu but I can just imagine the soft texture of this dish.
Is there anything that you make that does not make the mouth water? Just awesome!
I love Mapo Tofu! We had a vegan version I make on Saturday. This looks terrific too — loads of flavor, and nice texture. I haven’t made this — I should. Great video! Really good stuff — thanks.
That’s a really beautiful looking vegetarian dish. I love tofu and cooked in this way is my favourite. It must be full of flavour with that gorgeous sauce. Outstanding presentation as usual, Nami xx
Your clicks are beautiful Nami! I still to taste Tofu but I think I’ll look for the brand you used in this recipe and give it a try 🙂
I still remember when I commented on this post 2 years ago (wow)! And now it even features a video! You are such a hardworking blogger and an inspiration! I have been mostly MIA the past 1.5 years from the blogsphere unfortunately, but I am always in awe everytime I pop in here :)! I have been telling myself to update my blog and make a Frozen themed bento, since my little niece adores Frozen (and I suppose the same with your daughter :)?), but I haven’t done it yet till today 🙁 – maybe in the next couple of days, since I am still wondering how to make this bento ;). Anyway, keep up the wonderful work! If anyone deserves success through blogging, it’s definitey you :)!!
Nami-san, love your new logo! Your agedashi looks amazing and I so love this dish and now looking forward to making this at home. I have to admit I am not one who like to deep fry as you know you have the mess factor but for this dish it would be totally worth it. Have a super week. Ja Mata, BAM
Agedashi Tofu is my all-time favorite. I both make it at home and enjoy ordering it when at a Japanese restaurant. The contrast of the crispy outside with the soft inside and the tsuyu that soaks in… yum !
I just hate frying 🙁
Hi Nolwenn! Yeah frying takes some effort. But for Agedashi Tofu, you can use a frying pan and shallow fry it with less oil. But the kitchen will still become smelly etc though. I prefer deep fried food with clean oil at home, so I just endure half day of smelly house. =P
Personally, I love tofu as it is but you make everything extra delicious-looking, Nami. So right now…all I want is some agedashi tofu!
This must be super delicious! If all tofu dishes are like this, everyone will eat them all day! Gotta try. 🙂
Hi Nami,
My second son is also crazy about this agedashi tofu too.. He will be so happy if I could cook for him. Now with your video clip and recipe I definitely can do it 🙂
Between I have cooked your Chicken meatballs recipe, my family loves it! Will share in my blog soon.
Thank you so much for all your wonderful video clips and recipe 🙂
mui
Hi Doreen! So glad to hear your family enjoyed Chicken Meatballs recipe! 🙂 Thanks for watching the videos too. xoxo
After watching Kung Fu Panda, my son has become a big fan of tofu. This is one recipe he would love to eat! Marking this!
Ha finally a recipe I know, order and have made. I love this stuff and I will try your recipe, the one I did was a bit different and yours looks so pretty!
Nami, this looks great. My 11 years old son was just asking me what is tofu and he wants to taste it. I’ve never tried it before and seems that I’ve got a wrong impression from one of my friends that it is not tasty :(. I guess this recipe will appeal to my kid who loves anything friend.
I love agedashi todu, but never made it…thank you so much for the recipe Nami…looks delicious!
Hope you are having a great week 😀
Nami, you are artist! This tofu dish looks so beautiful and elegant with the delicate daikon radish on top. Thank you for the helpful video you made frying tofu look so easy.
Cheers,
J
I may even get my husband to try tofu if he eats it like this. 🙂 Looks wonderful. 🙂
I like the addition of the video. After looking at any of your videos I’m not so afraid of trying something so different. It looks beautiful!
Sounds wonderful! I’m so curious to see if it’s on the menu at the Japanese restaurant we go to. Going to check it out!
I am a big fan of any tofu, delicious recipe 😀
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
I love Asian tofu recipes. Chinese and Taiwanese have recipes similar to this, that I absolutely love. So, I`m pretty sure I’ll love this too!
お母様の美味しい豆腐をたくさん食べている息子さんは確かに元気な子供でしょうね。なみさんの揚げ出し豆腐はちょう美味しいでしょうね。素敵な写真とレシピを拝見するとお腹がすきます！
The fried tofu looks wonderful! I love this dish and I tried to cook it couple of times, but always end up with broken tofu or not well coated surface. I always use cornstarch, but next time I will try potato starch and see whether it will turn out better.
I’ve always wanted to make this but fear deep frying! I should probably invest in a air fryer which doesnt use oil.
I always come across Agedahsi Tofu when we eat at Japanese restaurants. You make it seem like its very easy to do!
Nice and simple! I love those chunky slices of tofu, I usually make them into small cubes
Agedashi tofu is one more Japanese dish I have never tasted. It was a big mistake I must repair soon because your beautiful snack looks so tempting, I would exchange it for any meaty one (and I’m a big carnivore!).
Thank you for one Japanese cooking class I will practice soon.
Fabulous both recipe and video…oh and pictures too! Got to make this soon!
I’ll admit it: I’m not a fan of tofu, but I think I’d love this deep fried soft tofu.. looks amazing! And that sauce!!
I am enjoying all of your Japanese recipes and happy to see a vegetarian option on your recipe! I used to like Agedashi Tofu way back then, but now I want to eat this! I need to look up kombu dashi on your blog to make it. Thank you for all of your hard work putting step-by-step photos on it….you are amazing!
I’m much more of a tofu fan than Bobby but we both love it fried like this. I know this would be a snack that would be a huge hit in this house! This being your son’s favorite is definitely a huge selling point. 🙂
Probably not traditional Japanese but I added the juice of 1/2 a small lime to the broth for my Agedashi Tofu.
Delicious!
Really brightened up the flavor but didn’t mask the other ingredients.
Hi Casey! The addition of lime makes it really refreshing despite this is deep fried tofu! I’m glad you enjoyed this dish. 🙂
Hi Nami, I attempted to make this yesterday but failed miserably with the deep frying…. well that’s because I had only olive oil at home and didn’t want to waste too much of it for deep frying! So with the stingy oil and poor skills, my agedashi tofu turned out quite a mess. But the sauce and garnishing prettied up the dish and my husband still liked it. Will try with another type of dashi instead of ready made kombu dashi next time! This ready made brand seemed somewhat too salty…but comes in a convenient bottle. Thanks for the recipe!!
Hi Natalie! Sorry to hear it didn’t work out. No, unfortunately, you can’t deep fry with olive oil. It’s much thicker and not appropriate for deep frying Japanese foods (and I think it’s more expensive, too?).
I’m not sure which dashi (in a bottle) you used, but it’s quite easy to make homemade dashi and sauce for agedashi tofu. Good luck if you try this recipe one more time! 🙂
I love your blog.. very nice colors & theme. Did you make this website yourself or
did you hire someone to do it for you? Plz answer back as I’m looking to design my
own blog and would like to know where u got this
from. many thanks
Thank you for your kind words. I work with the designer/developer to make this site. You can check their work and request for quote here: http://zelcreative.com/
Hope that helps. 🙂
Hi Nami! I’m also making agedashidofu along with mapo tofu tonight for my daughter’s birthday. I read your intro about you making it for your son and had to comment! Thank you for your wonderful recipes.
Hi Sarah! You’re so sweet! Thank you so much for leaving a kind comment! Happy Birthday to your daughter and I hope she enjoys your wonderful homemade cooking! 🙂 xo
What kind of fryer are you using? Looks like its small with a hole for the thermostat and stove top. Japanese? It would be great for small portion frying. Love your blog. Thanks.
This recipe is so delicious! I am a tofu lover and from your recipes too.
I would like to print this recipe but does not allow me.
Congratulations for your wonderful work.
Libby
Hi Libby! I’m working with the recipe plugin developer to figure out the print failure issue. I will fix manually soon and let you know when I’m done so you can print out. So sorry for the inconvenience.
It’s fixed. Print should work now.
https://www.justonecookbook.com/easyrecipe-print/8927-0/
Nami, I tried this recipe tonight along with your recipe for Yaki Udon. Everything went very well, and the Agedashi tofu in particular was delicious! I didn’t have a deep fryer, but I had no trouble frying the tofu in an ordinary frying pan and turning it periodically with tongs. Thank you!
Hi Adam! Thank you for trying Agedashi Tofu and Yaki Udon recipes! I’m happy to hear you liked the recipes. Thank you for your kind feedback. 🙂
What do you do with the oil after using it?
Hi Kim! I usually use Japanese products to solidify the oil (and toss into trash).
https://www.justonecookbook.com/how_to/how-to-deep-fry-food/
hi, can i skip the mirin for the sauce? or can i substitute it with another ingredients?
Hi Annisa! If you cannot consume any alcohol, I’d suggest to use 2 Tbsp. water (or more dashi) + 2 tsp. sugar for 2 Tbsp. of mirin.
If you can use sake (or dry sherry or Chinese cooking wine), use 2 Tbsp. of that and 2 tsp. sugar.
Hope that helps!
ナミさん、こんにちは。あきらです。
生姜の炊き込みご飯についてなんですが、米の量を2倍にしたら具材や調味料、水なども単純に2倍にすれば大丈夫ですか？
あきらさん、お返事遅くなってごめんなさい！そうですね、お米の量を倍にするのでしたら、やはり具材も倍にした方が、バランスがとれていいと思います（だから調味料も倍に）。新生姜で作ったらもっと美味しいんですけどね〜。気に入ってもらえると嬉しいです。
Hi, I was reading your blog for a few months now, and I just wanted to let you know that it’s great, and that I’ve learned so much about Japanese cuisine thanks to you. I’m form Poland and I’ve never eaten many of this dishes before, never even heard about them in most cases. But now, as I’ve always been a huge fan of Asian flavors, many of your recipes became my usual homemade meals that I make every week, my pantry is full of miso paste, mirin, dried kombu and bonito and so on, and my boyfriend loves the food as well (good thing that he loves it, as many of the ingredients are sooo hard to get and expensive in Poland. But I’d rather spend money on food than on clothes and cosmetics ;)). I made this delicious agedashi tofu for a breakfast today, and I just wanted to let you know that when you check the vegetarian and vegan options in the “browse recipes” menu, this one doesn’t show up. I think it must be a mistake, as this recipe is very easy to make into a vegetarian dish, so just wanted to let you know (I was looking for vegetarian recipes for my friend who wanted to come for dinner, hard for me as I never cook vegetarian but your blog was once again a huge help). Anyway, thanks for the recipes and I can’t wait to try the new ones you will post, your blog is awesome and you really changed the way I cook, cheers! 🙂
Hi Yavanna! Thank you so much for writing! I’m so happy to hear you enjoy my blog and thank you for your kind words!
Japanese food is still a lot mysterious in many countries and people probably think only sushi and tempura are food we eat daily. I’m happy that I could share about my culture and food through blog and someone in the world can read and learn about what we really eat in Japan. 🙂 And the fact that you are cooking Japanese food, so so far away from Japan, is fascinating to me and I’m so happy that I could help you do that in some way. It’s such an amazing world we live in.
Thank you for letting me know about the vegetarian/vegan option. If I remember correctly, it was categorized as vegetarian/vegan before, but someone who’s vegetarian/vegan told me there is bonito flakes on top and sauce is made with dashi (I then added “kombu dashi for vegetarian” in the recipe). So I took the vegetarian/vegan option…
I’m not a vegetarian/vegan so I don’t know which search option is more helpful. Is it better that I include recipes that can be easily changed to vegetarian/vegan OR, ONLY vegetarian/vegan recipes… Unless I create another category “could be vegetarian/vegan”…. LOL
Hi Nami, thanks for your reply, I also think that the world we live in is amazing. In my family people weren’t that much into cooking, so I’ve never cooked with my mom or grandmother and everything I’ve learned about it is thanks to the internet and people like you who share their knowledge (and watching the Australian “Masterchef” online, actually it’s this show that got me hooked on cooking 😀 ). Having internet is like having the biggest cookbook in the world, and it’s great to be able to learn from people that you’ve never even met 🙂
About the vegetarian/vegan, it’s too bad that english is a bit limited with words describing vegetarian. In polish we have a word “jarosz” that means a person who doesn’t eat meat, but eats fish, and many of the vegetarians here are really jarosz, not vegetarian. Maybe an option for “no meat”? I think it might be helpful for some people who are like jarosz in our country 🙂
Thank you for your response. I think we call those who eat seafood (but not meat) “Pescetarian”.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pescetarianism
I think we will probably need to add that to my list when I have time to sort 500 recipes… (scary!). 😀
Thank you so much for your suggestion!
Any recomended usage for the leftover oil? Thanks
Hi Lu! I usually do some deep frying recipes (tempura, tonkatsu, all kinds of deep fried dishes!) after IF the oil looks still clean (not dark or too many bubbles).
Otherwise I’ll toss away using this Japanese powder (shown in the picture here: https://www.justonecookbook.com/how_to/how-to-deep-fry-food/) or put in a glass jar and throw away (please follow your city’s rule to throw away cooking oil).
Hope this helps!
Thanks
Thank you for the recipe! I tried it today and I expected it to be crispy but all the skin stuck together after I poured the sauce on. Is this what its supposed to be like?
Hi Hannah! All the skin stuck to… where? The potato starch coating is supposed to be stuck to tofu, but maybe you mean something else? Or do you mean stuck to each other?
This recipe is excellent! I’ve had agedashi tofu in countless Japanese restaurants and this rivals them all. And, who knew it was so simple to make?! Thanks for another great glimpse into creating fantastic Japanese cuisine. (Your nama chocolate is another great one.)
Hi JR! I’m so happy to hear you tried this recipe and liked it! Yeah a lot of Japanese foods are pretty simple to make. 🙂 I’m glad you like nama chocolate too! Thank you for your kind feedback!
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. This is one of my favorite things to order from Japanese restaurants but it is somewhat expensive. I can’t wait to make this at home!
Hi Christine! I agree, it’s quite expensive for… tofu dish! I hope you enjoy making this recipe at home. 🙂
I LOVE this recipe! But I wonder if I am doing something wrong – I use potato starch and soft tofu and the flavor is incredible but the coating gets like glue and sticks to whatever it touches. Is there some way around this? Maybe I’m not frying it long enough?
Hi Julie! When does the coating gets like glue and sticks to whatever it touches? Is it after serving, or while deep frying?
Was it nice and firm after you deep fried? Like crispy tofu?
I understand it gets jelly-like texture IF the tofu is soaked in dashi for a long time. The coating is from potato starch so it just absorbs liquid and gets jelly-like.
But it will take a long time sitting in the dashi to become like that.
Maybe you put too much potato starch? Maybe your oil wasn’t hot enough?
I made this tonight. I used sweet potato starch on half and tapioca starch on the other half. Tapioca flour came out crispy, but once the sauce touched it the crispy outside became a gelatinous goop. The sweet potato starch was crispy and softens after the sauce was put on top but did not get goopy like tapioca. Thanks Nami! This was delicious! I cannot find a place in my town that makes decent Agedashi Tofu and I cannot get to Gombei in San Jose as often as I would like (I love their version).
Hi Annie! Thank you for trying this recipe, and with both flours! Thanks for your feedback on tapioca starch. Some readers asked me about tapioca starch, but I’ve never used it before. Some says it’s same, but I see that the texture is different. Good to know! Thanks for your kind feedback. I’ve never tried Gombei before. I’ll remember for next time!
Dear Nami,
Thank you for sharing all these amazing recipes which I cook almost daily! I love Japanese food.
I’m also a vegetarian and I’m able recreate almost any recipe by using vegetables.
I wanted to share with you a ‘discovery’ I made yesterday trying to recreate the delicious smokey flavour of katsuoboshi especially for making Dashi.
So, I have started using 1 black cardamom pod in the konbu Dashi and the result is incredible. Black cardamom is a spice used in Vietnamese and Indian cooking. If you get to try it, I’d love to hear what you think. I really loved the agedashi tofu made vegetarian with the use of this pod ????
Anyway, have a great week. Arigatou!
Hi Dany! Thank you for trying my recipes (almost daily)! I’m happy to hear you enjoy Japanese food. 🙂 . Wow how interesting! Thanks for sharing your discovery. Black cardamom pod! I would never think of adding that in, so that is an interesting find indeed! I use green one for making chai. I would love to try black cardamom in dashi next time!
Really great photos and instructions, thank you! I’ve made the agedashi tofu before but needed helped with the broth and how to arrange toppings and all of this was perfect to follow. Thanks!
Hi Lauren! Thank you so much for your kind feedback. I’m happy to hear you like how I write instructions with images. 🙂 Enjoy!
Hi Nami! Nikki J. from Idaho here.
I’m pressing my tofu dry as I type this. I can’t wait to finish this dish! I’m using peanut oil since that’s all I have. Is that going to change the taste at all? Better or worse? I like using peanut oil to fry in (fried chicken, tonkatsu, tempura, etc…). I like the taste with breaded items but I’ve never used it with tofu.
Advice? Sounds good? Idk…🤨😏😊
UPDATE:
Okay, this is INSANELY delicious!!! The peanut oil worked fine and each tofu cube fried up crispy and light golden. I used a good thermometer to ensure temperature and timing was good. Now, don’t yell but I did add a teaspoon of sugar to the dashi broth since the hubby wasn’t in the mood for uber savory fishiness. Even so, the rest was completely yours. I’ve been fearful of deep frying due to an unfortunate accident 3 years ago but I’ve been much more careful since starting my Japanese cooking journey. Thank you SO much for the amazing recipes and wonderful YouTube tutorials – they are honestly the best I have found. Luv ya’ Nami!!! <3 <3 <3
Hi Nikki! Happy to hear from you! (And apology for not being able to respond sooner to your previous comment)
I’m so glad your Agedashi Tofu came out well and yes, peanut oil is fine. Agedashi tofu broth can be sweeter – some places give sweeter taste some places more savory side. Feel free to adjust. I tend to go on sweeter side more on my recipes, and I have some readers who raise eyebrow on how much sugar is added to some of my recipes… haha. Well, Japanese cooking requires sugar because it includes salty condiments like soy sauce and miso. You can’t avoid sugar to balance out the flavor…. anyway, feel free to adjust to your liking. 🙂
I’m glad you are (almost?) over your fear of deep frying. I had some accident before too (I still have burnt scars from hot oil on my cheek bone (that do not go away!). I try to be more careful since. I love deep frying at home (better oil) and haven’t stopped. 😀
Happy cooking! Thank you for leaving the feedback all the time. xo
Thank you for the reply Nami.
Oh, good. I was hoping I wasn’t ruining the dish! My deep frying accident left scars on my stomach. (yikes.) I was being irresponsible and had on a long, wide sleeved blouse and the cuff caught the handle on the pot. The rest is kind of gross. Any-whoo, now I keep the pot at the back of the stove and wear short sleeves when I deep fry!
Nami, I love your recipes and ongoing communication with you. It makes me feel sort of special. (Lol!) You possess such an easygoing mannerism and are so pleasant to watch and listen to. When I first came across your videos and online recipes, I was taken aback by the ease of understanding and the gentle tone of your voice. Those attributes made it so easy to become a devoted fan. I must tell you though, I have been enamored by all things Japan since I was a very small girl. My family was very old fashioned, middle America country folk who primarily cooked and ate biscuits and gravy, chicken fried steak, apple pie and beer……lots of beer. None of this appealed to to me and it all made me sick. I had a friend in grammar school who’s family was from Kyoto and invited me to her house for dinner. The meal was the best one I had ever had (did not make me sick!), not to mention the decor of the house made me feel so peaceful and homesick for somewhere I had never been. I was only 9 years old but I began reading everything I could on Japanese culture, history, lifestyle and more. The langauge was not offered in any schools I attended and of course there was no internet back then so I had to settle for food and books. Kimi’s family provided all kinds of information for me but her father would never talk about the war or the Japanese military which sadly my grandfather was all too opinionated on. (Not in a good way either.) So, when I became an adult and could do what I wanted I continued to learn. Kimi and her family moved out of state and I lost my closest friend and source of info. So, I’ve had to educate myself further and would give anything to be able to afford a trip to Japan. I utilize an online course in Japanese currently and am currently studying Hiragana, Katakana and Kanji – the introduction to the basics. Being so remote here in Idaho, college campuses are a great distance to travel. But as far as the food goes, I have you! I know you will keep my belly full and my mind inspired. Thank you.
Hi Nikki! I am sorry for my late response. Oh no, your injury seems a lot scarier and I’m sorry that happened to you. I’m glad you are taking precautions now.
Aw thank you for your kind words. I’m happy I could interact with nice people around the world like you, learning about foods and culture, and they inspire me to work harder to share my recipes and culture.
Your story about your childhood was very interesting and it’s really interesting you got to meet Kimi and you continue to learn about Japanese culture (and there was no internet back then, so without her, it must have been hard to collect information). I hope you will get to visit Japan one day, and it’s really cool that you’re learning the language! 日本語がんばってください！ :)
Another win at our house. I was reminded of agedashi tofu when going out for sushi with a colleague yesterday. I was instantly brought back to being a young adult in San Francisco having it for the first time in a Japantown restaurant after bowling with friends.
I looked for a recipe to make at home and found it here with you Nami! It tastes JUST LIKE it did at the restaurant. Thanks again for the good food!
Hi Gail! That’s so cool! I’m really happy to hear yours came out well! Thank you so much for trying my recipe! Isn’t it nice to be able to cook it at home with much less cost and any time! 😀
Amazing! The tofu and the sauce turned out surprisingly well. Even my partner was surprised at how similarly it all compared to a Japanese restaurant. The only problem was when I finally put it all together, the potato starch coating got very soggy and gummy. Not really sure how to avoid this issue, any suggestions?
Hi Tress! I’m glad to hear your tofu and sauce came out well. Was it possible that tofu was coated with too much potato starch? Also was the deep fried temperature correct? Another thing is to make sure to add the tofu (coated with potato starch) right away without leaving the starch on tofu. It gets moisture and the coating gets wet. You have to put inside the oil right away. 🙂 Hope that helps!
Can the sauce be used for anything else?
You can make similar food with different ingredients, such as deep fry eggplant, etc. 🙂