Koyadofu (高野豆腐) or Koya tofu is freeze-dried tofu. It is a common pantry staple you can always find in the Japanese kitchen. When you’re running out of fresh ingredients or need one more dish to round up a meal, you can always reach out to Koyadofu. Today, I’ll show you a classic Simmered Koyadofu (高野豆腐の煮物) recipe that’s easy to prepare and a great meal prep dish to make ahead of time.
What is Koyadofu?
Koyadofu (高野豆腐) originated during the Kamakura period (1185–1333). It was developed by the monks at the Buddhist temple on Mount Koya (Koyasan) in Wakayama prefecture. As the temple is located at a higher elevation with harsh winters, the monks accidentally discovered that flash freezing was a good way to preserve tofu. Its popularity eventually spread to the Kansai region. Today, it’s a common ingredient in Japanese home cooking and shojin ryori, or Buddhist vegan cuisine.
A Healthy, Highly Nutritious Food
Koyadofu may look like a hard sponge, but did you know it is prized for its exceptionally high nutrition? It’s an excellent source of protein, iron, and calcium. It’s also known to help lower the risk of conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.
The flash freezing and cooling method allows the soy proteins to mature in a natural manner. This helps the tofu develop a new texture while preserving maximum nutritious value. It also helps tofu’s phytonutrients become more concentrated and bioavailable. It’s another great example of a naturally preserved food!
Do we need to reconstitute and rinse Koyadofu?
Some brands (like Misuzu brand above) say there is no need to reconstitute Koyadofu. However, I still encourage you to soak the tofu in hot water and wash it before cooking. In my recipe images and video, you can see cloudy water released by the tofu. Therefore, I highly recommend cleaning the koyadofu first to yield a clear broth and allow the tofu to absorb more flavor.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Koyadofu
- dashi (Japanese soup stock) – I used vegan/vegetarian-friendly cold brew kombu dashi
- snow peas
- seasonings – mirin, sake, soy sauce, sugar, and kosher salt
How to Make Simmered Koyadofu
Follow my simple instructions to make this simple dish:
- Soak the freeze-dried tofu in hot water and rinse.
- Add the dashi to a pot with soy sauce, sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil.
- Wash the koyadofu in clean cold water once it expands, repeating several times. Squeeze out the excess water.
- Cut each koyadofu into smaller pieces. Add to the boiling broth and cook for 1-2 minutes. Then, transfer the koyadofu to a glass container.
- Serve it hot, at room temperature, or chilled. Arrange the koyadofu, snow peas, and broth in a small bowl and serve.
Tips for Serving Simmered Koyadofu
- Serve chilled, hot, or at room temperature. My favorite way to serve this dish is chilled. On a hot day, the taste of slightly sweet dashi broth seeping out from the Koyadofu is quite refreshing.
- I like to make it a bit sweeter as koyadofu is a rather plain dish.
- Make it ahead of time and let the Koyadofu soak in broth for a longer time.
- You can serve blanched greens, simmered root vegetables, or shiitake mushrooms together with Simmered Koyadofu.
- Squeeze out the broth before packing Koyadofu in your bento.
This dish stores well in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, and freezes beautifully for up to a month. It is a simple yet elegant side dish that can grace any Japanese or Asian meal. I hope you enjoy it!
Simmered Koyadofu
Ingredients
- 5 pieces koyadofu (freeze-dried tofu) (3 oz, 85 g)
- 2 ½ cup dashi (Japanese soup stock) (I used vegan/vegetarian-friendly cold brew kombu dashi)
- 5 snow peas (0.4 oz, 10 g)
Seasonings
- 2 Tbsp mirin
- 2 Tbsp sake
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce (I used usukuchi soy sauce (light color soy sauce) to keep the broth color light)
- 4 Tbsp sugar
- ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients.
- The box says you do not need to soak, but I still recommend washing the koyadofu. Put 5 pieces koyadofu (freeze-dried tofu) in a bowl and pour hot water. The koyadofu will expand in about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, put 2 ½ cup dashi (Japanese soup stock) in a pot. I use cold brew kombu dashi for this recipe, leaving the kombu behind. Add 2 Tbsp mirin and 2 Tbsp sake.
- Add 1 Tbsp soy sauce, 4 Tbsp sugar, and ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt.
- Mix all together and slowly bring it to boil.
- While waiting for the broth to boil, wash the koyadofu in clean cold water once it expands. Be careful with the koyadofu as the inside still contains hot water.
- Like a sponge, let the koyadofu soak up the clean water and push it out a few times to clean. Hold the tofu flat between your hands. Squeeze the cloudy water from the inside of the koyadofu by pressing hard.
- Change the water in the bowl several times to clean all the koyadofu. Thoroughly wash out the cloudy water by repeating this process several times. Give it a final squeeze.
- Cut each koyadofu into 6 square pieces.
- Once the dashi-soy broth is boiling, add the koyadofu and cover with a drop lid (Otoshibuta – if you don’t have one, make one with aluminum foil). You do not use a regular lid on top. Simmer for 10 minutes on medium-low heat.
- When it’s about to finish simmering, prepare 5 snow peas by removing the tough strings. Add the snow peas in the saucepan and cook for 1-2 minutes, or until tender.
To Serve
- The koyadofu can be served immediately. Put the koyadofu, snow peas, and broth in a bowl and serve.
To Store
- Optionally, for stronger flavors, transfer the koyadofu and broth to an airtight container. Let cool to room temperature first and store in the refrigerator for a few hours, overnight, or up to 3–4 days, and in the freezer up to a month.
- After soaking for more flavors, serve hot, at room temperature, or chilled. If frozen, reheat before serving. I personally love chilled koyadofu that's been soaked for 1–2 days.
Notes
Nutrition
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