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Sesame Tofu

A tofu dish marinated in soy sauce, coated with sesame and flour, then fried.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 9 ingredients
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Why it works: Tofu and sesame match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 250 recipes. Both carry 2,4-decadienal, which smells seaweed. The science ↓

Sesame Tofu

Time2 hours (marinating)

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare

  1. Cut tofu into 3/4-inch cubes or 1/4-inch thick slices.

  2. Marinate tofu for 2 hours in the Marinade mixture.

Cook and serve

  1. Roll tofu in a mixture of sesame seed and flour.

  2. Brown tofu in oil.

  3. Serve hot with rice.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

766Calories
24 gProtein
24 gFat
114 gCarbs
What these numbers assume: 8 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Flour1 cup (125g) all-purpose455
Olive Oil1 tbsp (14g)119
Tofu100g firm76
Sesame Seed1 tbsp (9g)52
Sugar1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated49
Soy Sauce1 tbsp (15ml)9
Garlic1 clove (3g)4
Ginger1 tsp grated fresh (2g)2

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Tofu + sesametop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together250 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).

  2. Sesame + gingertop 4% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together1,531 recipes

    Shared aroma: nonanal (fat, citrus).

  3. Sesame + garlictop 5% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together2,000 recipes

    Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).

  4. Garlic + gingertop 6% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together6,402 recipes

    Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).

  5. Tofu + gingertop 8% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together284 recipes

    Shared aroma: methyl 2-methylbutyrate (fruity, apple).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Firm tofu
Provides the main body of the dish and absorbs the marinade.
Sesame seed
Forms a nutty, toasty coating that browns and adds aroma.
All-purpose flour
Helps the sesame coating adhere and crisp when browned in oil.
Soy sauce
Adds salty, savory flavor to the tofu through the marinade.
Granulated sugar
Adds sweetness that balances the salty soy sauce and aids browning.

The step that matters

Brown tofu in oil. Tofu must be dry enough before coating and browning, because surface moisture steams the coating instead of letting it crisp. Browning also depends on enough oil and heat.

Swap the garlic

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (tofu, sesame, flour, sauce, ginger, sugar):

  1. Turmericfits better
  2. Cinnamonfits better
  3. Jalapenofits better
  4. Garlicthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against tofu, sesame, flour, sauce, ginger, sugar. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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