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Agedashi Tofu

A Japanese dish of deep‑fried tofu served in a dashi‑based sauce with grated daikon, ginger, and green onions.

From the Wikibooks Cookbook · 9 ingredients
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Why it works: Potato and onion are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 3% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 9,023 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓

Agedashi Tofu

Time10–15 minutes

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare the tofu

  1. Cut the soft tofu into rectangular pieces about 1 inch thick.

  2. Arrange the tofu pieces on a rack with paper towels and leave for 10–15 minutes to drain.

  3. Change the paper towels and turn the tofu slices over.

Make the sauce

  1. In a pan, mix the sauce ingredients and heat until boiling.

  2. Turn off the heat.

Coat and fry

  1. Sprinkle potato starch on a plate.

  2. Arrange the tofu slices on the starch.

  3. Sprinkle more starch over the tofu.

  4. Heat the oil to 355°F (180°C) for deep frying.

  5. Pat any excess starch off the tofu slices.

  6. Slide the tofu slices into the hot oil, one by one, being careful not to overcrowd.

  7. Fry until golden, turning once.

  8. Remove the tofu from the oil and drain on paper towels.

Serve

  1. Arrange the tofu in a dish and pour the sauce over the top.

  2. Top with a mound of grated daikon, a bit of grated ginger, and sliced green onions.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

878Calories
28 gProtein
20 gFat
148 gCarbs

Counts 8 of 9 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 8 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Flour1 cup (125g) all-purpose455
Potato1 medium (173g) baked161
Olive Oil1 tbsp (14g)119
Tofu100g firm76
Onion1 medium (110g)44
Radish1/2 cup (58g)12
Soy Sauce1 tbsp (15ml)9
Ginger1 tsp grated fresh (2g)2
Daikonnot in our table0

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 Wikibooks Cookbook.

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. Potato + oniontop 3% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together9,023 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

  2. Ginger + radishtop 7% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together172 recipes

    Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).

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

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

  4. Tofu + oniontop 9% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together729 recipes

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

  5. Onion + gingertop 9% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together7,595 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

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

What each ingredient does

Soft tofu
Provides the delicate interior that is softened and warmed within the crisp coating.
Potato starch
Forms a thin crisp coating that browns and holds the sauce on the surface when fried.
Dashi
Supplies the savory broth base of the sauce, giving it its umami depth.
Soy sauce
Adds salty, savory flavour and colour to the sauce.
Mirin
Adds sweetness and a glossy finish to the sauce.

The step that matters

Fry in hot oil without overcrowding. Oil at the right temperature sets the starch coating quickly, so it crisps rather than absorbing oil. Crowding the pan drops the oil temperature, leading to greasy, soggy coatings and tofu that may stick together.

Swap the radish

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (tofu, potato, sauce, onion, ginger):

  1. Chivefits better
  2. Broccolifits better
  3. Carrotfits better
  4. Radishthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against tofu, potato, sauce, onion, ginger. 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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