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Hiyayakko
Chilled tofu with ginger
Hiyayakko (冷奴): chilled silken tofu with ginger, spring onion and soy
On a hot July night in any Tokyo izakaya, the first plate to arrive is often a cold block of tofu: hiyayakko, a summer staple that takes five minutes and no cooking. Silky tofu sits in a little pool of soy and is heaped with fresh ginger, spring onion and shiso, so it is cool, creamy and sharp at once. Bonito flakes are the usual topping; here crisp nori and sesame keep it vegan. The common mistake is serving it wet: blot the tofu, or the water dilutes the soy into a pale puddle. Chef's tip: buy the freshest silken (kinugoshi) tofu you can find and chill it well in its water, since this dish is only as good as the tofu.
- Total time
- 5 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 2
Ingredients
- 10 ½ oz silken tofuwell chilled
- ⅓ oz fresh gingerfinely grated
- 1 spring onionvery finely sliced
- 2 shiso or perilla leaves (optional)cut into fine ribbons
- 0.3 sheet nori (optional)cut into thin strips with scissors
- 1 tsp toasted white sesame seeds (optional)
- 2 tsp soy sauce
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Method
0/3 doneStep 1: Lift 10 ½ oz silken tofu out of its pack, rest it on kitchen paper for 2 minutes and pat dry. Cut into two neat blocks and place each in a small chilled bowl.
Step 2: Top each block with a little mound of ⅓ oz fresh ginger and 1 spring onion, then 2 shiso or perilla leaves, 0.3 sheet nori and 1 tsp toasted white sesame seeds if using.
Step 3: Spoon 2 tsp soy sauce over just before eating so the toppings stay crisp. Serve straight away, very cold.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 110 kcal
- Protein
- 10 g
- Carbs
- 4 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does hiyayakko take?
- About 5 minutes in total.
- How many people does it serve?
- 2 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of fresh ginger?
- ¼ tsp ground ginger per tbsp fresh (add it with the spices).
- What can I use instead of spring onion?
- Chives, or a little finely sliced onion.
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Perfect for:Summer coolers