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Iri-dofu
Scrambled tofu with vegetables
Iri-dofu (炒り豆腐): Japanese dry-scrambled tofu with carrot, shiitake, green beans and egg
Iri-dofu is a thrifty home dish cooked all over Japan, from Tokyo flats to farmhouses in Shikoku, made to fill out a weekday dinner tray or a bento. Firm tofu is crumbled and stirred in a dry pan until it turns fluffy, then cooked with carrot, shiitake and green beans in soy and dashi, with an egg stirred through at the end. It tastes gently sweet and savoury, and is eaten warm or cold with rice and miso soup. This version uses a kombu and shiitake dashi, so it is vegetarian. A portion gives about 22 g of protein, from the tofu and egg. The common mistake is not drying the tofu enough, which leaves a watery scramble. Chef's tip: keep stirring until the tofu crumbs squeak against the pan; that is when they are dry enough to soak up the seasoning.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 ⅓ lb firm tofupressed for 10 minutes
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 carrotcut into fine matchsticks
- 4 dried shiitake mushroomssoaked in warm water for 20 minutes, sliced (keep the water for the dashi)
- 2 ⅞ oz green beanssliced thinly on the diagonal
- ½ cup kombu and shiitake dashivegetarian: kombu and dried shiitake soaked in water
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 ½ tbsp sugar
- 2 eggsbeaten
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil (optional)
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add 1 carrot and 4 dried shiitake mushrooms and stir-fry for 2 minutes, until the carrot is bright and slightly soft.
2 minStep 2: Crumble 1 ⅓ lb firm tofu into the pan with your hands. Stir and break it up with a wooden spatula for 5–6 minutes, until the water has cooked off and the crumbs are dry and fluffy.
6 minStep 3: Add 2 ⅞ oz green beans, ½ cup kombu and shiitake dashi, 2 tbsp soy sauce and 1 ½ tbsp sugar. Keep stirring for 3–4 minutes, until almost all the liquid has been absorbed and the beans are tender-crisp.
4 minStep 4: Pour in 2 eggs and stir constantly over the heat for about 2 minutes, until the egg is fully set in small curds and there is no runny egg left.
2 minStep 5: Take off the heat, drizzle with 1 tsp toasted sesame oil if you like, and serve warm or at room temperature with rice.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 250 kcal
- Protein
- 22 g
- Carbs
- 11 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does iri-dofu take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of carrot?
- Parsnip or sweet potato, same weight.
- What can I use instead of dried shiitake mushrooms?
- Aubergine, diced, same weight.
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