Kaminaridofu / fried tofu with soy sauce

The crispy surface of tofu together with the flavor of slightly burnt soy sauce tastes great. Add katsuobushi bonito flakes for more flavor and aroma.

<Ingredients>

1 momen firm tofu
2 green onions (green sections)
1 tbsp sesame oil (not in photo)
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp katsuobushi bonito flakes


<Directions>
1.

Place tofu on a zaru strainer, and let excess water drain off for 10-20 minutes. If in a hurry, microwave for 1-2 minutes, and drain when water comes out.

Cut tofu into cubes.

2.

Thinly slice green onions.

3.

Heat sesame oil in a frying pan.

Pat dry tofu with paper towels, and saute on medium high heat until surface is crispy and golden overall, about 7-10 minutes.  

4.

Pour soy sauce, stir to coat tofu, and cook until liquid is almost gone.

5.

Serve topped with bonito flakes and green onion.

<Notes>

• Oil spatters when you add tofu. A spatter screen can be handy.
• There are lots of variations of this dish. Using firm tofu and flavoring with soy sauce are the common elements, and the rest is up to the cook -- crumbling tofu by hand instead of cutting; frying with regular oil instead of sesame oil; topping with grated daikon radish at the end; adding chicken or pork … the list is endless.
• The “burnt” or toasty taste and aroma of soy sauce is stronger when you add soy sauce directly to the frying pan surface instead of over tofu. (This is usually done by swirling in soy sauce along the edge of the frying pan.)
• The name kaminari [thunder] refers to the sound of tofu while sauteing in a relatively large amount of oil.