Soramame-dofu / fava bean tofu

A smooth and creamy pudding-like side dish featuring fava beans. This is a seasonal variation of gomadofu, a popular item included in temple meals or set courses at restaurants. While solid molds are more common, using plastic film wrap results in a casual look at the end. The wasabi topping instantly makes this a great companion for a drink, too.

1/3 of recipe:
77 calories; 4.4 g protein; 1.8 g fat; 11.2 g carbohydrate; 10.1 g net carbs; 67 mg sodium (with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce; 119 mg with regular soy sauce); 0 mg cholesterol; 1.1 g fiber

<Ingredients>

(3 teacups/jelly molds)

200 cc kobudashi (small piece kombu kelp soaked in 200 cc water)
20 g kuzuko arrowroot starch
Approx. 120 g shelled fava beans (117 g in photo)
1/2 tbsp tahini or nerigoma white sesame paste

1 tsp soy sauce (not in photo)
1 tbsp dashi (not in photo)
Wasabi (not in photo)

<Directions>
1.

Boil fava beans for 2-3 minutes.

Drain. 

When sufficiently cool, peel skin, place in a cup or bowl, pour some kobudashi, and puree. 

2.

In a pot, put kuzuko and some kobudashi, and mix well.

Add tahini, pureed fava beans and remaining kobudashi, and mix well.

3.

Heat on medium low.
Keep stirring bottom with spatula until sesame mixture thickens, 5-10 minutes.

4.

When thickening, reduce heat to low and keep stirring for another 5+ minutes, until it starts to look doughy.

5.

Place plastic film in small cups or molds, put fava bean mixture.

Wrap and tie with rubber band, and chill in fridge until set (30+ minutes).

6.

To serve, unwrap and put each soramame-dofu on plate or in bowl.
Top with wasabi, and pour over soy sauce + dashi mixture.
(Garnished with kaiware daikon in photo.)

<Notes>

• Use more tahini for a richer taste.
• Wasabi paste in tubes contains sodium. Use wasabi powder (mix with water) for 0 mg sodium wasabi.
• The 117 g of shelled fava beans above became 87 g when skin was peeled. To obtain this amount, you need about 350 g fava beans in shells.