Kyuri to atsuage no pirikaraae / Japanese cucumber and deep-fried tofu with ginger and spicy soy sauce

Juicy, crispy, and substantial. Ginger stimulates the appetite in hot weather.

109 calories (1/2 of recipe); 7.6 g protein; 7.3 g fat; 2.6 g carbohydrate; 1.6 g net carbs; 155 mg sodium (with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce; 235 mg with regular soy sauce); 0 mg cholesterol; 1.0 g fiber

<Ingredients>

1 atsuage deep-fried tofu (130 g in photo)
1/2 kyuri Japanese cucumber (75 g in photo)
1 knob ginger
1 tsp sake
1 1/2 tsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp tobanjan, chili paste or garlic chili sauce


<Directions>
1.

Pour boiling water on atsuage (or prep-boil if atsuage comes in vacuum pack) to get rid of excess oil.

2.

Grill (fry without oil).

3.

Diagonally dice cucumber, and julienne ginger.

4.

When atsuage cools somewhat, break into bite-size pieces with spoon.

5.

Add cucumber, ginger, sake, tobanjan and less than specified amount of soy sauce, and mix well.

Let it sit for 5-10 minutes, taste, and add more soy sauce if necessary.

<Notes>

• Grilling/frying atsuage in Process 2 is to achieve a crispy surface, and is optional.
• For an even crunchier texture for atsuage, make your own deep-fried tofu.
• Use English cucumber if Japanese cucumber is not available. English cucumbers from stores tend to have a soft core loaded with seeds. If that’s the case, first cut lengthwise and remove the seed section to maintain crispiness.
• Toasted white sesame seeds are a nice addition.

(Last updated: September 16, 2015)