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Air Fried Agedashi Tofu with Avocado

An izakaya ICONIC dish but made with my own spin! The tofu is air-fried till golden crispy on the outside while still tender and silky on the inside, lightly dusted with shichimi togarashi, plated with avocado, and served with a refreshing umami broth.

Agedashi tofu or Agedashi dofu is a traditional Japanese dish, it's usually made of medium or sometimes soft tofu, cut into cubes, coated and deep fried in oil til crispy, and served with a dashi broth plus toppings like grated daikon, scallions, and bonito flakes. You might have seen this dish at izakaya joints and it is my must-order dish whenever I go there.

This version here is made with my own twist. I air-fried the tofu instead of deep frying to avoid excess oil and it's actually just as crispy! And I personally like a little kick so I dusted the tofu with shichimi togarashi, which is a Japanese spice blend with chili powder. Also, I added some avocado for a splash of color, healthy fat, and another layer of silky velvety texture in contrast to the crispy tofu.

I was feeling lazy that day and did not feel like making dashi from scratch, so I used the Yondu vegetable umami sauce, it's made of only USDA organic soy beans, grains, and vegetables and it's sooo flavorful and saves so much time and hassle. But feel free to use any dashi you have or make your own!


INGREDIENTS:

14 oz medium tofu

1/2 avocado

1 scallion

2 tablespoon Yondu vegetable umami sauce

1/2 cup arrowroot powder, or as needed

1/2 tablespoon shichimi togarashi, option

Oil spray


For the serving broth-

1/2 cup water

1 teaspoon Yondu vegetable umami sauce


TO MAKE:

- Cut the tofu into preferred size and marinate with the Yondu sauce for at least 30 minutes, during this time the excess water inside the tofu will also be drawn out, which helps the tofu to get crispy later;

- Once tofu is done marinating, shake off any excess liquid, and coat with arrowroot powder on all sides evenly, spray with oil;

- Air fry at 400°F for 15 minutes, check on them, flip, and add another 5 - 10 minutes depending on your air fryer;

- Meanwhile, chop the scallion, thinly slice the avocado, and mix and serving broth ingredients;

- Once tofu is golden crispy, dust them with shichimi togarashi while they're still hot so the spices can stick easily onto the tofu, this is optional, I personally like a little kick;

- Arrange the tofu and avocado on a plate, alternating the two, top with scallions, and pour the serving broth on top;

- Serve hot, enjoy!


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