This is a super simple recipe with 3 ingredients. No actual cooking required. It's refreshing (especially on hot days) and just so onolicious. Hope you enjoy this Cold Tofu with Mentsuyu and Sesame Oil ^_^
Thank you to Kristen for sharing this recipe with me! She was shopping at Nijiya (I like the Ala Moana location) and they had they had this tofu dish for sampling.
She texted me about it, about how tasty it was. And then I made it that same night for dinner along with a shredded chicken and cucumber dish.
We always have soft tofu in the fridge. And always a bottle mentsuyu (it comes in handy for many dishes). And we definitely have sesame oil in the pantry.
Combine the three together and you get Cold Tofu with Mentsuyu and Sesame Oil! Let's get cooking...
Ingredients
Here's what you'll need:
- Soft tofu - if you're in Hawaii, the Aloha brand is so good. We usually get that or the House brand or Nijiya brand.
- Mentsuyu - You can get this at all Japanese markets.
- Sesame Oil - Find this at pretty much all supermarkets. Make sure it's roasted sesame oil.
What Is Mentsuyu?
In case you're not already familiar with mentsuyu (also called tsuyu):
Mentsuyu = concentrated Japanese soup base.
It is made from a soy sauce base with kombu, mirin, sake, and katsuobushi. You can use mentsuyu to make many noodle soup dishes and sauces. Mentsuyu comes concentrated so you have to dilute it for soup/broth. For this tofu recipe, we simply spoon it over the tofu (no need to dilute).
You'll see several types of mentsuyu at the Japanese market. I usually buy the Nijiya brand (pictured above, I took that photo at Nijiya Ala Moana), but it's fun to try them all! If you have time, take a look at the ingredient list. You can see a pretty big difference in quality across some brands.
Instructions
Let's get cooking! Or rather, assembling hahah. This takes only a couple minutes to make and no actual "cooking" required.
First, remove and drain the tofu from the tofu container. Place in a shallow bowl and use a knife to cut the tofu in a crosshatch pattern. You can make the cuts as big or small as you'd like. I like the tofu cut small so that there is more surface area for the sauce to soak in.
Then spoon the mentsuyu on top...
...followed by the sesame oil.
And then you are all done! You can top with some sesame seeds if you'd like, completely optional. If I have green onions available, I also like to top it with finely chopped green onions ^_^
FAQ and Tips
I love tofu and I really love cold tofu. Here a few other go-to cold tofu dishes:
Cold tofu with Hot (Sizzling!) Sesame Oil - thanks to Shann for this one!
Quick and Easy Cold Tofu
Cold Tofu Seaweed Chile Crisp - got this recipe from the local newspaper.
Cold Tofu with Sesame Oil and Soy Sauce - thank you to Gere!
I can eat a whole block of tofu myself for dinner so there are never leftovers. But in case you do have leftovers, it'll keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days in a sealed container.
Note: some liquid/water will drain from the tofu over time, so the sauce will get diluted. You can add little more sesame oil and mentsuyu before eating.
Cook rice, and add 1-2 other simple dishes to make this a complete dinner. We've been eating this with:
Chicken and Cucumber Salad
Shoyu Chicken
Chinese Tomato Egg
Furikake Salmon
Okra And Bacon
Cold Tofu with Mentsuyu and Sesame Oil Recipe
Cold Tofu with Mentsuyu and Sesame Oil
Ingredients
- 1 block soft tofu
- 2 tablespoons mentsuyu
- 1 tablespoon roasted sesame oil
Instructions
- First, remove and drain the tofu from the tofu container. Place the tofu a shallow bowl and use a knife to cut the tofu in a crosshatch pattern. Make the cuts as big or small as you'd like. I like the tofu cut small so that there is more surface area for the sauce to soak in.
- Then spoon the mentsuyu on top.
- And then spoon the sesame oil.
- All done and ready to eat! Top this with some sesame seeds if you'd like, completely optional. It's also great with finely chopped green onions on top ^_^
Mahalo for Reading!