Asian at Home

Whenever I encounter a recipe that requires special asian ingredients, I would normally balk away. I guess it’s mainly because I feel “hindi sulit” to buy something expensive and not use it regularly. But after experiencing Teriyaki Boy’s Tofu Steak and seeing a similar recipe in my latest Yummy book, I got the guts to finally made the big asian food leap.

One rainy night, I went to a nearby Japanese/Korean supermarket and purchased my first ever Sake and Mirin. Expensive, yes. But looks like I’ll be using them frequently. Sarap kasi! 🙂

Sake and Mirin. The Gods for Asian Cooking.

Having completed my ingredients, I ventured into a new adventure and tried this.

Crunchy Tofu Steak and Mushrooms

Crunchy Tofu Steak and Mushrooms

Ingredients:

500g firm tofu block, drained and sliced into 16 squares

3/4 cup flour, seasoned with 1 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper

1 egg, lightly beaten with 2 tbsp milk or water

1 1/2 cups Japanese breadcrumbs

oil for deep-frying

For the mushroom sauce

3 tbsp sake

3 tbsp mirin

1 1/2 tbsp light soy sauce

3 tbsp brown sugar

2 tbsp butter

1 tbsp oil

1/2 cup chopped onions

2 tsp minced garlic

2 cups chopped fresh mushrooms (I used oyster)

1/2 tbsp cornstarch, dissolved in 1/2 tbsp water

salt and pepper to taste

1. Dredge tofu squares in flour, dip in egg, then coat with breadcrumbs. Deep-fry in hot oil until golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

2. Make the mushroom sauce: Combine sake, mirin, soy sauce, and brown sugar in a small bowl. Set aside.

3. In a frying pan, melt butter and heat the oil. Saute the onions then add garlic and cook until fragrant. Over high heat, add mushrooms and cook until tender, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the soy sauce mixture and mix well. Add the dissolved conrstarch and let mixture thicken slightly. Season with salt and pepper and mix well.

4. Arrange tofu squares in serving dish then pour the mushroom sauce on top.