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fried tofu with wasabi guacamole
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Fried Tofu with Wasabi Guacamole

Serve this as a starter with beer and you'll have a great nosh session. Or, offer it as a side dish. You could split it with a friend if you want it to be a main dish! This recipe has been adapted from Rika’s Modern Japanese Home Cooking by Rika Yukimasa, published in 2020 by Rizzoli.
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Japanese
Keyword: fried tofu, guacamole, tofu
Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • One (16 or 20-ounce) block medium-firm or firm tofu
  • 1 medium ripe avocado
  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more as needed
  • 1 teaspoon wasabi powder
  • 1 lemon or lime
  • ⅓ cup potato starch
  • ¼ cup neutral oil, such as canola or peanut
  • Soy sauce, preferably Japanese shoyu
  • Shichimi togarashi (optional)

Instructions

  • Wrap the tofu in paper towel and place in a microwavable container. Microwave for 3 minutes on high to get rid of excess water. Set aside to cool. When cool enough to handle, cut into 8 to 10 slices, each about ½ inch thick. Set on a dishtowel. (Without a microwave, cut the tofu into slices and set on a clean dishtowel to drain for 30 minutes or up to 4 hours.)
  • Meanwhile, make the avocado sauce. Halve then pit and scoop out the flesh from the avocado, depositing it into a bowl. Add ¼ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon wasabi, and the juice of half of the lemon. Mash with a fork. Taste then add extra salt by the big pinch, wasabi by the ¼ teaspoon, and lemon juice by the squirt. Aim to balance the avocado’s richness with a savory, mildly spicy, tangy finish. Set aside.
  • Pat the tofu dry, season with salt all over, then dredge each slice in potato starch, shaking off excess. Heat the oil in a medium nonstick skillet, and when beginning to shimmer, add the 4 to 6 tofu slices to not crowd the pan. Fry for about 3 minutes per side, until golden and crisp. Cool on rack while you fry the remaining tofu. When done, you can briefly refry any pieces that may have softened.
  • Serve on a plate or individual plates. Garnish with the avocado mash, or serve it on the side. Invite diners to drizzle or dip in a little soy sauce and if they like, sprinkle on some togarashi.

Notes

In Rika Yukimasa's book, the recipe was titled “Pan-Fried Tofu with Mashed Avocado” and served with the avocado mixture and pitted umeboshi pickled plums. If you have access to the plums, go for it. You only need 4 or 5 of them (half of one per tofu slice).
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