This week, Izakaya Nobu’s chef Taisho spoiled a particularly picky guest with a simple yet wonderfully delicious dish called yudōfu, or boiled tofu. It doesn’t have a strong odor, it’s not spicy, it’s not sour, it’s not bitter, it’s not hard, it’s neither bread nor potato nor porridge, especially not a stew. There’s no egg in it, either. In short, it’s a traditional Japanese dish perfect for said picky eaters, but also vegetarians – and everyone who wants to tackle tofu from a new angle, really. Let’s get right down to business!

Tofu has a history of over 1,000 years in Japan and especially boiled tofu is a light, healthy dish that enjoys great popularity even nowadays. You could call it a tofu hot pot and it is a signature winter food, warming you up right to the core while being especially healthy! Another noteworthy thing about yudōfu is that it’s free of fish. Japanese food fans will know that plenty of dishes, especially stews, hot pots, and the like, are often made with fish stock, so boiled tofu stands as a staunch defender of non-fish food!

While tofu is one of those things that can seem intimidating to turn into a delicious meal, Ryuta Kijima’s take on boiled tofu is surprisingly easy and absolutely irresistible!

Yield
Makes 2 servings

Ingredients
・1 cotton tofu (firm tofu)
・1/2 leek
・1/2 bundle of potherb mustard (mizuna)
・10cm dried kelp
・300ml pure soymilk
・300ml water
Sauce
・1.5 tablespoons white sesame paste
・1.5 tablespoons miso
・a generous dash of chili oil
・a bit powdered Japanese pepper (Sansho pepper)
・2-3 tablespoons tofu broth

Preparation
1) Pour the water into a pot and add the dry kelp. Let it soak for a while.
2) Cut the leek and the potherb mustard diagonally into 4-5cm thick slices.
3) Cut the tofu into 4~6 slices and put it in the pot.
4) Add the soymilk and turn on the heat.
5) Mix all the ingredients for the sauce together. Add chili oil and Sansho pepper as you desire.
6) Add the leek to the pot.
7) Finally, also add the potherb mustard and boil everything together.
8) Enjoy the boiled tofu with the sauce made in step 5. Itadakimasu!

With these quick and easy recipes, you can bring both the taste and atmosphere of Izakaya Nobu to your own kitchen. Whether you enjoy this traditional dish all by yourself or treat friends and family to a healthy, yummy meal, don’t forget to savor it alongside a nice drink!

©蝉川夏哉・宝島社/古都アイテーリア市参事会