Editor’s note: The theme of Gohan Lab is to help people make simple, tasty “gohan” (meals).

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The second in a series focusing on “abura-age” features thin deep-fried tofu simmered with soy sauce and sugar.

Not only will it work as a side dish, it will also nicely accompany udon noodles. Sliced in half, it turns into pouches to be filled with sushi rice to make "inari-zushi."

The simmered fried tofu will make a versatile pre-cooked dish that can be enjoyed in many ways.

The recipe does not require dashi stock or the step of removing the oil and gives full play to the fried-tofu’s intrinsic flavor. Ideally, when you take a bite into the fluffy fried tofu, the flow of umami will spread in your mouth.

The dish can be made with any fried tofu but if you wish to enjoy the simmering liquid, use the thicker ones with a fluffy spongy core. A key to simmering nicely is to turn the fried tofu midway so that it absorbs the liquid evenly. Another key is to turn off the heat when a little liquid remains to let the fried tofu absorb all the flavor.

The arranged version is simmered fried tofu bound with an egg. The salty-sweet fried tofu and egg are made for each other. When you place the egg-bound fried tofu on rice, you get "kinugasa-don," a rice bowl dish loved by the people of Kyoto.

OIL BRINGS ABOUT RELISH AND RICH FLAVOR 

You may associate fried tofu with a somewhat cumbersome step of removing the oil by pouring hot water or parboiling it.

But according to Zenkoku Tofu Rengokai, a nationwide association of tofu manufacturers, removal of oil is not necessarily a required step.

“Oil will bring about relish and richness and an overall good taste,” says the spokesperson for the association’s staff office.

In the old days when wrapping was still unrefined, the oxidation of oil and the resulting smell may have been noticeable, causing people to adhere to the step of removing oil.

Having said that, removing oil can reduce the calories and, when the fried tofu is to be simmered whole, allows the flavor to seep in better.

“You can choose whichever way depending on your preference and what you are aiming for,” says the spokesperson.

BASIC COOKING METHOD

(Supervised by Setsuko Sugimoto in the cooking aspect and Midori Kasai in the cookery science aspect)

* Ingredients (Serve two)

80 grams thin deep-fried tofu (abura-age), 2 tsp sake, 2 Tbsp sugar, 1 Tbsp soy sauce

About 200 kcal and 1.2 grams salt per portion

1. Sandwich fried tofu between kitchen paper to remove excess oil and cut into strips measuring about 5-cm long and 3-cm wide (PHOTO A).

2. Add 200 ml water, sake, sugar and soy sauce in pot and bring to a boil over medium heat. Add fried tofu (PHOTO B). Cover with drop lid made of parchment paper, place pot lid also and simmer on lower medium heat for about 10 minutes. Turn sides of fried tofu midway.

3. Turn off heat while some simmering liquid remains (PHOTO C). Cool in pot and let fried tofu absorb liquid. It can be kept in fridge for 3 to 4 days.

* When making pouches for inari-zushi, prepare before cooking by rolling a cooking chopstick on fried tofu so it will open easily. Cut fried tofu in half and open as pouch. (It is easier if store-bought fried tofu for inari-zushi is used.) After simmering, cool, lightly squeeze out liquid from fried tofu and fill with sushi rice.

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Setsuko Sugimoto is a Kyoto-based cooking expert who explores the culinary culture of the historical capital.

Midori Kasai is a professor emerita at Ochanomizu University and former chairwoman of the Japan Society of Cookery Science.

ARRANGED VERSION

Egg-bound simmered fried tofu (Amount easy to make)

Cut appropriate amount of simmered fried tofu into bite-size pieces. Finely slice 2 leaves of green onions (leafy “ao-negi” type) into 3- to 4-cm long pieces at an angle. In a small frying pan, add 100 ml water, 1 tsp sake, 1 and 1/2 tsp each of light-colored soy sauce and sugar and bring to a boil. Add fried tofu and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes on medium heat. Add green onion, pour in beaten egg in circular motion and mix in large movement. Turn off heat when egg is half cooked. Sprinkle Japanese pepper (“sansho”) powder to taste.

COOKERY SCIENCE

Since thin slices of tofu are deep-fried to make abura-age, the water in the tofu moves out and changes places with oil. Therefore, the water content becomes less than half of that of tofu while the oil content increases nearly 10 times. When simmered, this oil content dissolves into the simmering liquid, adding the fat flavor to the ingredient that deepens the overall taste. Being spongelike, it also absorbs a large amount of the tasty simmering liquid.

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From The Asahi Shimbun’s Gohan Lab column