Shiraae

Ingredients

• 10½ ozTofusilken or firm tofu; well drained and whisked smooth for the dressing
• 1½ tbspSesame seedsground, stirred into the tofu base
• 1 tbspsugarsweetens the tofu dressing
• 1 tbspsoy saucelight or regular, for seasoning
• saltfor the blanching water and to taste
• 2⅛ ozCarrotcut into fine strips, briefly blanched
• 7 ozSpinachblanched, squeezed dry, cut into 2–3 cm pieces
• 1 tspDashi powderinstant dashi for the dressing and the pre-simmering liquid (optional)
• 2 tbspWhite misoas seasoning instead of sesame and sugar (optional)
• 2 tspsesame oilrounds out the tofu dressing (optional)

Method

1. Drain the tofu: wrap it in kitchen paper and set a weight on top — 15 minutes is enough, overnight in the fridge makes it firmer. Alternatively, bring the tofu briefly to a boil in water and let it drain well.
2. Whisk the drained tofu smooth with a whisk, a mortar and pestle or a food processor, until no lumps remain.
3. Grind the white sesame seeds and stir them into the tofu with the sugar, soy sauce and a little salt. Taste the dressing; if you like, add a teaspoon of dashi powder.
4. Cut the carrot into fine strips, and trim and wash the spinach.
5. Salt plenty of water and bring it to a boil. Blanch the carrot strips briefly first and lift them out, then add the spinach just until it collapses.
6. Drain the vegetables at once, cool them quickly and squeeze or pat out the moisture thoroughly — otherwise the tofu dressing turns watery.
7. Cut the spinach into 2–3 cm lengths and trim the carrot to bite-sized pieces.
8. Fold the vegetables loosely into the tofu dressing only just before serving, and arrange in small bowls.

Tips and variations

In the Kansai style, the tofu is seasoned with white miso alone and Kujō-negi takes the place of leaf spinach. Two teaspoons of sesame oil round the dressing out, cotton tofu ground in a mortar gives more texture than silken tofu whisked smooth, and a calorie-free sweetener can stand in for the sugar. Carrot, shiitake and konjac taste deeper if you simmer them first in a dashi and soy broth instead of only blanching them. If you would rather not mix everything together, spoon the dressing over blanched broccoli. Serve shiraae as a side dish with rice, in small bowls, cool to room temperature.