Yudofu – Japanese Boiled Tofu Recipe

Yudofu is the easiest Japanese hot pot ever. In just 5 minutes, you’ll enjoy delicious hot tofu that’s healthy, light and full of satisfying flavour. Perfect as a tasty side dish or snack.

Why We Love This

Japanese hot tofu is nourishing, comforting, as well as quick and easy to prepare. It’s also low in calories and packed with nutritious flavour.

And if it’s cold outside, yudofu will warm you up from the inside out.

While tofu doesn’t have a strong flavour on its own, the balance of tamari, dashi and mirin in the homemade Japanese tsuyu sauce adds a mouthwatering umami flavour. 

Serve it alongside fluffy rice, some homemade Japanese pickles, and a nourishing bowl of miso soup and you’ll be feeling happy and healthy in no time!

What is Yudofu? 

Yudofu is a simple Japanese dish consisting of silken tofu simmered in hot water until it’s warm and nourishing. This traditional winter dish is usually served in a Japanese clay pot called a donabe, which can also be used to cook udon noodle soup.

At Japanese restaurants, the hot simmered tofu is usually served in the centre of the table just like Shabu Shabu hot pot, where diners can serve themselves. At home, you can make it in a regular pot and serve out individual portions before adding the sauces and garnishes to your liking. 

The tsuyu sauce served with boiled tofu is similar in flavour profile to mentsuyu dipping sauce, but you can also enjoy it with other Japanese sauces like ponzu (citrus soy) or goma dare (creamy sesame).

What You’ll Need

Yudofu is super simple to make with a handful of ingredients and about 5 minutes to prepare! Here’s what you’ll need:

• Nori Sheet / Kombu Seaweed – Traditionally, the tofu is simmered in water with a slice of kombu seaweed (dried kelp) to add flavour. This can sometimes be hard to source where we live, so we like to place a sheet of nori (roasted seaweed usually used to make sushi) underneath the tofu to stop it sticking to the pan as it simmers. While nori doesn’t add flavour, it does make it easier to take the boiled tofu out of the pan. If you can’t find either of these nearby, you may be able to buy them online. 
• Dashi Stock – To keep things simple we use dashi stock powder dissolved in hot water to flavour the sauce. It’s available in two main varieties – hon dashi (a more intense flavoured stock made with seaweed and bonito flakes) or kombu dashi (seaweed only stock).
• Tamari / Soy – Tamari is a Japanese soy sauce made without wheat, so it’s naturally gluten free. It has a purer, more balanced, less salty flavour than regular soy sauce, which means it’s also great for dipping Japanese gyoza dumplings / potstickers. 
• Mirin – This is a sweet rice wine for cooking. If you can’t find it at your supermarket, you can omit or add in a 1/2 tsp of sugar instead. You can sometimes find this in regular supermarkets, otherwise head to your nearest Asian grocer or online.

Wandercook’s Tips

• Tofu – Soft tofu can fall apart very easily, especially when you’re trying to coax it out of a plastic container. We recommend draining the liquid first before turning the tofu out onto your palm. From here you can slice the tofu into smaller individual blocks while it’s resting on your palm. Please be extra careful with the knife so you don’t cut yourself. You can always place the tofu down on a chopping board to cut it if you’re unsure. Simmer the tofu carefully to help keep its shape intact.
• Don’t Over-Boil – Avoid letting the tofu come to the boil or it can crumble apart.

FAQs

Variations

• Sauces – Try the tofu with a drizzle of ponzu (citrus soy), goma dare (creamy sesame) or mentsuyu sauce. Or for something completely different, try stir fried teriyaki tofu instead.
• Garnish Ideas – Some traditional tofu garnishes include spring onions / green onions,  finely sliced gari (pickled ginger), ginger paste, shredded daikon, thin slices of nori, wasabi paste or matcha salt. 
• Add Spice – For extra flavour, serve with wasabi paste and shichimi togarashi (Japanese 7 spice mix).
• Add Heat – Serve with finely chopped kimchi and a drizzle of sesame oil.
• Cooling Summer Tofu – Instead of boiling the tofu, simply slice your fresh tofu into pieces. Garnish with spring onion, katsuoboshi (bonito flakes) and a drizzle of tamari or soy. This cold version is known as hiyayakko.
• Make it Vegan / Vegetarian – Use vegetarian kombu dashi instead of regular dashi, and omit the katsuoboshi. 
• Add Vegetables – Simmer sliced carrot or wakame in the hot water along with the tofu. 
• Make it a Meal – Serve with daikon pickles, Japanese salad and miso soup.

Serve your freshly made yudofu with these amazing Japanese recipes:

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