Atsuage no Nitano (Whole Simmered Fried Tofu)

Quick answer

Total time: 30 min
Level: Easy
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients: 6

About this dish

Atsuage no nitano is a Fukui tofu dish made by blanching thick fried tofu to remove surface oil, cutting a cross into its center, and gently simmering each slab whole in dashi, sake, mirin, and soy sauce.

Keeping it intact produces a deeply seasoned brown exterior around the soft white tofu center. The crosscut gives broth a path into the thick middle, while ginger juice added just before the heat is turned off freshens the fried aroma. Each whole slab is served in a bowl with grated ginger rather than cut into small pieces.

Ingredients (4 servings)

Ingredient	Amount	Unit
atsuage fried tofu	2	piece
dashi	600	ml
sake	2	tbsp
mirin	2	tbsp
soy sauce	3	tbsp
ginger	20	g

Instructions

Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.

4 steps

1

Heat

Set two atsuage slabs in a sieve and slowly pour 1L boiling water over both sides to rinse surface oil.

Press gently with paper towels to dry.
2

Prep

Score a 5cm cross, 2cm deep, in the top center of each slab.

Do not cut through the bottom so each remains whole.
3

Control

Bring 600ml dashi to a simmer in a pan that just fits both slabs.

Add 2 tablespoons each sake and mirin and 3 tablespoons soy sauce, add tofu, cover with a damp paper lid, and simmer on low for 15 minutes.
4

Finish

Grate 20g ginger, squeeze juice from half, and keep half grated.

Add the juice for the final 30 seconds and turn off heat. Serve each slab whole with 3 tablespoons broth and grated ginger.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: Thick fried tofu rinsed with boiling water
Finish cue: Grate 20g ginger, squeeze juice from half, and keep half grated.
Avoid this: Do not cut through the bottom so each remains whole.