Kencho Simmered Tofu and Daikon

Quick answer

Total time: 43 min
Level: Easy
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients: 6

About this dish

Kencho is an everyday Yamaguchi dish of well-drained firm tofu crumbled into oil, stir-fried to remove some moisture, and simmered with daikon and carrot in soy sauce and sake.

Coating the vegetables with oil before seasoning helps the daikon absorb flavor even though the finished dish has little free liquid. It was often cooked in a large pot and reheated for later meals, and it remains familiar both at home and in school lunches across the prefecture.

Ingredients (4 servings)

Ingredient	Amount	Unit
firm tofu	200	g
daikon radish	400	g
carrot	40	g
cooking oil	2	tsp
soy sauce	2	tbsp
sake	2	tbsp

Instructions

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

4 steps

1

Finish

Set 200g firm tofu in a colander, weigh it down lightly with a plate, and drain for 20 minutes.

Blot the surface dry, then crumble by hand into irregular pieces about 2cm wide.
2

Prep

Peel 400g daikon and 40g carrot.

Cut the daikon into 5mm quarter rounds and the carrot into 2 to 3mm quarter rounds so they become tender at about the same time.
3

Control

Heat 2 teaspoons cooking oil in a pot over medium heat for 30 seconds, then add the crumbled tofu.

Stir in broad strokes for 3 to 4 minutes, until tofu liquid no longer pools on the bottom.
4

Control

Add the daikon and carrot and stir-fry for 2 minutes to coat them evenly with oil.

Pour in 2 tablespoons soy sauce and 2 tablespoons sake, cover, and simmer over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes. Turn once midway; stop when the daikon is translucent and soy-colored and almost no liquid remains.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: Pressed tofu crumbled into irregular 2cm pieces
Finish cue: Turn once midway; stop when the daikon is translucent and soy-colored and almost no liquid remains.
Storage and reheating: It was often cooked in a large pot and reheated for later meals, and it remains familiar both at home and in school lunches across the prefecture.