Shiraae Vegetables in Tofu Sesame Dressing

Quick answer

Total time: 60 min
Level: Easy
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients: 9

About this dish

Shiraae is a Tochigi home side dish that turns well-drained firm tofu into a smooth white dressing with sugar, salt, and ground sesame, then folds it around seasoned carrot and konnyaku immediately before serving.

In mountain communities where tofu was once scarce, neighbors shared equipment to make it for New Year, weddings, funerals, and shrine festivals. It is now an everyday dish throughout the year. Konnyaku is briefly boiled first to reduce its characteristic odor and cut to match the carrot. Both are simmered in dashi with sugar and salt, absorb the seasoning, and must cool completely so their moisture does not loosen the tofu dressing. The tofu is weighted for thirty minutes and ground until no curds remain visible. Mixing waits until the last moment, and a light folding motion keeps the dressing white while preserving the vegetables' clear shape.

Ingredients (4 servings)

Ingredient	Amount	Unit
firm cotton tofu	380	g
sugar for dressing	30	g
salt for dressing	5	g
ground sesame	18	g
carrot	80	g
konnyaku	160	g
sugar for simmering	9	g
salt for simmering	2	g
dashi stock	100	ml

Instructions

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

6 steps

1

Finish

Wrap 380g firm tofu in a clean cloth, place it on a flat plate, and weight it with a light plate for 30 minutes.

Discard the released water and pat the tofu dry.
2

Heat

Cut 160g konnyaku into strips 4cm long and 5mm wide, boil for 2 minutes, and drain.

Cut 80g carrot into matching strips.
3

Control

Combine 100ml dashi, 9g simmering sugar, 2g simmering salt, konnyaku, and carrot in a small pan.

Simmer over medium heat for about 8 minutes until little liquid remains and the carrot is tender.
4

Finish

Spread the simmered konnyaku and carrot in one layer on a wide plate and cool completely to room temperature.

Drain away any remaining liquid.
5

Season

Grind the drained tofu in a mortar until no curds remain visible.

Add 30g dressing sugar, 5g dressing salt, and 18g ground sesame, and mix until creamy and smooth.
6

Finish

Immediately before serving, add the cooled konnyaku and carrot to the tofu dressing and fold gently from bottom to top about six times. Mound on four plates and serve at once.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: Made with 380g well-drained firm tofu
Finish cue: Simmer over medium heat for about 8 minutes until little liquid remains and the carrot is tender.
Storage and reheating: Both are simmered in dashi with sugar and salt, absorb the seasoning, and must cool completely so their moisture does not loosen the tofu dressing.