Goma Dofu (Sesame and Kudzu Tofu)
Quick answer
- Active time
- 40 min
- Waiting
- See the steps
- Level
- Medium
- Servings
- 5 servings
- Ingredients
- 3
About this dish
Despite the name, there are no soybeans or nigari here: goma dofu from the temple cooking of Koyasan in Wakayama is set from white sesame, Yoshino kudzu starch, and water alone.
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Toasted sesame is ground until oily, wrung through cloth into a rich milk, and cooked with kudzu into a block that slices smooth and springy, with the sesame fat held in rather than separating. It is served cold with wasabi soy sauce or vinegared miso.
Ingredients
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Instructions
- 1
Dry-toast 140g sesame over medium-low heat for 4 to 5 minutes, shaking constantly, until a few seeds pop and smell nutty.
Spread on a plate and cool for 5 minutes.
- 2
Blend sesame for 2 minutes, scrape the sides, and blend 1 minute more into a glossy paste.
Transfer to a mortar and grind for 5 minutes to minimize visible hull pieces.
- 3
Mix 750ml water into the sesame paste in three additions.
Pour into fine cloth and twist firmly, collecting the rich sesame liquid in a saucepan and leaving solids behind.
- 4
Whisk 70g kudzu starch into the cold sesame liquid for 1 minute until dissolved.
Set over medium heat and stir constantly with a wooden spatula, scraping the bottom and corners, for 8 to 10 minutes.
- 5
When glossy batter falls from the spatula in a slow wide ribbon and a trail holds for 3 seconds, remove from heat.
Pour into a wetted 15cm square mold, level, cool 30 minutes, chill 3 hours, and cut into five pieces.
References checked
These references were consulted when this page was prepared or corrected. A source check does not mean the recipe was independently kitchen-tested.
- 일본 농림수산성 うちの郷土料理
「伊都地方の「伝えたい味と食材」ガイド」（和歌山県伊都振興局農林水産振興部伊都地域農業改良普及センター（現 和歌山県伊都振興局農林水産振興部 農業水産振興課）） · Checked: 2026-08-11
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