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Tofu puffs are one of my favourite forms of tofu so I’m always trying to work them into another meal. These ones are light and fluffy because they are almost hollow, not the dense firm tofu that is more common. In this recipe, I’ve treated them like one of my other favourite Japanese foods – takoyaki. Have you heard of them?
Takoyaki are, quite simply, octopus balls. They are cooked in a cast iron pan with half-sphere grooves that creates their rounded shape. The recipe uses a pancake-like batter that is stuffed with a piece of cooked octopus and then topped with takoyaki sauce, Japanese mayonnaise, bonito, and seaweed flakes. I usually burn my mouth on the first one I eat because I am too impatient to let them cool down!
This recipe is much easier than traditional takoyaki as there is no cooking required. It is more of a heating and assembling operation, which makes it perfect for an appetizer for guests. The most difficult part of this recipe is locating the ingredients because they are generally not stocked in a regular supermarket. Luckily, Meinhilde and I live in Toronto, a vibrant multicultural city with plenty of ethnic grocery stores. I usually buy the tofu puffs in Chinatown, whereas I find the Japanese mayonnaise, takoyaki sauce, and bonito flakes either in a Japanese grocery store or my favourite Korean store nearby called P.A.T. Supermarket.
Ingredient substitutions
In a pinch, regular mayonnaise could be substituted for the Japanese version, and the takoyaki sauce replaced with okonomi or tonkatsu sauces. However, there isn’t a good replacement for the bonito flakes, which give the dish the final sprinkle of umami. I highly recommend sourcing them, which you can use in other Japanese dishes.
Takoyaki-Style Tofu Puffs
Ingredients
- one bag usually 142g or 5oz tofu puffs (sometimes called fried bean balls)
- 2 tbsp Japanese mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp takoyaki sauce
- 1 tsp Katsuobushi dried bonito flakes
- 1 tsp aonori green dried seaweed flakes
- thinly sliced green onion for garinsh
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees (I use my toaster oven for this).
- Lay the tofu puffs in a heat proof pan in a single layer.
- Bake the puffs for 10 minutes or until hot. Remove puffs from oven and arrange them in one layer on a serving platter.
- Garnish each puff with a small dollop of mayo and then drizzle the takoyaki sauce on top.
- Sprinkle the bonito, aonori, and sliced green onion on top and serve immediately.
These not only sound good, they look delicious! Thanks for sharing at the What’s for Dinner party! Have a fantastic week.
I am half Japanese and love takoyaki and all the toppings that go on them. I have never heard or seen tofu puffs but then again I have never tried looking for them either. Would they be in with the frozen foods or are they dry? I would love to try these and will be looking for puffs when I do my next Japanese grocery run!
The fried tofu puffs are often packaged in sealed plastic bags and sold in the refrigerated tofu section of the grocery stores. We have more luck finding them in Chinese grocery stores, since there are much more of them in Toronto. Let us know if you find them!
Thank you!