Iri-Dofu also written as iridofu, is one of my families favourite tofu dishes. It is a popular Japanese family meal. It is a quick, easy and healthy meal to make. Basically it is scrambled tofu with vegetables and egg cooked in a sweet and savoury sauce made from sugar, sake, mirin and soya sauce.

Because I'm a celiac I use gluten-free soya sauce. Always read the ingredients label to make sure you are using gluten-free products if you are a celiac like me. Companies do change their ingredients sometimes.

In this recipe I use frozen mixed vegetables (corn, peas, carrots and green beans). You can use fresh vegetables too such as mushrooms, carrots, peas, and green beans. Just make sure they are cut into small pieces and fry until cooked before adding the tofu. It is a very versatile dish. I often use any leftover vegetables I have in the fridge too.

• What is tofu?
• How do you make tofu taste good?
• Gluten-Free Iri-Dofu Recipe

What is tofu?

Tofu is made from soybeans. The soybeans are made into a curdled soy milk which is separated and pressed into block shapes using a process that is similar to making cheese. The solid mixture mixture removed from the soy milk is called "okara" and is used in Japanese cooking. I haven't seen it available in the part of Canada I live in.

Tofu is a great source of protein. It is available in many forms. As soft tofu, which has a soft custard-like consistency. I like to eat soft tofu cold in the summer in a dish called Hiyayakko. I also prefer soft tofu in my miso soup. It has a delicate flavour.

Medium and Firm tofu are popular in many dishes as they keep their shape. I like to use medium tofu in my Iridofu.

There are many forms of deep fried tofu such as aburaage a thin sheet of fried tofu used to make inarizushi and in Kitsune udon or ramen. There is a thicker type of deep fried tofu called atsuage which I like as it is with a sauce or in stir fries, or stews.

Koyadofu is a freeze dried tofu. You can buy it or make your own by putting a block of medium tofu in the freezer. This changes the tofu's texture. It becomes spongy in texture, with holes. This allows the tofu to soak up the flavours of the dish you put it in.

Of course, there are by-products from the tofu making process that are delicious too. Okara is the solid mixture removed from the soy milk mixture used to make tofu. It is used to make soya patties and dried in smoothies. The skin of the tofu making liquid is called yuba and is also used in recipes.

You can make your own tofu if you like. If you are up for the challenge and want to try making your own tofu here is a great website that tells you how. It is The Japan Store Blog. They have very clear instructions and wonderful photos.

Have you made your own tofu from scratch? How did it turn out?

How do you make tofu taste good?

Tofu has a bland flavour. If you are not used to cooking with it then it can be intimidating. Think of tofu as a base to add flavour too.

I live in Canada and I have never been able to buy fresh tofu like I could when I lived in Japan. Fresh tofu tastes very different in my opinion to the packaged tofu. But, here I can only buy packaged tofu, so I find it improves the flavour of medium/firm tofu by first rinsing it in cold water. Then for medium/firm tofu, it is good to either boil it briefly or cook in the microwave for a minute. Then pat the tofu dry or put in a strainer with a weight to remove some of the excess liquid. This process allows some of the liquid in the tofu to be removed and then the tofu soaks up the flavours that you use to cook it better. Note: Don't rinse or pre-boil/microwave soft tofu or flavoured tofus. They can be eaten as is.

Cooking the tofu with other foods in a sauce or stew is a great way to add flavour to tofu.

I use gluten-free soya sauce and mirin as my main flavouring agents. If you are going to grill firm tofu then marinading it helps infuse flavours into the tofu. If you are just scrambling the tofu for a vegan scramble then adding your favourite spices such as turmeric, onion and garlic powder and cumin are tasty. Adding tofu to swops and stews is a great ways to get more protein. In hot pots and nabes tofu is often one of the ingredients.

Not in the recipe featured in this blog, but coating tofu in gluten-free cornstarch or potato starch or gluten-free flour and deep frying gives tofu a whole new flavour and texture. Great eaten as agedashi tofu, which is deep-fried crispy tofu in a soya sauce and dashi broth with grated daikon and ginger. This is a great cold day meal.

Gluten-Free Iri-Dofu Recipe

'Iri' in Japanese means stir fry and 'dofu' means tofu. In Japanese the word tofu is combined with another word in the front of it, the "t" sound changes to a softer "d" sound.

Iridofu is often translated to Scramble Tofu and not stir fried tofu because the finished dish looks similar to fried egg dishes.

This is a very popular family meal in Japan. My family loves it. I like to make this version using frozen mixed vegetables when I need a quick meal. You can make iridofu using fresh vegetables such as carrots, shitake mushrooms or other mushrooms, green beans, peas, sugar snap peas, burdock root. The vegetables should be cut into small pieces and cooked before adding the tofu. Some families add cooked meat such as chicken or pork or minced meat. Meat should also be cut into small pieces and cooked before adding the tofu.

I like using Sunrise Medium Tofu. Sunrise is a Canadian company. If you want to learn more about them or try some of the recipes here is a link to their website. You can use firm tofu too. I don't recommend soft tofu as you want the tofu to retain its shape.

I like using Kikkoman's gluten-free soya sauce. Here is a link to their US website. I couldn't find a Canadian website. But, most of the gluten-free products on this website are available in Canadian grocery stores.

Gluten-Free Iri-dofu (Scrambled Sweet and Savory Tofu) Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 block of tofu (I use Sunrise medium tofu 454 gram package)
• 450 grams of frozen mixed vegetables
• 2 eggs
• 2 Tbsps oil for frying
• 2 Tbsps sugar
• 2 Tbsps sake
• 2 Tbsps mirin
• 2 Tbsps gluten-free soya sauce
• salt and pepper to taste
• Optional: thinly sliced green onions

Directions

1. Rinse and drain tofu. Wrap tofu lightly in paper towel and put on a microwave safe plate. Put tofu in the microwave for 1 minute. Then carefully remove (will be hot) and remove paper towel. I put mine in a strainer over a bowl for about 10 minutes, for any remaining liquid to drain. Then pat dry with more paper towel. You can use a clean tea towel instead of paper towel. Heating in the microwave will remove some excess water from the tofu and allow it to absorb the flavours of the sauce.
2. Defrost frozen vegetables, and drain any excess liquid.
3. In a frying pan or wok add your vegetable oil and your defrosted vegetables and cook on medium heat for about 2 minutes.
4. Add the tofu. You can either break it up by breaking it up into small pieces with a spoon or spatula in the frying pan, or cut into small cubes and add the the pan. Fry for about 3 minutes until any liquid has evaporated and the vegetables and tofu are warm. Stirring often.
5. Mix your sauce ingredients together in a small bowl. That is the sugar, sake, mirin and gluten-free soya sauce. Once the sugar is dissolved add to the vegetable/tofu mixture. Stir. Turn the heat down to simmer and stirring often until the liquid is almost all evaporated.
6. Pour the beaten eggs over the tofu mixture. Stir until combined. Cook for another couple of minutes until the egg is cooked.
7. Add salt and pepper to taste. Taste test and adjust the sweetness by adding more sugar or mirin. Adjust the soya sauce taste by adding more gluten-free soya sauce if needed.
8. Serve in a large bowl. Garnish with thinly sliced green onions if desired. Serve with rice and miso soup.

This is a very versatile dish. Easy to adjust to your tastes. Add more of less sugar and/or glute-free soya sauce as you like. Have you made iridofu before? What ingredients do you like to add?

Note: These are my personal experiences and opinions. Always seek out a medical opinion for medical concerns. Not sponsored. If sponsored I will always say so at the top of the post.