A Little Bit of NY
I grew up in New York City, and went to high school there. I used to like to hang out downtown by NYU and in the East Village a lot. There was a Japanese Izakaya type restaurant there called The Dojo. It was very cheap, and was my introduction to eating vegetarian food in high school.
Hijiki
So what’s Hijiki anyway? It’s a Japanese type of seaweed, which comes dried. You need to rehydrate it, and properly prepare it, before adding it to dishes. You may be able to find some in a Japanese grocery, already prepared too. I love to add hijiki or arame seaweed to my Tofu Scramble. This sea veggie is also great on its own as a salad, or in cucumber sunomono. I had never had it on a burger, anywhere else aside from at the Dojo.
Tofu
It’s a love-hate relationship with Tofu. It’s one of those neutral tasting foods, you either love, or hate depending on the way it is prepared, and how good the sauce is. I say that because Tofu has no taste, and the texture of it is not for everyone. It ranges from Silken to Firm. The kind I would be cooking this dish with is the firm kind. You want it as firm as possible to hold its shape, when fried. The silken kind blends perfectly into smoothies, and is great for pudding.
Gelatinous Blob?
Tofu is a beloved ingredient, not just throughout Asia, but here in the US. It is similar to cornstarch in that it acts either as a gelatinous binder, or a meat substitute, depending on how firm it is. It has no flavor on its own, but rather takes on the flavor of whichever sauce it is flavored with. You can make Tofu taste like just about anything, depending on the seasoning you use. If you like chinese food, and Japanese food, no doubt you have tried it, at the very least in Miso Soup.
Slurry
This is a mixture of cornstarch and water, which is what is referred to as slurry. It is mixed cold, and then added to a warm sauce, to thicken it. It is what makes a sauce have a translucent, gelatinous consistency. It turns a watery sauce into a thicker one, and also makes food taste more filling. It is a starch, and also adds carbs to your meal, so if you’re trying to eat low carb, you might want to avoid it.
Rice
Whenever a dish involves rice, that should always be your first step, to get the ingredient which takes the longest to cook, going first. Since brown rice takes about 40 minutes to cook, that is usually what I started cooking first. But you can also use white rice, if your short on time, which takes just 20 minutes to prepare.
Craving Japanese Food
I have loved Japanese Food, ever since I first tried it. My mom used to buy seaweed and tofu a lot, but I never really liked it much, until later in life. It was nowhere near as mainstream as it is now, and you had to find it in a health food store.. This recipe does have an awful lot of steps, but the end result was what was driving me to make this. It was all for the love of the Dojo, and that beloved dish, I was craving to have once again.
To Fry or Not to Fry
I rarely fry anything, but in order to get this as close to the original, frying was a necessary evil. Frying oils beyond their smoke point can expose us to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), and their associated fumes, which can cause cancer. Some oils are better than others in regard to their various smoke points.
All About the Sauce
The sauce used at the Dojo was sort of a cross between a gravy and a Japanese Teriyaki sauce, so I came as close as I could to what I remember. I use a “slurry,” in this, which is simply cornstarch in water. It is great for thickening sauces in a variety of dishes such as stir fries, gravy, and puddings, along with being a great binder, in place of eggs.
The Steps to Greatness
This recipe does have an awful lot of steps, but the end result was what was driving me to make this. It was all for the love of the Dojo, and that beloved dish, I was craving to have once again.
Ingredients
Rice
1 cup of prepared Brown Rice
Hijiki Tofu
1 block of Firm Tofu (drained) or Baked Tofu
1/4 cup Dried Hijiki
2 tbsp Mirin
4 tbsp Water
1 tsp Sesame oil
1/4 cup prepared Egg Replacer
1/2 cup Gluten Free Flour or Panko
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
1-2 cups of Peanut Oil, Coconut OIl, or Vegetable Oil
Red Bell Pepper finely minced (optional)
Teriyaki Gravy Sauce
1/2 cup Vegetable Broth
1 tbsp Soy Sauce
1 tbsp Mirin
1 tbsp Sugar
1 tsp Cornstarch slurry (with some of the broth)
1/2 tbsp Ponzu (Optional)
Gingered Kale
4 cups of Baby Kale
1 Ginger Cube
¼ cup Water
Salad Dressing
2″ Piece Ginger
1/2 Carrot
1 tbsp Sesame oil
1/2 tsp Soy Sauce
1/2 tsp Sugar
Salt to taste
Salad
1 cup Lettuce
Tomato slices
Cucumber slices
Onion thinly sliced
Directions
Step 1: Begin by adding brown rice into your rice cooker, using 1 cup of rice, to 2 cups of water.
Step 2: Drain and press the tofu by wedging it between a towel, and a plate.
Step 3: Prepare the hijiki. Take the dried seaweed, and soak it in warm water for about 30 minutes, then drain. Add mirin, and sesame oil, before frying it in a nonstick pan, until mirin dissolves, before setting aside.
Step 4: Make the coating for the tofu. First prepare the egg replacer, along with the flour, sifting in separate bowls.
Step 5: Heat the oil slowly on medium high heat in a cast iron skillet, or a deep saucepan, or a deep fryer.
Step 6: Make the salad dressing.
Step 7: Chop the fresh veggies for the green salad.
Step 7: Mash the tofu, and combine with hijiki, along with 1 tbsp of gluten free flour, along with salt and pepper to taste.
Step 8: Form the tofu patties to the desired size.
Step 9: Check the temperature of the oil with a food thermometer. You want it to be hot, but not smoking. You can test it’s hot enough further by tossing a pinch of the mixture in to see how it sizzles.
Step 10: Stir together the ingredients for the Teriyaki Gravy a small sauce pan, whisking so the slurry begins to activate, until thick. You can add more or less water to the gravy depending on how thick or thin you want it.
Step 11: Carefully coat the tofu patties in egg replacer, and gluten free flour.
Step 12: Dip into gluten free flour, then back in egg replacer, and then fry.
Step 13: Fry Hijiki Tofu patties a few minutes per side, until golden brown, and lay on paper towels on a plate to cool.
Step 14: Stir together the Kale, ginger, and water, for a few minutes until wilted.
The only change I made, from the original recipe, was serving this alongside sautéed ginger kale. That is up to you what you decide, if you want to add or take away.
Making Memories
I miss the Dojo Restaurant, and their Japanese comfort food. If you ever get into a similar situation, and a beloved restaurant closes, sometimes the only thing left to do, to enjoy their dishes once again, is to try to replicate them yourself. This is why memories matter, and our taste buds have a way of imprinting memories on us, like nothing else. You may not remember much about your grandmas, but would always remember her cooking, if nothing else.
I hope you enjoy this dish as much as I did. I enjoy trying to figure out how to replicate recipes I try in restaurants, because let’s face it, we can’t always go out to eat all the time, since that’s expensive.
I hope this inspires you to make your favorite dishes at home too!
About me
I’m Serafina! I’m a writer and California girl who loves to go exploring. Hope you will get outside today, breathe some fresh air, and be happy!
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