Jimami Tofu (Peanut Tofu) with Sweetened Soy Sauce

adapted from Benjamin Egli

Jimami tofu is an Okinawan specialty made from peanuts and sweet potato starch.

Cook Time 20

Resting Time 1 6

Total Time 1 6 20

Course Dessert

Cuisine Japanese

Servings 4 people

shallow container with lid
blender
fine mesh sieve
medium saucepan
small baking dish (around 2 litres)
clean dishcloth
large roasting pan or casserole dish for water bath (big enough for the baking dish to fit inside)

Place the raw peanuts in shallow container. Add the water and let them soak for 24 hours, covered in the fridge.
Pour the peanut and water mixture into a blender and purée until smooth.
Pour the blended mixture into a fine mesh sieve set over a saucepan. Squeeze the contents of the sieve to extract all the liquid.
Add the sweet potato starch to the pan. Bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes.
Pour the contents into a small cloth-lined baking dish (the one I used was 2 litres). Smooth the surface of the tofu and then fold the cloth over the top.
Set the dish into a water bath and bring to room temperature. Then transfer the dish into the fridge and chill tofu for 6 hours.
After 6 hours, unwrap the tofu. Slice it into pieces and place them on a serving dish. Top with the sauce and serve.

While the tofu is chilling, make the sauce. Add soy sauce, mirin and sugar to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Stir the contents to dissolve the sugar. Once the sugar dissolves, turn off the heat and allow the sauce to cool.

Keyword jimami tofu, peanut tofu