Kaminari Tofu

Kaminari Tofu isn't the prettiest dish in the world, but don't let its messy appearance fool you; it's delicious! The name literally means "thunder tofu," which comes from the noise the tofu makes when you add it to the hot pan.

Taste and texture-wise, it's reminiscent of agedashi tofu, except it's far simpler to make. You do need to have some agedama and mentsuyu to make it, though, but I have recipes for both, and they're great ingredients to have on hand.

Agedama, sometimes referred to as "tenkasu," is just the bits of fried tempura batter that float to the surface when making tempura. Recipes like my Mushroom Tempura make a ton of this byproduct, and you can store them in a sealed bag in the freezer, so you have them on hand for topping noodle soups or making dishes like this. If you have a Japanese grocery store nearby, you should also be able to buy it in packs.

The other ingredient you'll need is mentsuyu. This is a concentrated mixture of soy sauce, dashi, and seasonings which is usually diluted and used for noodle soups in Japan, but it also makes for a tasty seasoning for just about anything.