#nikudofu

Serves 2 (~400 calories) (*pictured: recipe doubled) 200g firm tofu 100g thin-sliced beef or pork 1/2 ‘thumb’ of ginger 1/2 stalk leeks Sesame oil [A] 150 ml dashi [A] 3 tbsp sake [A] 1~2.5 tbsp sugar* [A] 1 tbsp mirin*  [A] 3 tbsp soy sauce Shichimi togarashi spice blend (to serve)** (1) Let tofu drain in colander for 5~10 min., then cut into large pieces. Cut ginger into matchsticks, and cut leek into large diagonal rounds. (2) Heat sesame oil in large saucepan. Add meat and fry until color begins to change. Add leeks and fry until color begins to change. (3) Add ginger. Add [A] ingredients one at a time.  (4) Skim off any foam. Add tofu and leek. Simmer ~10 min. over low heat. (5) Serve with shichimi togarashi.

*2.5 tablespoons of sugar plus mirin is going to come out quite sweet. I usually stick to about 1 tbsp of sugar. My husband tends to prefer it without the mirin (which some recipes do eliminate). **This is not very spicy and is shelf-stable pretty much indefinitely. If you can’t find it, you could try combining cayenne or chili flakes with toasted sesame seeds or try to make your own (but honestly it seems harder to obtain the ingredients individually).