Puchiko is a flexitarian, meaning she generally avoids meat. However, she loves the taste of Karaage (Japanese fried chicken), so the version she makes is quite unique.
Most people who don’t eat meat use store-bought soy meat substitutes. But Puchiko doesn’t prefer them because the ones available at most supermarkets often contain various additives, are a bit pricey, and the pieces are usually too small for proper Karaage.
So, Puchiko decided to create her own soy-meat substitute and turn that into Karaage. Since I’m a pescetarian myself, I thought this recipe would be a great reference for others with similar dietary preferences.
With Puchiko’s permission, I’d like to introduce her “Hand Made Soy Meat” Karaage recipe on this blog. Even if you’re not vegetarian, I highly encourage non-Japanese readers who enjoy Japanese food to try it! I think finding good vegetarian or vegan options might be easier overseas than in Japan, so I hope this proves helpful.
Table of Contents
Ingredients of “Hand Made Soy Meat” Karaage
• Tofu: 300g (10.6 oz)
• Garlic: 2 cloves
• Ginger: 1 piece
• Soy Sauce: 15ml (1 tbsp)
• Cooking Sake: 20ml (4 tsp)
• Sesame Oil: 5ml (1 tsp)
• Rice Flour: 80g (2.8 oz)
• Oil for Frying
A Note on Ingredients
Most homemade soy meat recipes recommend using firm tofu (momen tofu in Japanese), but while Puchiko used firm tofu initially, she recently started using silken tofu as well. She doesn’t really stick rigidly to either firm or silken.
If you don’t have rice flour, you can use cornstarch or potato starch. For those with a renal disease that requires protein restriction, like my ally Puchiko, using starch or rice flour is highly recommended over wheat flour, as it helps keep the protein content low. It also gives the coating a satisfyingly crispy texture.
Instructions of “Hand Made Soy Meat” Karaage
Step 1: Prep the Tofu
First, freeze the tofu overnight.
Once a night has passed, thaw the tofu. You can use a microwave to speed up the process. However, if you use the microwave, it will likely be steaming hot, so make sure to cool it completely before proceeding.
Step 2: Squeeze and Drain
Cut the tofu into 6 pieces and begin squeezing the water out. It will likely break apart, but don’t worry! Just squeeze it tightly while trying to shape it. Squeeze all the pieces completely until the liquid has been released. Set the squeezed tofu aside in a separate bowl.
The water squeezed from the tofu
Step 3: Make the Marinade
Next, grate the garlic and ginger. Put the grated mixture into a bowl. Add the soy sauce, cooking sake, and sesame oil, and mix them well to create the marinade.
Step 4: Prepare the Coating and Oil
Put the rice flour into a bowl. At the same time, start heating the oil. Pour enough oil into a frying pan so that you can deep-fry the pieces.
Step 5: Marinate and Coat
Now, place the squeezed tofu into the marinade (the sauce with the grated garlic, ginger, sake, soy sauce, and sesame oil). The tofu will likely crumble when you put it in. Since it will crumble, use your hands to scoop up the garlic and ginger along with the tofu, shaping it as you gently squeeze it again. Since the tofu quickly absorbs the soy sauce and sake, gently squeezing it again at this stage won’t make the flavor weak.
Once you have shaped the piece, immediately put it into the bowl containing the rice flour.
Once you put it on the rice flour, coat it completely.
Important: Do NOT leave it sitting.
Dive the shaped tofu into the rice flour. Once it’s completely covered in the powder, immediately place it into the hot oil for frying. If you let it sit even for a moment after coating, it will crumble. If it crumbles, it’s impossible to fix, so get it into the hot oil immediately after coating. You don’t have time to take photos!
If you leave it like this, it will crumble the moment you try to pick it up, so this step is strictly prohibited.
In fact, after Puchiko took a photo, her first batch of Karaage crumbled. She managed to reshape it, but it was a struggle!
Step 6: Fry to Golden Brown
Fry the Karaage until it turns a nice golden brown color.
Step 7: Finish
Once completely fried, transfer the pieces to a plate lined with a kitchen paper towel to drain the excess oil. And it’s done!
Hand Made Soy Meat Karaage, It’s done.
What do you think? The aroma is incredibly delicious and smells just like authentic Karaage. Since it’s not actual meat, the texture when you bite into it is a bit softer than regular Karaage, and it’s less greasy. But it is delicious! This is the cross-section.
Cross-section of Hand Made Soy Meat Karaage!
Puchiko often packs this “Hand Made Soy Meat” Karaage in her bento box. This recipe is great not just for those with renal disease, but also for vegetarians, pescetarians, vegans, and lacto-ovo vegetarians. As long as you don’t have a soy allergy, please give it a try!