Tofu and Greens with Bonito Flakes (Okaka-ae)
豆腐のおかか和え · Tofu no Okaka-ae
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
Okaka-ae is a simple Japanese side dish where cooked vegetables are tossed with katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) and a little soy sauce. Here, cubes of firm tofu join komatsuna, cucumber and carrot, so it eats like a gentle, savory salad. The bonito flakes bring plenty of umami with very little salt, which is why children happily eat their greens this way. Everything is boiled and cooled, giving the vegetables the soft texture that little mouths find easy to chew.
Wheat-free, but uses soy sauce (made with wheat). Japanese school-lunch allergy menus usually allow it, so check with your doctor. How to read the labels
Added. Open the recipe helper (bottom right) → ☰ Menu → 🛒 Shopping list to see the ingredients for your family size.
Printing uses the number of adults and children set under Ingredients, so set those first.
Ingredients
Amounts for 1 child (1 serving). An adult counts as 2 servings.
One serving here is 1.5× the portion served to a child in a Japanese preschool, sized for Western appetites. An adult counts as two servings. Tap an ingredient to check it off.
Ingredients
- 30 gkomatsunaA mild Japanese leafy green (Japanese mustard spinach) with tender stems. Substitute: Spinach or bok choy.
- 10.5 gcucumber
- 9 gcarrot
- 45 gfirm tofu
Seasonings
- 3 gsoy sauce
- 0.8 gkatsuobushi (dried bonito flakes)Paper-thin shavings of dried, smoked skipjack tuna that add a savory, smoky depth as a topping or stock base. Substitute: A pinch of dashi powder, or omit.
About the Japanese ingredients in this recipe
- komatsuna (こまつな)
- A mild Japanese leafy green (Japanese mustard spinach) with tender stems. Substitute: Spinach or bok choy.
- katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) (かつお削り節)
- Paper-thin shavings of dried, smoked skipjack tuna that add a savory, smoky depth as a topping or stock base. Substitute: A pinch of dashi powder, or omit.
Directions
- 1
Cut the komatsuna into 2 cm lengths and cut the cucumber and carrot into short, thin strips. Boil each vegetable separately, then rinse under cold running water to cool.
- 2
Cut the tofu into 1.5 cm cubes, boil, then rinse under cold running water to cool. Drain well.
- 3
Squeeze the vegetables from step 1 firmly to remove excess water, then toss with the tofu from step 2, the soy sauce and the bonito flakes.
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 48 kcal | 96 kcal | 48 kcal |
| Protein | 4.7 g | 9.3 g | 4.7 g |
| Fat | 2.3 g | 4.5 g | 2.3 g |
| Carbohydrates | 3 g | 6 g | 3 g |
| Fiber | 1.5 g | 3 g | 1.5 g |
| Salt equivalent | 0.5 g | 0.9 g | 0.5 g |
| Calcium | 100.5 mg | 201 mg | 100.5 mg |
| Iron | 1.7 mg | 3.3 mg | 1.7 mg |
| Potassium | 265.5 mg | 531 mg | 265.5 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Fiber | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | Potassium | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 48 kcal | 4.7 g | 2.3 g | 3 g | 1.5 g | 0.5 g | 100.5 mg | 1.7 mg | 265.5 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 96 kcal | 9.3 g | 4.5 g | 6 g | 3 g | 0.9 g | 201 mg | 3.3 mg | 531 mg |
Values are per serving (1.5× the Japanese preschool portion); an adult serving is double. They were calculated by a licensed Japanese nutritionist using the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan. "Salt equivalent" is sodium × 2.54, the standard Japanese measure. Allergen flags cover egg, milk and wheat only and come from the nutritionist's records. Soy sauce and miso are made with wheat but are usually allowed on Japanese wheat-free school menus, so check with your doctor.
