Tofu Nuggets
豆腐ナゲット · Tofu Nugget
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
These nuggets stretch a little ground pork with plenty of firm tofu, plus finely chopped carrot and green onion tucked inside. The tofu keeps them soft and light, so even small children can bite through them easily, and the mild soy-and-salt seasoning lets kids enjoy them with no sauce at all. Shaped with a spoon straight into the oil, they are quick to make, and the binder is potato starch rather than egg or flour, which makes them a handy main dish.
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
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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
- 15 gcarrot
- 15 ggreen onion (naga negi)Japanese long onion, thicker and milder than Western scallions. Substitute: Scallions or the white part of a leek.
- 67.5 gfirm tofu
- 15 gground pork
Seasonings
- 6.6 gpotato starch (katakuriko)Japanese potato starch used for thickening sauces and coating fried foods. Substitute: Cornstarch: start with the same amount and add a little more if it is still thin. It thickens a little less than potato starch and needs a couple of minutes at a gentle bubble to reach full thickness.
- 0.7 gsoy sauce
- 0.3 gsalt
- 9 gvegetable oil
About the Japanese ingredients in this recipe
- green onion (naga negi) (ねぎ)
- Japanese long onion, thicker and milder than Western scallions. Substitute: Scallions or the white part of a leek.
- potato starch (katakuriko) (かたくり粉)
- Japanese potato starch used for thickening sauces and coating fried foods. Substitute: Cornstarch: start with the same amount and add a little more if it is still thin. It thickens a little less than potato starch and needs a couple of minutes at a gentle bubble to reach full thickness. Read the guide: Katakuriko (Japanese Potato Starch) and What to Use Instead → Guide: japanese-school-lunch.com/articles/katakuriko-potato-starch/
Directions
Video is in Japanese and may show a different version of this dish (other ingredients or steps). Follow the ingredients and steps on this page, especially when cooking for allergies.
- 1
Finely mince the carrot and green onion.
- 2
Boil the tofu, drain it in a colander, then mash it in the colander and press out the water well.
- 3
Combine the minced vegetables from step 1, the tofu from step 2, the ground pork, potato starch, soy sauce, and salt, and mix well.
- 4
Scoop up spoonfuls of the mixture, gently shape each into an oval, and deep-fry in oil at 180°C (350°F).
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 195 kcal | 390 kcal | 195 kcal |
| Protein | 7.8 g | 15.6 g | 7.8 g |
| Fat | 14.9 g | 29.7 g | 14.9 g |
| Carbohydrates | 9 g | 18 g | 9 g |
| Fiber | 1.7 g | 3.3 g | 1.7 g |
| Salt equivalent | 0.5 g | 0.9 g | 0.5 g |
| Calcium | 75 mg | 150 mg | 75 mg |
| Iron | 1.2 mg | 2.4 mg | 1.2 mg |
| Potassium | 198 mg | 396 mg | 198 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Fiber | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | Potassium | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 195 kcal | 7.8 g | 14.9 g | 9 g | 1.7 g | 0.5 g | 75 mg | 1.2 mg | 198 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 390 kcal | 15.6 g | 29.7 g | 18 g | 3.3 g | 0.9 g | 150 mg | 2.4 mg | 396 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.
