Tofu Salad with Red Shiso, Nori, Bonito Flakes and Banno Soy Sauce

It all started with this cute little pot of red shiso microherbs that I found in Northbridge Plaza.

We used to live in a townhouse a few blocks away from this plaza and I haven't been back there often since we moved to a different suburb a few years ago. I have always loved to shop there because of the Tokyo Mart and Alfresco Emporium (they have since moved to Collaroy). Over the years though, lots of the independent retailers such as the bookstore, the bakery and some of the clothing stores have been replaced by bigger chain stores.

A few weeks ago, I have started going to a new Pilates studio for my weekly Pilates lesson. The Pilates studio is close to this plaza and so I started to shop there again and I love what I have found in Antico's Fruit World adjacent to Tokyo Mart. One of The Wiggles segment to promote fresh fruits and vegetables for kids was filmed here and I believe Tokyo Mart is the place where Maeve O'Meara and Tetsuya Wakuda filmed shopping for Japanese grocery in one of the episodes of Food Safari, but please correct me if I am wrong.

Zucchini Flower Tempura, Posh Prawn Toast (recipe coming soon) and this tofu salad dish are the results of my finds from Antico's Fruit World. Red shiso leaves are often used in Japan to make tempura, and to color pickled plums (umeboshi). They can also be used fresh in salads, soups, and as a garnish.

I reckon the anise flavour from the leaves pairs wonderfully with the silky texture of tofu. I grabbed what I had from my pantry - nori (Japanese seaweed) and bonito flakes (katsuobushi), and whipped up this quick and easy salad.

I have adapted the Banno soy sauce (I have slightly adjusted the proportion of the mirin & soy sauce) from my favourite Japanese cookbook author, Harumi Kurihara. It is a simple sauce that is made of mirin, soy sauce and kombu seaweed (dried kelp) and it is slightly milder and sweeter than the normal soy sauce and can be used in many different dishes including this salad. You can make a large batch and store in refrigerator.

Tofu Salad with Red Shiso, Nori, Bonito and Banno Soy Sauce Serve 4

Ingredient

2 blocks silken firm tofu (or use my homemade tofu recipe)
Handful of red shiso microherbs
1 small sheet of nori (Japanese seaweed), use a kitchen scissors to cut into small batons
2 tbsp Bonito flakes

Banno Soy Sauce:
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/8 cup mirin
1 inch piece kombu seaweed

Method

1. Heat mirin in a small saucepan under medium heat. Bring to a boil and simmer for a further 2-3 minutes to burn off the alcohol.
2. Remove from heat and add soy sauce and kombu.
3. Let it cool to room temperature and refrigerate until needed.
4. Slice tofu into small blocks and lay them out on serving plate.
5. Sprinkle with red shiso, bonito flakes and nori.
6. Pour the banno soy sauce over the salad and serve immediately.