Goma Dofu
4
servings
Side Dish
Course
Print Recipe
Ingredients
Directions
Ingredients
⅓ c
sesame paste
2¼ c
water
1 tbsp
mirin
1 tbsp
sake
Salt to taste
Sugar to taste (if you're using as a dessert)
Splash of rice wine vinegar
⅔ c
kudzu powder
Goma dofu is a panna cotta–like sesame custard and a staple of shojin ryori, the food of Japanese Buddhist monks. With a sprinkle of soy sauce and some freshly grated wasabi, it can act as a simple, refreshing start to a meal. Blended into some ice cream or with a bit of added sugar and some fresh fruit, it can become a nutty base for a dessert.
I’ve adapted the recipe so you won’t have to make sesame milk, but if you have a high-powered blender, you could soak and blend white sesames into the water instead of using sesame paste.
Directions
- Combine all of the liquids. Add a little of the liquid to the kudzu to make a smooth paste. Incorporate into the remaining liquid and place in a pot.
- Cook over low heat, stirring often, until it thickens into a pudding-like texture. This may take anywhere from 10 to 25 minutes.
- Spray a square or rectangular pan with cooking spray and pour the mixture into it. Smooth out the top and let set in the fridge for 3 or 4 hours. Unmold onto a cutting board and slice using a knife that's run through hot water after each cut. This should be eaten the day it’s made or it will begin to get a bit gummy.
Maya Okada Erickson
Maya Okada Erickson is the pastry chef at Langbaan in Portland, OR, and TASTE's first Baker in Residence. You can find her on Instagram as @tuilesfromthecrypt.