Just Bento

I am always on the lookout for vegan/vegetarian protein recipes that are bento friendly, and this flat oven baked loaf is another one. It’s called triple-soy because it has tofu, edamame and miso in it. It has a very dense, rich texture with a sweet-salty glaze. One or two small squares are quite enough for a bento. It may fall apart a bit during transport, but that doesn’t affect the texture or flavor. If you can, put it in its own compartment in your bento.

This is adapted quite a lot from a recipe in one of Yumiko Kano’s vegan cookbooks. Her recipe used green peas, where I have used edamame for the higher protein content, and a lot of very Japanese ingredients that may be difficult to assemble outside of Japan. So I’ve experimented and used a lot of more universally available substitions. The only ingredient that you may not have on hand is kuzu powder (more about kuzu here), but it’s such a great thickening ingredient that it’s worth having on hand. Kuzu is superior to cornstarch, flour and so on since sauces thickened with it stay clear and thick even after cooling. But if you can’t get kuzu, just use cornstarch or potato starch instead.

Recipe: Glazed Triple-Soy Loaf

For the loaf:

• 1 extra-firm tofu (about 300g / 10 1/2 oz.)
• 1 cup shelled edamame
• 1 Tbs. miso (white miso is preferred, but any will do. If it’s very salty, omit the salt)
• Pinch of salt
• 1/3 cup soft bread crumbs
• 2 Tbs. dessicated potato (for making instant mashed potatoes) OR 1 small potato, grated + 1 Tbs. cornstarch or potato starch
• 1 Tbs. tahini or peanut butter
• 2 Tbs. flour
• Vegetable oil

For the glaze:

• 1 Tbs. kuzu powder or cornstarch
• 3 Tbs. water
• 1 Tbs. soy sauce
• 1 Tbs. mirin OR 2 tsp. maple syrup + 1 tsp more water
• Some sesame seeds or kalongi (nigella) seeds or poppy seeds (optional)

Equipment suggested: Food processor

Preheat the oven to 200° C / 400° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicon baking sheet.

Press the water out of the tofu by placing it between two plates and leaving for a while.

To shell frozen edamame, pour some boiling water over then and drain; pop out the beans inside. You will probably need about 2 1/2 - 3 cups of whole edamame for 1 cup of shelled. (Alternatively use frozen green peas that have been defrosted.)

If you are using a raw potato and not desiccated potato, peel and grate it and mix with the cornstarch or potato starch

Drain and dry off the tofu. Put all the loaf ingredients except the edamame and oil into a food processor. Process until smooth. Add the edamame and pulse until the edamame is chopped up but not totally mashed. If it seems too moist, add 1 more tablespoon of dessicated potato or flour.

(If mixing by hand, finely mash the tofu or pass through a sieve, and combine well with the other ingredients. Roughly mash the edamame and add to the mix.)

Form the mix into a flat loaf (about 25cm / 8 inches or so square) on the lined baking sheet. Smooth the surface with a spatula or your hands and a little oil. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until very lightly browned on top and a bit firm.

While it bakes, make the glaze. Mix all the glaze ingredients together in a small pan until the kuzu is dissolved. Heat the pan over low-medium heat, mixing all the time, until the mixture becomes smooth and clear and thick.

Spread the glaze over the warm loaf, and scatter with sesame seeds or kalongi (nigella) seeds or poppy seeds (optional). Let cool completely, and cut into 9 squares (or smaller if you prefer).

This freezes well. To defrost, put into a very lightly oiled frying pan over medium-low heat, cover the pan and let steam-cook. You can also bring it frozen - it will defrost nicely by lunchtime.

Notes

• To make this gluten-free, use gluten-free breadcrumbs and 2 Tbs. desiccated potato instead of the flour.
• To make this spicy, use Kochujang instead of miso.
• If you don’t have edamame, or don’t want to bother with shelling them, use frozen green peas.
• Instead of baking as a loaf, make small patties with oiled hands and fry them in a frying pan.
• The loaf is very interesting as a sandwich filling, or spread on crackers.