Spinach Mushroom Shiraae (Japanese Mashed Tofu Salad)_Washoku Lesson

Lay out 2 sheets of heat-resistant paper towel (or just 1 sheet if using a thicker type) on a heat-safe container. Break apart the tofu and place it on the paper towels, then heat unwrapped in a microwave for 2 minutes (600W). Allow it to cool for 10 minutes.

Cut a cross shape int the ends of the spinach stalks. Then, rinse the spinach in water to remove any dirt debris. Peel the carrot, slice it thinly on a diagonal, then cut it into thin strips. Trim the root ends off the shimeji mushrooms, cut them in half lengthwise, and separate them into smaller clusters.

Put the ingredients from (A) into a bowl. Bring water to a boil in a fry pan, then blanch the carrot and shimeji mushrooms for about 1 minute. Drain the hot water, then transfer the carrot and shimeji mushrooms to the bowl.

In the same fry pan, boil one-third of the spinach for 15-20 seconds and then transfer the spinach to cold water. Boil the remaining spinach in the same way, cooling it in cold water after boiling. After that, squeeze any excess moisture from the spinach. Next, cut the spinach into lengths of 3-4cm (1.2 - 1.6 in.), and squeeze out any excess moisture again, then add to the bowl from step 3, tossing everything together.

In a separate bowl, add the tofu from step 1 and mash it with a fork until smooth. Add the ingredients of (B) and mix well. Squeeze out any excess moisture from the vegetables in step 4, then add them to the tofu mixture and combine thoroughly.