I have cooked my old post of Tofu rissoles last weekend and renamed it Japanese Hamburg Steak with Mushroom sauce.
Do the hamburg steak you make at home ever turn out dry, hard, or crumbly? Well, if you’re as bad at cooking as my daughter, you’re answer is most likely “always”. But it can even happen to the best of us. So to make sure the Japanese hamburg steak I make are always soft and juicy (and delicious), I put a little Japanese twist on them by adding tofu and this is the reason I originally named it Tofu Rissoles.
This is a popular technique in Japan because the tofu adds softness and moisture to the meat, making the Japanese hamburg steak juicier and less dry. It also doesn’t compromise the flavor of the meat but actually makes it taste even better (in my opinion). Adding the tofu is a great way to increase the amount of protein in your meal, which is great for me since I’m trying to lose weight and build muscle. Tofu is also an excellent source of iron and calcium, and is gluten and cholesterol free.
The panko (bread crumbs) act as a great absorbent for the excess water inside the tofu, however if you are making these rissoles without the panko for any dietary reasons then it is important that you remove the excess water from the tofu before you add it to the meat and start mixing the rissoles. To do this all you need to do is wrap the tofu in a paper towel, place it on a plate and place another plate (or anything heavy) on top of the tofu and leave for 10-15 minutes.
So here is the recipe and I hope it helps you overcome the issue of dry rissoles and helps you make them super juicy and delicious.
Ingredients
Hamburg
- 300 g veal and pork mince
- 300 g tofu
- 1 cup panko crumbs
- 1/2 of middle size brown onion
- 1 egg
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsppapper
- 1/4 nutmeg
Mushroom Sauce
- 2 Shiitake mushrooms sliced
- 1 bunch of Shimeji mushrooms
- 1/3 cup of Mentsuyu
- 1 cup of water
- 2 tbs Katakuriko potato starch
- 2 tbs water
Instructions
- Place the tofu in a bowl and whisk it to break it apart and make it into a paste.
- Add the panko to the bowl and mix with the tofu.
- Heat a little bit of oil in a small frying pan and cook finely chopped onion till brown over low to medium heat and cook down.
- Add the cooked onion to the tofu and panko mixture.
- Add the mince, an eg, and all spices to the mixture and mix it well.
- Roll the mixture into 8 even-sized patties and fry them in a frying pan on medium to high heat.
- While the patties are frying, mix together all the sauce ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat.
- Bring the sauce to simmer and add mushrooms to cook for a few minutes.
- Make Katakuriko mixture in a small bowl. Mix and stir water and katakuriko.
- Add katakuriko mixture to the saucepan and stir through the mixture to make the sauce thicker.
- Serve the rissoles with whatever vegetables or sides you like, then drizzle the sauce on top.
Have you tried making this with just tofu for a vegetarian version? If not, what other suggestions would you offer?
Hi Lisa no, I have not made a vegetarian version. If you make or change the ingredients, it will be one different recipe :D. If you are looking for something made from tofu, how about this Tofu steak?
this one looks so delicious!!
It’s super delicious 😀 thank you
It is super delicious 😀 thank you