There are few venues that’ve triumphed the ever-changing landscape of Chapel Street, but like several of its iconic dishes, Tokyo Tina has stood the test of time and came out on top. One such number on the menu is the vegan-friendly miso baked cauliflower, and now, head chef Sushil Aryal is bringing the dish direct to your kitchen.
The umami-charged dish is jammed with flavour, and while the ingredients list may look overwhelming, all the ingredients can be found in Asian grocers and are versatile additions to your pantry for further down the line. And, if you want to save time, buy yourself some pre-made furikake while you’re there.
Ingredients
White miso paste rub
- 1 whole cauliflower
- 100gm white miso paste
- 20ml sesame oil
- 10ml vegetable oil
- 10ml sake
- 10gm sugar
- 10ml soy sauce
- 10ml mirin
Walnut and tofu emulsion
- 50 ml soy milk
- 50gm walnuts
- 250ml oil
- 20ml sherry vinegar
- 15gm koji (or substitute with salt according to taste)
- 50gm silken tofu
Furikake
- 10gm togarashi
- 2gm dried nori sheets shredded
- 5gm white and black sesame seeds
- 2gm sugar
- 1gm salt
Garnish
- Coriander leaves, picked
- Spring onion cut into small rounds
- Finely grated walnut with a microplane/fine grater
Method
- Preheat an oven to 200 degrees.
- Combine the white miso paste, sesame oil, vegetable oil, sake, soy sauce and mirin in a bowl and mix until smooth.
- Bring a pot large enough to fit the whole cauliflower to a boil. Add the cauliflower and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Remove the cauliflower. Once cool, rub the white miso paste into the cauliflower and place in the oven for 20-30 minutes until it forms a nice crust and colour.
- Whilst the cauliflower is roasting, make the walnut and tofu emulsion by blending the walnut, soy milk and tofu in the blender. Slowly add oil until the emulsion thickens. Season with koji and sherry vinegar.
- Mix the togarashi, dried nori sheets shredded, white and black sesame seeds, sugar and salt in a mortar and pestle and crush slightly to make furikake.
- To assemble, spread the walnut and tofu emulsion on a large plate. Place the cauliflower on top, sprinkle with furikake and garnish with coriander, spring onion and grated walnut.
Scope out more of Melbourne's most iconic dishes at home, like Capitano's Vodka pasta, here.
Image credit: supplied