Vegan Teriyaki 'Salmon' 鮭の照り焼き (Teriyaki Tofu Fish)

Name: Vegan Teriyaki 'Salmon'
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Cuisine: japanese
Ingredients: 180g Medium Firm Tofu, water pressed out; 12g bean curd sticks or dried yuba, rehydrated (approx.30g rehydrated net weight); 25g nagaimo (Japanese mountain yam / Chinese yam); 1/2 tsp kombu dashi granules, optional (or shiitake mushroom powder or dulse flakes); 1/8 tsp smoked salt; 2-3 tsp potato starch (10g); 1/2 sheet of nori; 2 tbsp + 1 tsp mirin (35ml); 2 tbsp + 1 tsp sake (35ml); 1 tbsp cane sugar (13g); 3 tbsp Japanese soy sauce (45ml // gluten free as needed); 1/2 tsp ginger juice; cooked rice; toasted sesame seeds; spring onion

April 28, 2021 By Lisa Kitahara 59 Comments

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Delicious Vegan 'Salmon' glazed with homemade authentic Japanese teriyaki sauce. Serve this teriyaki tofu 'fish', with rice, miso soup and vegetables for a easy & healthy protein packed meal!

Teriyaki salmon, another one of Japan's classic popular dish loved by everyone. It's a dish my mom would make for us at least once a week and I look forward to it every time. It's something I definitely have missed since going vegan so when choosing what seafood dishes I wasnted to veganize, I knew I wanted to tackle a 'fish' fillet glazed with teriyaki.

How to Make Vegan Salmon

Ingredients (+substitutions)

When coming up with this recipe, I knew I wanted to use tofu and bean curds since it has that 'shredded' look and texture. Next, I needed to think of a way to combine it all together so turned to my new favourite binder / egg replacer, nagaimo. I used this yam in my kaki fry recipe and it was the perfect binder– it worked perfectly in this recipe too! I also used a bit of potato starch to ensure it sticks together and to absorb any unwanted excess moisture.

For flavour, I used kombu dashi granules which has a slightly sea-scented flavour. I've also made this with mushroom broth powder and dulse flakes which also gives a similar umami fishy flavour. Instead of regular salt, I used smoked salt for a boost of flavour.

Directions

Prepare the tofu: Wrap the tofu with a lint-free kitchen cloth and place a heavy object on top to press out the tofu for at least 20 minutes. It's okay if the tofu looks like it's going to break a little since we are crumbling later on. Alternatively, wrap the tofu with a paper towel and microwave for 2 minutes (one minute intervals). Once cool enough to handle, press the tofu between your hands to remove excess liquid.
Prepare the yuba: Use kitchen scissors to cut the yuba into shreds.
Make the 'fish': Mash the tofu into a paste-like consistency. Grate the nagaimo into the bowl. Add the bean curd sticks, kombu dashi granules, potato starch and smoked salt. Mix everything together until well combined. Cut two pieces of nori out into roughly 2.75 x 4 inch rectangles. Lightly coat with potato starch and then divide the mixture by two. Add one portion to one piece of nori and spread it with the back of a fork.
Cook the 'fish': Over medium high heat, add 2 tablespoon of cooking oil and swirl it around the pan. Place the two fillets on the pan tofu side down and cook until golden brown. Remove from the pan.
Make the teriyaki sauce: Over medium heat, add the sake, mirin and sugar to the pan. Let the sugar dissolve and then add in the soy sauce and ginger juice. Once it starts to bubble and slightly thicken, turn down the heat to medium low to low and add the fish back in. Spoon the sauce over the fillets and once the sauce thickens up turn off the heat. Brush with remaining sauce to coat the entire fillet. Serve over a bed of rice or on a plate and enjoy!

Homemade Authentic Teriyaki Sauce

'Teriyaki' sauce is made up of just 4 ingredients: sake, mirin, soy sauce and sugar. These are staple ingredients for Japanese cooking so you should already have these on hand if you cook a lot of Japanese food! You can find these ingredients sold at any well stocked asian grocery store. As a baseline, a 1:1:1:1 ratio of all the ingredients. From there, you can adjust the ratio to your liking. Below, I've shared my golden ratio teriyaki sauce that I find to be the perfect balance of sweet and salty.

What to Serve with Teriyaki Tofu 'Salmon'

The sweet and savory flavour of teriyaki sauce pairs really well with many different side dishes! My mom would often make teriyaki salmon donburi (rice bowl) with a side of miso soup and steamed or grilled vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, asparagus or eggplants. Here are some more ideas that pair perfectly with teriyaki 'salmon':

Spinach Sesame Salad (or another vegetable with the same dressing)
Vegan Miso Soup (3 ways)
Kinpira Gobo (Braised burdock root)
Kinpira Renkon (Braised lotus root)
Miso Glazed Root Vegetables
Miso Butter Daikon Steak
Korean Spinach Side Dish

More Vegan Seafood Recipes to Love!

Vegan Poke Bowl with Crispy Tofu
Vegan Kaki Fry (Japanese Fried Oysters)
Vegan Unagi Don (Grilled 'Eel' Rice Bowl)
Vegetarian Oyster Sauce – coming soon!
Spicy Vegan Stir Fried Chili Shrimp (Ebi Chili) – coming soon!
Spicy Korean Stir Fried Squid – coming soon!
Vegan Dashi – coming soon!

If you recreate this Vegan Teriyaki Salmon recipe let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment and rating below or by tagging me on Instagram @Okonomikitchen, I love seeing all of your tasty recreations!
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