Imitation Tofu Omelette (Gisei Tofu) is a Japanese omelette with tofu and vegetables mixed into it. Although I call it an Omelette, it is not made like a standard omelette in a frying pan. The cooking method is closer to a frittata, but the shape of the omelette is not round. It is made into a block like tofu.
The Cook Time shows the time required using a cooktop.
Don't forget to see the section 'MEAL IDEAS' below the recipe card! It gives you a list of dishes that I have already posted and this recipe that can make up a complete meal. I hope it is of help to you.
- 1 pack momen tofu/firm tofu (300g/0.7lb, note 1)
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1 tbsp oil
- 50g/1.8oz carrot cut into 3mm/⅛" thick 4cm/1 19⁄16" long batons
- 50g/1.8oz boiled bamboo shoots cut into 3mm/⅛" thick 4cm/1 19⁄16" long batons (note 3)
- ¼ cup edamame beans (boiled)
- 30g/1.1oz wood ear mushrooms/black fungus rehydrated and julienned thinly
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce (note 4)
- 1 tbsp mirin
- 1 tsp sugar
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Wrap the tofu in a couple of pieces of kitchen paper and place it on a cutting board.
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Place something underneath one end of the cutting board to tilt the board and position it so that the excess water drains into the sink (just in case).
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Place a tray on top of the tofu, then place a weight of about 1kg/2.2lb on top (I used a carton of long-life milk). Leave it for 20 minutes, then remove the kitchen paper.
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Put oil in a frying pan and heat over medium heat.
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Add all the Vegetables ingredients to the pan and stir-fry them for 4-5 minutes.
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Add the Flavouring ingredients and tofu to the pan and sauté, breaking the block into small pieces, until moisture is mostly evaporated (see the Step-by-step photo).
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Transfer the tofu mixture to a bowl with beaten egg and mix well.
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Oil the inside of the pan thinly using a brush or a piece of folded kitchen paper and heat it at low temperature.
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Pour the mixture into the pan. Push the mixture to one side so that the mixture fills to about 5mm below the rim of the pan (the mixture becomes 3cm/1⅛" thick, note 6).
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Cook for 4-5 minutes, occasionally pushing the side of the mixture that does not have a boundary to keep the square shape.
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Flip the mixture onto the back of a tray or a flat plate (cooked side up), then slide the mixture back into the pan, placing the side that you pushed with the spatula against the metal side of the pan.
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Cover the surface with a sheet of aluminium foil (so that it cooks through faster) and cook for 3-4 minutes.
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Transfer the cooked Gisei Tofu to a cutting board and cut it into 12 pieces (note 7).
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Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/356°F. Line the cake pan with baking paper.
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Pour the mixture into the pan. Drop the pan onto the work bench so that that bottom corners of the pan are filled with the mixture.
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Level the surface of the mixture and bake in the oven for 25 minutes.
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Transfer the Gisei Tofu from the pan together with the baking paper.
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Open the paper and cut it into large bite size pieces (note 9).
1. Silken tofu is not suited for this dish because the tofu is too watery.
2. There are no rules as to what goes into the mixture. You can use other vegetables such as green onion, mushrooms, hijiki seaweed, and beans.
3. I used vacuum packed boiled Japanese bamboo shoots, but you can also use boiled bamboo shoots in a can.
4. I used light soy sauce to avoid making the colour of the cooked Tofu Omelette too dark. But you can use normal soy sauce such as Kikkoman soy sauce if you don’t have light soy sauce. Dark soy is not suited.
5. The size of my tamagoyaki pan was 13cm x 18cm/5⅛" x 7 1⁄16", and the depth was 3.5cm/1⅜".
6. The area of my tamagoyaki pan was a little bit too wide for the volume of the mixture, resulting in a thin Gisei Tofu. So, I only used part of the pan to make the 3cm/1⅛"-thick Gisei Tofu.
If your pan is smaller, you don't need to shift the mixture. Alternatively, you can increase the quantity of the ingredients to fill your pan.
7. You can cut it into smaller or larger pieces.
8. I used a 12.5cm/4 5⁄16" square cake pan.
9. I cut it into 10 pieces by halving it, then slicing each half perpendicular to the first cut into 5 pieces.
10. You can make ahead 1 day before serving.
11. Nutrition per serving assuming 3 servings.
serving: 203g calories: 216kcal fat: 14g (18%) saturated fat: 2.3g (12%) trans fat: 0.1g polyunsaturated fat: 4.2g monounsaturated fat: 5.9g cholesterol: 124mg (41%) sodium: 428mg (19%) carbohydrates: 8.9g (3%) dietary fibre: 2.5g (9%) sugar: 6g protein: 16g vitamin D: 1mcg (4%) calcium: mg (24%) iron: 3.1mg (17%) potassium: 344mg (7%)