ganmodoki

ganmodoki are little fritters of mashed tofu mixed with bits of vegetables, formed into balls or patties and fried until golden. a japanese dish ganmodoki are traditionally used in oden and soups. on a non-traditional note, you could form them into largish patties and use as a burger substitute. or you could eat them as is with your grubby little fingers. on that note, they would serve very well in a lunchbox or as a picnic item since they don't really need to be served hot or refrigerated and are virtually mess-free to eat.

in this version of ganmodoki, the fritters are baked and not fried. while this certainly affects the texture (there is really no substitute for a roiling, boiling, angry, hellish vat of fat) in that the fritters are not quite as fluffy and less uniformly golden, i find the baked version to be just as tasty with a satisfyingly chewy texture. you may change or alter the amounts of the filling to suit your own taste.

ganmodoki
2 -3 cups crumbled firm tofu
1/4 cup grated carrot
1/4 cup minced green onion
1/4 cup baby peas
1/4 cup reconstituted minced shitake mushrooms
2 Tablespoons grated ginger
1 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons toasted sesame seeds (optional)
2 Tablespoons reconstituted hijiki seaweed or a pinch of kelp flakes (optional)

crumble the tofu, sqeezing each handful to remove a bit of water. place in bowl with all ingredients and combine. yes, you can mash the whole mess up with your little simian hands. just don't let the guests see.... taste for seasoning. place about a tablespoon into the palm of your hand and form into a ball, then flatten the ball into a thick disc shape (you may alter the size and shape of the ganmodoki depending on how you will use it). place on a lightly oiled DARK baking sheet (the color of the sheet will aid in getting a nice brown skin) and bake at 500 for about eight minutes each side. alternately you may fry the patties in a little bit of oil until golden and crisp on each side.