Japanese Shira-ae White Sesame Tofu Dressing

Shira-ae (白和え) is an elegant Japanese dressed salad where blanched vegetables are coated in a smooth, creamy white dressing made from tofu, sesame paste, white miso, sugar, and salt. The literal translation is 'white harmony' — the white dressing is both visually and flavourally harmonious, bringing together disparate vegetables into a unified, cohesive preparation. The technique begins with draining the tofu extremely thoroughly — water-logged tofu produces a watery, broken dressing that coats vegetables poorly. The tofu must be pressed (wrapped in cloth and weighted) for at least 30 minutes, then blended or mashed to a smooth paste. Sesame paste (neri-goma) is the flavour backbone, worked together with white miso, sugar, sake, and salt. This paste is then folded through the pressed tofu. Vegetables typically used include: blanched spinach, konnyaku (konjac), carrot julienne, burdock slivers, edamame, or spring greens. The shira-ae is folded through the prepared vegetables just before service — dressed too far in advance, the vegetables release water into the dressing and the presentation becomes watery.