Shira-ae (Pureed Tofu with Vegetables)

Ingredients
Firm Tofu
Konjac
Carrot
Komatsuna (or any green vegetable)
Ginger
Shimeji (or any kind of mushroom)
Dried Dates (grated)
White sesame paste
Miso
Soy sauce

Shira-ae (it means white mixture) is a traditional Japanese dish that is a pureed or mashed tofu vegetable salad. Normally uses a grinding bowl called "Suribachi" to puree tofu then mix vegetables together in it. Food processors would give pretty much the same result but pulse gently when pureeing a tofu. A Ziploc bag with your hands might be work ok to mash a tofu as alternative way.

Traditionally sweet cooking rice wine called "Mirin" is used to sweeten and gives a depth in flavor but I tried to replace Mirin to pureed dried dates (or could be ok any dry fruit or maple syrup) instead this time.

Add well drained tofu, grated ginger, grated dates, white sesame paste, miso and soy sauce in food processor then pulse gently mix until they become paste-like sauce.

Put sliced carrot, konjac in lightly salted boiled water. When carrots are tender, add shimeji mushroom, komatsuna and boil for one more minute then drain hot water well and cool (keep the drained water from vegetables as soup stock for another dish).

When the vegetables are cool enough to touch, mix them with tofu sauce and serve.

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豆腐の白和えを乾燥デーツ（ナツメヤシ）のペーストで甘み付けをしてみました。デーツの濃厚な甘みは、刻んだり、ペーストにしたり、スープに煮出したり、いろいろな料理で自然な甘みが欲しい時に使えます。木綿豆腐はよく水切りをしておきます。すり鉢かフードプロセッサーに豆腐、デーツのペースト、ミソ、しょうゆ、すりおろしたショウガを入れて滑らかなソースを作ります。スライスしたにんじんが軟らかくなるまで、糸コンニャクと一緒にボイルします。そこに、しめじと小松菜を加えてさらに１分ほど茹でて、水切りをして冷まします（野菜の茹で汁はスープストックとして使えます）。野菜が冷めたら豆腐ソースとよく混ぜ合わせます。