Gammodoki are Japanese fritters made of tofu and finely minced vegetables. They are sometimes referred to in English as “fried dumplings.”
Gammodoki can be served straight up with a dipping sauce, or in a bowl of brothy oden, or in Nabemono hot pot dishes. When included in dishes, the fritters will absorb the other flavours in the dish.
To make Gammodoki, you press the water out of tofu, and mash it. Then you add in minced and blanched vegetables such as carrots and green onions. Additions shouldn’t be more than 40% of the tofu, or the mixture may not hold together during frying. Often a small amount of sesame seeds is added as well. Then something to act as a binder is stirred in: either an egg, or minced Japanese mountain yam (“yamaimo”, which is sticky when cooked), or both.
You knead the mixture for a short time, then shape it into patties, and pan fry them in a few inches (several cm) of oil. The patties are fried at a relatively low temperature around 250 degrees F (120 C), so that their insides have a chance to heat and cook.
You can buy Gammodoki ready-made in supermarket chillers. Commercial ones have more of a spongy texture than homemade ones do.
Language Notes
“Gammo” means “mock goose.”
In the Kansai Region, Gammodoki are called “Hiryuzu” (Flying Dragon’s head) or “Hirousu” (from the Portuguese word for fried cakes, “filhos.”)