Tag Archives: Recipe

Advanced Chahan Recipe – Okinawan Fried Rice

Posted on by
3

ChahanBy far my most popular post on More Things Japanese is my easy recipe for Chahan.  This time around, I wanted to share a slightly more time-consuming, but even tastier recipe for those of you who love Chahan.  As with my advanced recipe for miso soup, it is all made from scratch, including the dashi.

Ingredients

  •  5 cups water
  • 1 piece conbu
  • 1 cup packed bonito flakes
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 onion
  • 170g sausage
  • 1 pack mushrooms
  • 1tsp salt
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 package nirai
  • 1 cob fresh corn
  • 1/2 cup chopped green onions
  • 1/2 cup chopped nira (a scallion-like leaf)
  • 5 eggs
  • 1tbsp sake
  • 6 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1/2 tsp ginger
  • 2tbsp mustard
  • 2tbsp honey
  • 1/2 tsp pepper

Directions

Start off by making the dashi.  We’ll use less than we would for soup or chanpuru so set a pot of water (5 cups) boiling and add one piece of conbu.  Add 2 teaspoons of powdered garlic and 1 tsp of ground pepper. Let it simmer for about 5 minutes, then remove the conbu.  Reduce heat to low.  Add 1 semi-packed cup of bonito flakes and stir.  Remove the boninto flakes after about 20 seconds. Remove from heat.

Wash 3 cups of white rice.  Traditionally this is done in the rice cooker pot, I use a strainer until the water runs clear.  Measure the rice to the top of the cup.  For sushi or regular rice, you would normally leave about a centimeter free.  We want firmer rice for chahan, so we’ll use a smaller water to rice ratio.  Add 3 cups of dashi, measuring with the same cup as you measured your rice.  You might notice in the video I add an extra cup, this was because the shape of the pot kept each cup from filling completely.  Let the left over dashi simmer on your lowest heat setting while you cook your other items.

Cook the rice per the instructions on your rice container, or use a rice cooker.  While you’re waiting, prepare your other vegetables.  Dice onions, mushrooms, and a carrot.  I used pre-shredded carrots for ease of use.  Wash and chop green onions and nira. Cut the corn from a fresh cob and dice the sausage.  Roast a garlic clove then dice it.  Wait about ten minutes to give the rice time to start cooking and then start cooking your other ingredients. If you have a fast rice cooker you can start straight away.

In a large frying pan, add olive oil and set to medium low heat.  When the oil begins to heat add the onions and mushrooms.  Add 1 tsp of salt to prevent carmelization of the onions. Cook for about 3 minutes stirring occasionally and then add the carrots and corn.  Stir and cook for 5 minutes.  Add the meat and garlic.  Cook for another two minutes and add the nira.  While the mix cooks, crack open 5 eggs in a bowl, then scramble them.  Add the eggs to the mix and stir until the eggs are cooked. Let the mixture cook another two minutes.

In a separate bowl, make the sauce for the chahan.  Add soy sauce, sake,  mustard, ginger, pepper, and honey.  Mix well.  Add the remaining dashi which should be reduced to about 1/4 cup.

Add your cooked rice to the meat and vegetable mix.  Stir well and cook on medium heat.  Add the sauce and mix again.  Continue cooking until the Chahan is no longer wet, but is not hard.  Serve and enjoy.

——————

You can easily substitute other ingredients in this dish.  Try your favorite vegetables or chicken.  If you can’t find conbu or bonito flakes, you can use water or chicken stock for the rice, then add a packet of dried hon dashi from your local asian supermarket when you add the sauce.   This recipe will yield a large serving for three or four people and will have a mild flavor.  For a stronger bite, add more salt or soy sauce.

If you use this recipe, please share how it went in the comments!

Advanced Miso Soup Recipe

Posted on by
4

miso soupMiso Soup is a traditional part of Japanese cuisine. It is often served as a side for meals, be it breakfast, lunch, or dinner.  I’ve done another, more simple version of this dish before.  If you want a simple miso soup, check it out.  The thing that makes this recipe different, and so much better, is that I make the dashi (broth) from scratch rather than from a packet of hon dashi.  Doing everything yourself will elevate a great bowl of soup to something really special.

Ingredients

  • 10 cups water
  • 8″ Combu (a type of dried seaweed)
  • Bonito flakes (use suggested amount on package, about 45g)
  • 8 tbsp Miso
  • Optional – Vegetables, tofu, meat, garlic, pepper

*Note- these ratios will make about 4-5 large servings.  You can divide as desired.

Directions

Start a large pot of water boiling, about 10 cups.  Add two sections of combu, usually about 4″ in length each.  While the combu boils complete the rest of your mise en place.  What you put in your miso soup is up to you.  It can be nothing but miso, or full of hearty vegetables.  My favorite additions are onion, carrots, and daikon.

Once the color of your water starts to turn a little green, remove the combu from the water.  You want to do this before the combu begins to break apart.   Next you’ll add your bonito flakes.  These are essentially shavings of smoked fish.  There are many kinds but you may be limited to only one type.  If you can’t find bonito, you can use fish and fish bones to flavor the soup as you would with any stock.

Remove the fish flakes after about 10 seconds of soak time.  The package of bonito flakes should have a suggested water to weight ratio along with suggested boiling time.

Once you’ve strained the broth you have dashi that can be used in any number of dishes.  Use it as a broth for nabe, reduce it for use in chanpuru or boil rice for cha han to add extra flavor.  If you’re set on miso soup then add your vegetables.  In the video, I added enoki mushrooms, onions, and shima tofu all at once.  I did it that way because they all cook at around the same speed.  If you add root vegetables, put them in earlier to cook before adding things like onions or tofu.  Chicken or white fish also work well.

Once your vegetables have cooked for a few minutes and look about half way done, you’ll want to add your miso.  Reduce the heat so that your dashi is no longer boiling.  There are three ways you can add your miso.

  1. Add miso directly to the pot – I suggest against this as it will lead to clumps that might tangle in your vegetables and be unappetizing.
  2. Use a ladle to remove a bit of broth and work the miso into a soft paste that will dissolve more easily into the soup.  This works but can be tricky if some of your miso escapes.
  3. Remove a bit of broth from the soup in a bowl and dissolve the miso completely, repeating as necessary.  The best option though it can be time-consuming.

Let the miso soup simmer for at least 3 minutes on low heat. Check to ensure the soup does not boil.  Serve and enjoy.  I suggest finishing the soup with fresh chives.  The soup will reheat well enough from the fridge or even from a freezer, though it is best when fresh.

Thanks for reading!  If you try this or any recipe please let me know how it works for you.  If you have any questions feel free to ask.

 

Kabocha Pie Recipe

Posted on by
2

Kabocha is a variation of squash/pumpkin common in Japan. Far more than the States, kabocha is used in a variety of dishes from soup to tempura.  For those expats in Japan, it might be surprising that it is most often used in savory dishes like curry rice rather than as a dessert.  I’ve used kabocha in a number of ways, but every Thanksgiving I make my family’s traditional pumpkin pie recipe, but with kabocha.  Over the years I’ve adapted my Aunt’s original recipe, and instead of canned pumpkin, use fresh local (sometimes even grown from the gaijin’s garden) kabocha.  Here’s my recipe.  Use whatever pumpkin you can get your hands on, but beware that jack-o-lantern pumpkins are usually not meant to be eaten.  Japanese kabocha are usually green, smaller, and sweeter than canned pumpkin.  Checkout the video below for the process, followed by the ingredients and directions.

(Note: the above video shows 4x the recipe below)

Ingredients

  • One-half fresh kabocha (about 500g)
  • .5 cup water
  • .25 cup awamori/sake (optional)
  • .75 cup sugar
  • .5 tsp salt
  • 1.5 tsp cinnamon
  • .5 tsp ginger
  • .5 tsp freshly ground cloves
  • 3 eggs, slightly beaten
  • 1 cup milk
  • .25 cup heavy cream
  • .75 cup evaporated milk
  • pie crust (unbaked)

 

Directions

Remove the seeds from your kabocha and discard them.  Using a sharp knife, remove the kabocha skin and vine tap.  Try to preserve the meat of the kabocha.  Cut into cubes of roughly equal size (this will help them cook at the same pace).    In a large skillet, add water and awamori/sake over high heat.  The alcohol content of the sake will burn off, but the sake will help to bring out some of the pumpkin flavor.  Add the pumpkin to the skillet and cover.  Once the water begins to steam, lower heat to medium and steam about 7-10 minutes, until the kabocha easily breaks with a fork.  If the water runs out, add enough to keep steaming the vegetable until it is soft.

While the kabocha is steaming, prepare your spices.  You can use clove powder, but if possible use whole cloves and grind them into roughly the same texture as the other spices.  When the kabocha is soft, reduce heat to low and carefully remove the lid.  Use a masher to crush the kabocha into a smooth paste.  When there is no excess water, turn off the heat.

Add 1.5 cups of pumpkin to a large bowl.  Add salt, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger.  Mix into the pumpkin.  Add sugar.  The pumpkin will turn a dark brown.  Pre-heat your oven to 200*C (400*F).

Add eggs and dairy.  Mix well.  The filling will be very thin.  Stir until it is a uniform light orange.  Prepare your pie crust.  You can find pie crust instructions on foodnetwork.com or buy frozen pie crust if you’re in a hurry.  Shape the top of the crust with your fingers.  Fill the crust to below the pie plate.  Your filling and/or crust will cause the pie to rise slightly.  cover the crust edges in foil to prevent them burning.  Bake for 45-50 minutes.  The top layer of the pie will likely balloon and may burn.  You can easily remove this layer if it turns black.  The pie beneath should be fine.  Remove and cool.  Best served chilled with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

So this recipe is NOT traditional Japanese fare, but try it and spread the pumpkin joy.  Your coworkers, family, and friends will be impressed if you bring one of these pies along!  If you try this recipe, let us know how it went in the comments, or send a picture of your pie to the author and he’ll include it below.

Tougan (winter melon) Soup Recipe

Posted on by
1

Happy Halloween!  Today I’m bringing you a special autumn soup featuring a seasonal ingredient: Tougan.  Tougan is also known as winter melon and is in the cucumber family. It’s a popular ingredient in Chinese soups and we often have it in our School Lunches.

Since I was in the States for two weeks this month, I wasn’t able to order any pumpkins, so I decided to celebrate my Halloween with a Tougan-O’lantern.  But why waste?  I’ve never made Tougan Soup before, but after 4 years of eating soup, I decided to wing a recipe from scratch and see what happened.  Here’s a hint:  It turned out really well!

Ingredients

  • 10 cups water
  • 1/2 tougan (winter melon)
  • 1 onion
  • 2 Japanese leeks (negi) sliced
  • 2 burdock roots (gobo) sliced
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 pack of mushrooms (enoki)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 1 packet hon dashi
  • 1 chicken boullion cube (optional)

Recipe

Prepare your vegetables.  As in the video, burdock root needs to be peeled, washed and then sliced.  Since it is high in starch, it may start to turn brown quickly after cutting.  Slice at an angle for larger, easier to pick-up pieces.  Cut the leeks in a similar manner.

Tougan has a small hollow center with seeds similar to those found in cucumbers.  My video shows a non-standard preparation method since I’m making a Tougan-O’Lantern.  For normal preparation, you can simply cut it in half to remove the seeds, then remove the skin with peeler or knife.  Cut the melon into thin, even pieces so they cook at the same time.  To make it easier, cut the melon into strips about two inches wide before slicing about 1/2 a centimeter thick.

Start your water boiling and add spices.  Once the water is boiling, add burdock and carrots and reduce heat to medium.  Let them cook, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes.  Add tougan.  Continue occasionally stirring as the vegetables cook for another 3 minutes. Add mushrooms (you need to cut off the bottoms and discard them first).  Stir for a bit, add onions.  Once the tougan begins to appear translucent, add the leeks.  Reduce heat to simmer.  Once the tougan turns translucent serve and enjoy.

Tougan-O’Lantern

If you find yourself without a pumpkin and want to try your hand at Tougan-O’Lantering, there are a few things you should know.  There is a lot more water in tougan than pumpkins.  This makes them easier to carve, but you’ll also get water running off.  It also means they probably won’t hold out overly long in the heat.  To doubly ensure I had something to put outside, I stuck mine in the freezer and plan to put it out after work.  Apparently they freeze well.

If you want to avoid nasty surprises, remind yourself it’s in there before you open the freezer looking for food. Otherwise, BAM! Tougan-O’Lantern.

Daito Sushi Recipe

Posted on by
3

Daito Sushi is a specialty of the Daito (Borodino) islands in Okinawa prefecture.  The islands are located 320 kilometers east of Naha and the mainland.  I had the privilege of living on Kitadaito for three years and enjoyed the fresh maguro (tuna) and sawara marinated sushi they are so well-known for.  I don’t have the super secret recipe they use out on the islands, if you want that you’ll have to go visit, but here’s a good taste of an awesome type of sushi.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups Cooked Rice
  • 3tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar (sushi vinegar)
  • 2tbsp Sugar
  • wasabi
  • sushi quality fresh fish

Marinade

  • 2tbsp mirin
  • 2tbsp soy sauce
  • 1tbsp sushi vinegar

Recipe

Prepare 2 cups of sushi rice per your rice cooker or rice provider’s instructions.  When finished empty into a container to cool.  A wooden one shown in the video is best as it will absorb excess water and cool the rice faster than plastic.  You want room temperature rice so that you do not burn your hands when you form the rice and so that it does not heat the fish.  While the rice is still warm, add the sugar and vinegar and stir well.  Set aside.

Warning.  There are plenty of dangers when working with raw food.  Proceed at your own risk.  Not all fish can or should be used as sushi, and you should probably leave it to the professionals at your local sushi restaurant anyway.  If you are comfortable working with raw fish and you are aware of the quality and freshness of the fish, then select a block of tuna to fit your tastes.  I prefer lean tuna. Slice your tuna thinly against the grain.  **A note here… I am NOT a sushi expert.  It takes years and years to learn how to do it properly so you should probably learn that art somewhere else.**  Ok so once you have your fish sliced place it into a marinade of soy, mirin, and sugar.

While your fish marinades, go back to your rice.  Wet your hands with water flavored with a dash of rice wine vinegar.  This will keep the rice from sticking to your hands.  You will need to repeat this as you form your sushi. Scoop a handful and lightly press it into a tubular shape roughly the length of 3 fingers (the total length should equal about the width of 3 fingers).  Use your other hand to press the top and sides.  Do not add excessive pressure, you want to gently form the rice so that it is not over dense.

Two cups of rice will make about 12 sushi, though it will vary depending on the size of your hands and the exact measure of rice you use.  Remove the fish from its marinade and let them drip dry in a strainer.  Add a dab of wasabi to each sushi.  Remove excess moisture from the fish and lay it over the rice, press lightly.  Serve and enjoy.