Curry Bread is very popular in Japan as a snack or on-the-go foods.
It’s easy to make curry bread/curry pan because what it basically is, is a bun with curry filling. The same curry filling used in Curry udon, etc.
Check out this food show on the difference between curry bread and meat buns…:)
Gyozas, as I have covered previous is essentially dumpling stuffed with meat and other vegetables. It can be eaten pan-fried or boiled. I personally like both and it is one of my favorite comfort food of all time. :) Folding gyozas into the correct shapes can be a little learning curve but once you get the hang of it, it is easy. :)
Check this video out:
Miso is a verry staple ingredient in any Japanese home and to be honest, it’s one of the best seasoning for fish and meat. I was inspired by Chef Nobu’s Miso-glazed Black Cod for this steak’s seasoning and the results were incredibly good!
I like my steaks cooked medium rare because only then are good cuts worth its salt, so to speak. It is pointless to cook your steaks till it’s well done because then, it’s no different from eating leather. When it comes to red meat, especially good cuts, either cook it medium rare or buy a cheaper cut and cook it until it falls deliciously apart otherwise, stick to chicken thighs.
So, back to my miso-glazed steak. What I did was a fairly simple process but let’s start with the glaze, which essentially is made up of these ingredients:
1 tablespoon miso paste
1 tablespoon mirin
1 garlic clove, grated
1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
1 teaspoon of oil
1/4 teaspoon of pepper
a teaspoon, or more, of water to further thin the miso paste if it’s too thick
Mix these ingredients together with a whisk until you get nice paste.
Take your steak and generously rub half of the miso paste on and leave it marinade for 20 minutes.
Heat your pan, I used non-stick because it’s convenient, on high with a bit of oil until it is very hot. Once the pan is hot, pan-sear your steak on one side for 3 minutes. Do not move it around, do not poke at it however tempting. After three minutes, turn the steak over and cook for a further 2 minutes and no more..
You should have a nice char on your steak after turning it around, brush the remaining miso glaze over the steak and repeat on the other side.
Let the steak rest for 5 minutes before serving. The miso marinade is enough for two steaks but you can definitely double or triple the portion without any doubts.
Kaiseki (懐石, Kaiseki?) or kaiseki ryōri (懐石料理, kaiseki ryōri?) is a traditional multi-course Japanese dinner analogous to Western haute cuisine. There are two types of Japanese meal styles, Kaiseki or Kaiseki Ryori where the latter is use mostly in banquets.
In the present day, kaiseki is a type of art form that balances the taste, texture, appearance, and colors of food. To this end, only fresh seasonal ingredients are used and are prepared in ways that aim to enhance their flavor. Local ingredients are often included as well. Finished dishes are carefully presented on colorful plates that are chosen to enhance both the appearance and the seasonal theme of the meal. Dishes are beautifully arranged and garnished, often with real leaves and flowers, as well as edible garnishes designed to resemble natural plants and animals.
Originally, kaiseki comprised a bowl of miso soup and three side dishes. It has since evolved to include an appetizer, sashimi, a simmered dish, a grilled dish, and a steamed course, in addition to other dishes at the discretion of the chef.
* Sakizuke: an appetizer similar to the French amuse-gueule.
* Hassun: the second course, which sets the seasonal theme. Typically one kind of sushi and several smaller side dishes.
* Mukozuke: a sliced dish of seasonal sashimi.
* Takiawase: vegetables served with meat, fish or tofu; the ingredients are simmered separately.
* Futamono: a “lidded dish”; typically a soup.
* Yakimono: Broiled seasonal fish.
* Su-zakana: a small dish used to clean the palate, such as vegetables in vinegar.
* Hiyashi-bachi: served only in summer; chilled, lightly-cooked vegetables.
* Naka-choko: another palate-cleanser; may be a light, acidic soup.
* Shiizakana: a substantial dish, such as a hot pot.
* Gohan: a rice dish made with seasonal ingredients.
* Ko no mono: seasonal pickled vegetables.
* Tome-wan: a miso-based or vegetable soup served with rice.
* Mizumono: a seasonal dessert; may be fruit, confection, ice cream, or cake.
I am sure many of you have had a Japanese kaiseki before, maybe not as elaborately but the simple Japanese bento is a form of casual kaiseki. If you have had the pleasure of staying in a ryokan, you would also have had the pleasure of being served kaiseki style – the picture above is an example of a breakfast kaiseki in a ryokan.
Takoyaki is not really hard to do, you just need the special moulds and you’ll be ready to make your own version of takoyakis (or any -yakis, for that matter). The key ingredient in making a good flavorful takoyaki is of course the batter. The batter is the matter in this case as even in the largest takoyakis, the takos/ filling only make up for 40% of the ball.
As most of you living in Japan would know, takoyaki is very much Japanese not only for it’s name but also its taste. A distinctly Japanese taste that you can only get from dashi stock. So the key in making a good batter is to make good dashi stock – feel free to get pre-made packet stocks. Understandably, they are more convenient but personally, stocks are easy to prepare and are multi-purpose. I would suggest making your own and season it to your liking. A good dashi stock recipe comes from Just Hungry, the Japanese-International food site that I have raved about. I like the website very much because the author, a Japanese herself, explains each recipe’s background in a very detailed manner. You can be sure that the Japanese recipes you get from her blog are tried-and-true. I have personally made use of her dashi stock recipe – which is simple and flavorful and would recommend that you use this stock in your takoyaki :)
To make takoyaki batter, you will need:
# 1 2/3 cup flour
# 2 1/2 cup dashi stock
# 2 eggs
# 1 teaspoon baking powder
Mix the above ingredients together well.
To make takoyaki filling, you’ll need:
# 1/2lb octopus, cut into 1cmx1cm cubes, roughly
# 1/4 cup chopped green onion
# 1/4 cup chopped pickled red ginger
# Other filling options: shrimp, crab and eel (you can use meat but to me, takoyaki is all about seafood)
For the topping:
# fried bonito flakes
# shredded nori
# Worcestershire sauce or takoyaki sauce
# mayonnaise
To make takoyaki balls you will need a takoyaki griddle/pan that looks like this:
But here’s the thing, if you don’t have one and don’t want to invest in one, you can transform your takoyakis into mini okonomiyakis on your non-stick pan. They are as delicious :)
Here’s a video on how to make your own takoyaki like a street vendor, homestyle :)
There is a recipe in this video, you can also use that version. But I have tried that batter above and I give it my thumbs up. :)
Have you ever eaten hamo? May it be cooked into a rich broth or barbequed, it is not food for the squeamish.
Hamo is essentially pike eel to the Western world. In Japan, hamo is a delicacy that is popular around the Kansai region, particularly Kyoto. To prepare hamo, you need a chef that is skilled at eels for the this slippery sea creature. Do not mistaken hamo for the common unagi, as hamo is smaller and slender and is prepared either broiled, deep-fried or in soups.
Do you have an eel recipe you would like to share?
Nikuman are Japanese steamed buns usually filled with either savory or sweet filling made out of adzuki beans. These japanese version of steamed buns are very similar to the Chinese baozi, also usually filled either a savory or sweet filling.
These hot food are usually sold in street hawkers or the convenience store in a ready-to-eat heat pack. Here are several brands to lookout for:
Circle K Sunkus
* White curry man
* Squid ink seafood man
* Deli chicken man with mayo-style flavor
Ministop
* Crunchy Chinese seafood man
* Crunchy cheese sausage donut man
* Boiled pork cube crunchy curry man
* Crunchy cheese lasagna man
FamilyMart
* Cream cheese man
* Sakura man
* Choco-man
Lawson
* Milk caramel man
SAVE ON
* Sakura anman
* Beef tendon man
* Jiaozi man
But if you want to make Nikuman at home, it’s is not impossible. Like a lot of asian style cooking, preparation is usually the hardest part of the whole thing. Here’s a very good recipe of steamed buns with pork filling that you can try out during your long weekends:
For the dough:
A:
2C (240g) flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
2 tbsp potato starch
1/2+ tbsp oil
3 tbsp sugar in 4 oz H2O
B:
½ tsp yeast
1 ½ tbsp lukewarm water
½ tsp sugar
1. Combine ingredients A and B and knead for 10 mins. Cover with wet teacloth to proof for 1 to 1.1/2 hours. Punch down and knead at least 20 times. Rest dough for 10 mins. If the dough pulls back, the rest time is insufficient, extend the rest time.
2. Divide dough into 1 oz pieces and fill with chosen filling. As you pleat the closing, be sure not to grease the edges so that the dough will stick.
For a good pork filling:
3T dark soy sauce
3T light soy sauce
1/2c honey
1/2t salt
3T oyster sauce
2T rice wine / sake
3T teriyako sauce
1t five-spice powder
1/2t ground white pepper
1-2 lbs pork tenderloin, loin, or belly cut into strips approx. 2″ thick and 8″ long. (I only used 1lb, but the marinade will easily take 2lb of meat.)
Stir all ingredients together in a deep bowl until honey dissolves.
Poke the pork all over with a skewer and place in the marinade. Turn until well coated. Cover and refridgerate for 24 hours.
Preheat oven to 180C/Gas Mark 4. Set a wire rack over a deep baking tin filled with about an inch of hot water. Place the meat onto the rack, well spaced out. Baste generously and roast for 15 minutes.
Baste the meat once more and roast for another 20 minutes. Baste once more then turn the meat over. Baste generously and roast for another 20 minutes, basting 2-3 times during this period.
Turn the oven up to 200C/Gas Mark 6. Baste the meat one last time. Roast for 15 minutes until the meat is mahogany-coloured and the edges are slightly charred. Remove meat from to a chopping board and leave to rest. Don’t throw away the pan juices, you’ll need some for the filling!
Unfortunately, I do not have any pictures of my own for show but I will make sure to post it up when i made Nikuman again. But it would have to be during cooler climate :)
A slab of minced meat, seasoned with spices and tasty seasoning transcends culture. Of course, Hambagu is a very popular part of Youshoku, or Japanese-style western cuisine. Hambagu is a delicious take on the western hamburger with very simple seasoning and doused generously with Tonkatsu sauce. As you can imagine, this version of hamburger patties goes very well with rice or as miniature burgers. Of course, the size of the patties depends on whether you want to make it bigger.
Here’s a very simple recipe from Just Hungry for you to try: Hambaagu or hambagaa:Japanese style Hamburger
Have you ever wondered what Sumo wrestler’s eat to help maintain that weight and energy for their tournaments? They eat this thing called Chanko Nabe, a type of stew that incorporates various meats and vegetables. Needless to say it is high in calories and is absolutely hearty for cold days. It contains a dashi or chicken broth soup base with sake or mirin to add flavor. The bulk of chanko nabe is made up of large quantities of protein sources (usually chicken (quartered, skin left on), fish (fried and made into balls), tofu, or sometimes beef) and vegetables (daikon, bok choy, etc). While considered a reasonably healthful dish in its own right, chankonabe is very protein-rich and usually served in massive quantities, with beer and rice to increase the caloric intake. Leftover chankonabe broth can also later be used as broth for somen or udon noodles.
Here’s a recipe I am keen on trying, even though i am in no hurry to gain weight. Ever. It’s looks pretty yummy and the main protein for this Chanko Nabe is chicken.
* 1 pack udon noodles
* 12 cups chicken stock
* 4 boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 2-inch chunks
* 1 daikon radish, sliced
* 1 potato, sliced
* 2 onions, quartered
* 12 shiitake mushrooms, stemmed removed and quartered (can use reconstituted dried shiitakes, if you like)
* 1 carrot, peeled and sliced into bite-size chunks
* 1 cake fresh tofu (”cotton” or non-silken so it won’t break up on you), cut into small cubes
* 1 cake fresh tofu (also cotton variety), cut into small cubes and fried on all sides in oil til they take on color (if you can find it in the store, get abura-age,which are deep fried thin slices of cotton tofu)
* 1 medium bok choy cabbage, chopped into small pieces
* 1/2 cup soy sauce
* 1/2 cup mirin (sweet sake)
* 2 teaspoons salt
Garnish: gratings of that racy, narcotic shichimi, if you can get your hands on it
Cook the udon noodles according to directions, drain, and reserve.
Bring water to boil in a saucepan, then add the sliced daikon and potato and parboil for a few minutes. Drain, refresh with cold water, and reserve.
Bring the chicken stock to a boil, add all the vegetables (not including the daikon and potato or the cabbage), chicken, and two kinds of tofu and simmer until the fresh vegetables are cooked through, about 15 minutes. Add the daikon, potato, and cabbage and simmer 5 more minutes.
Season the broth with soy sauce, mirin, and salt to taste, simmer a few more minutes.
Place the cooked udon noodles in deep soup bowls, then ladle the soup over them and serve piping hot, passing the shichimi separate, to grate over the soup to taste.
I love stews and nikujaga is no exception. One thing I keep changing about this meat and potato stew is the fact that there isn’t enough vegetables in it. Oh well, just add peas or carrots or spinach if you like but the basic is really all you need to know before you can change it to your taste. It’s especially easy to make nikujaga, all you need is the basic soy sauce, sugar and onion. And the rest of the dish’s umami-ness comes from the meat and the potatoes. If you have shitake mushrooms or any kind of mushrooms at all, add it into your nikujaga. It’s a perfect blend with the meat and potatoes.
You will have to excuse me, I love dressing up my meals :D This dish would warm you up during these cold wintry days and if you want, eat it with kimchi – it’s always my favorite combo.
Anyway, the basic ingredients are these:
* 2 medium size Potatoes
* 500 g Beef or pork: thin sliced
* 1 Onion, sliced
* 1-2 tbsp Sugar
* 2 tbsp Soya sauce
* Japanese katsuo soup stock (benito) (optional)
Method:
1. Cut you potatoes into small chunks.
2. Heat pan, add oil and saute your onions. Add your meat in now and then potatoes.
3. Season with 2 tablespoons of soya sauce and 1-2 tablespoon of sugar. I would start with one first to test.
4. Saute the ingredients together and then add 2 cups of water. Flavor with bonito now, if you’re using any, and let it simmer.
5. Add vegetables of your choice or mushrooms when it starts to simmer and cover to cook for up to 1 hour so your meat will be tender and your potatoes are soft.
Check out this video as well:
She’s added more ingredients in, so just follow your tastebuds. Mirin is an exceptional choice of seasoning to give your stew a more rounded flavor.
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