The traditional cuisine of Japan is based on rice with miso soup and other dishes with an emphasis on seasonal ingredients. Side dishes often consist of fish, pickled vegetables and vegetables cooked in broth. Seafood is often grilled but is also served raw as sashimi or as sushi (I have already done a full article on making he latter — Rocking The Rolls, t2onSunday, June 18, 2023). Seafood and vegetables are also deep-fried in a light batter as tempura. Apart from rice, noodles such as soba and udon are extremely popular. Some dishes like ramen, gyoza and curries have been adapted to Japanese taste and ingredients.
TERIYAKI CHICKEN
This chicken dish is usually had with steamed rice and is extremely flavourful and easy to make.
INGREDIENTS
500g boneless chicken diced into 1-inch cubes
1tbsp olive oil
¼ cup soya sauce
¼ cup water
1tbsp mirin
2tbsp honey
1tbsp light brown sugar
1tbsp rice wine vinegar
¼tsp sesame oil
2tsp fresh ginger minced
2tsp minced garlic
2tsp cornstarch
Sesame seeds for garnishing
Chopped spring onions for garnishing
METHOD
In a small bowl whisk together soya sauce, water, honey, brown sugar, rice vinegar, sesame oil, ginger and garlic paste and cornstarch.
Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
Add in chicken and let brown on the bottom about 3-4 minutes. Then flip and continue to cook for about 3 minutes.
Stir in sauce and continue to cook the chicken by tossing it around until the sauce is thickened about 30-60 seconds longer.
Serve on a bed of rice and blanched broccoli.
Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds and green spring onions.
JAPANESE CHICKEN CURRY
This curry is one of the most popular homemade meals in Japan. You can also make it with beef. This curry with steamed rice tastes divine. In Japan, they have ready boxed roux, but here I will show you how to make it.
INGREDIENTS
500g chicken thighs cut into bite-sized pieces
Steamed rice
Pickled ginger to serve (optional)
For the roux
50g unsalted butter
¼ cup plain flour
2tbsp curry powder (Japanese brand preferably)
1tsp garam masala powder
For the curry sauce
2tbsp vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves minced
1 onion finely chopped
¼ cup soya sauce
1tbsp honey
2tsp apple cider vinegar
¾ cup apple juice
2 cups chicken stock
2 peeled potatoes cut into chunks
1 carrot cut into chunks
1tsp chilli powder
Sea salt to taste
METHOD
For the roux
Heat the butter in a small pan over medium-high heat.
When the butter is foaming, add the flour. Cook stirring for 2 minutes or until the mixture has darkened slightly.
Add the curry powder and garam masala. Cook for another 2 minutes. Then transfer the mixture to a bowl and keep aside.
For the curry sauce
Heat oil in a large wok or saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and onion. Season with a pinch of salt and cook stirring for 2-3 minutes.
Now stir in the roux and add the chicken and mix until well coated.
Now add soya sauce, honey, vinegar, apple juice and chicken stock. Mix well.
Now add the potatoes and carrot. Bring the curry to a simmer. Then turn the heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes without the lid.
Check if the vegetables are tender and the curry sauce has thickened. Now add chilli powder and check for seasoning.
Remove from heat and serve with steamed rice and pickled ginger if using.
TONKATSU (Fried Cutlets)
Tonkatsu is a pork cutlet and one of the most popular dishes in Japan. It is commonly served with a bottled sauce (Bulldog is a beloved brand), but making a homemade version is simple and quick — and equally tasty. It is always served with thinly sliced crisp cabbage, which is chilled.
INGREDIENTS
500g pork loin, cut into 4 pieces. Pound the pieces until they are less than ½ inch thick. Use the best pork you can find with some fat on it and don’t overcook.
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 large egg
1½ cup breadcrumbs. Panko should be good
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
Vegetable oil for pan-frying
Shredded cabbage sliced very fine
8 tomato wedges
8 thin slices of cucumber
For the sauce
½ cup ketchup
2tbsp soya sauce
2tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1tbsp mirin
1½tsp sugar
1tsp Dijon mustard
¼tsp garlic powder
METHOD
Stir all the ingredients for the sauce and keep aside.
Put the flour in a shallow bowl.
Whisk the egg with a dash of water in another bowl.
Put the Panko breadcrumbs in a deep dish.
Sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides of the pork.
Dredge one cutlet in the flour, coating it completely. Then shake off the excess. Now dip in the egg mixture. Then coat with panko gently pressing so that the panko sticks.
Heat about 1/3 inch of oil in a medium skillet over medium heat until it simmers. Add 2 cutlets and cook till golden brown on the bottom for about 3 minutes. Then flip and cook and cook for another 2 minutes. Transfer the cutlets to a paper towel-lined cutting board, sprinkle with salt and tent with foil to keep warm.
For serving
Slice the cutlets crosswise into ½ inch strips. Place a sliced cutlet along with a scoop of rice on each plate. Also place a mound of cabbage and 2 tomato wedges and cucumber slices. Then drizzle the cutlets with the sauce.
TONKOTSU RAMEN
Making Tonkotsu ramen at home is truly a labour of love. To make authentic Tonkotsu ramen takes time and effort. But it is so truly worth it. It has five major components — broth, noodles, pork, egg and tare. It is garnished with enoki mushrooms and thinly sliced green onions. You cannot rush this but you can make lots of broth and freeze it for next time. The pork is called Chasui. You can make it with beef or chicken too. Tare is a kind of sauce that you put in individual bowls before adding the broth. So let’s start.
INGREDIENTS
For the tare
2 slices bacon
¼ cup soy sauce
2tbsp mirin
2tbsp sake
4tbsp shiro miso (available on Amazon or any Asian department of a store)
METHOD
Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan. Simmer at the lowest setting for about an hour. Top up with a bit of chicken stock if needed.
Remove the bacon.
For medium-boiled eggs
Bring enough water to cover the eggs to a boil. Boil them for 6 minutes 30 seconds. Then submerge the eggs in iced water. Cut into half just before serving.
For the noodles
Boil the ramen noodles in plenty of water. It usually takes 4 minutes. You do not need to salt the water.
Boil the enoki mushrooms in water. Do not overcook. You just need it to be softened.
For the Chasui pork belly
INGREDIENTS
800g pork belly
¼ cup soy sauce
½ cup mirin
¼ cup sugar
3 cloves garlic left whole
2 green onions coarsely chopped
Enough water to cook the pork
METHOD
Mix all the ingredients and cook on low flame till the gravy is all evaporated and the pork is shiny and glossy. This may take some time. The pork has to be really tender and sticky. Then cut slices and keep aside.
For the Tonkotsu ramen broth
INGREDIENTS
2½ kg of pork bones with a little meat on them
100g white mushrooms sliced
1 onion peeled and halved
50g of pork fat piece
METHOD
Put the pork boned in a large stock pot and cover with cold water.
Bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. At this time a huge mess of scum will form.
Remove from heat and dump the water and carefully rinse all the bones under cold running water.
Return the bones to the stock pot. Cover the bones with cold water and bring to a rolling boil.
Add the mushrooms, onions and pork fat and maintain a rolling boil for at least 10 hours. Replenish the water along the way. The bones must be under water the whole time. It’s best to cover the pot for this so that the water does not evaporate fast.
Remove the piece of fat and cut into pieces and blend with little stock and put it back inside.
After about 10 hours remove the stock from heat and cool slightly. Remove the bones and strain the stock.
For the final assembly
Put a quarter of the tare at the bottom of each of four bowls. Then add ½ cup of broth into each bowl and stir to mix. Now add the noodles and pour 1½ cup of broth. Place 2 slices of pork, enoki mushrooms and one egg cut into half. Garnish with green spring onions.
JAPANESE SOUFFLE PANCAKE
This is a very popular Japanese street food. Also, it is very easy to make.
Japanese Souffle Pancake
INGREDIENTS
2 eggs
4tsp milk
3½tbsp all-purpose flour
¼tsp vanilla extract
25g sugar (2tbsp)
METHOD
Separate the egg yolk and the white in separate bowls.
Put 20ml milk in the egg yolk and whisk well.
Sieve the flour in the egg yolks and whisk well.
Add vanilla extract and whisk well.
Whisk the whites of the egg.
Add 1/3 of the sugar and whisk again.
Add the rest of the sugar and whisk well with hand-blender till soft peaks are formed.
Now take little of the egg white and gently fold into the egg yolks.
Take the egg yolk mixture and mix with the white of eggs. Fold gently till all well combined.
Now put the mixture in a plastic piping bag.
Heat a non-stick skillet with a drop of oil. Then wipe it off.
Now snip the tip of the bag and quickly pipe the mixture in a circular fashion. You could put 3 at one time. The heat should be low.
Put 2 drops of water. Cover and cook till the bottom is golden. Then gently flip and put 2 more drops of water and cover and cook till it is nice and golden.
Remove to a plate. Put a piece of butter on each and drizzle a little maple syrup or honey. Enjoy warm pancakes.
CRISPY TOFU DONBURI (VEGETARIAN DISH)
Make it crispy with caramelised sauce and you will love it.
INGREDIENTS (For 2 servings)
300g firm tofu block
125g kale
Steamed rice
2tbsp sake
2tbsp soy sauce
2tbsp sugar
10g unsalted butter
Sesame dressing
For the miso soup
½ onion
Dried wakame seaweed
2tbsp miso (or to taste)
300ml water
METHOD
For making miso soup
Put water in a pot.
Add sliced onion. Simmer onion on low heat for 5-8 minutes.
Add a tablespoon or so of dried wakame seaweed.
Add miso paste. Simmer for 3-4 minutes and the miso soup is done.
For preparing the kale
Trim the stems of the kale and then cut into bite-sized pieces.
Then blanch in boiling water for 30 seconds. Drain the water. Put it in a bowl. Drizzle with roasted sesame dressing. (I have used Kewpie brand). Mix the kale well with the dressing. Add some chopped green onions when serving.
For preparing the tofu
Cut the tofu into ½ inch thickness. Wipe dry with paper towel. Sprinkle some cornstarch over the tofu to coat it. Not too much though.
Now in a bowl mix sake, soya sauce and sugar. Mix well.
Now heat a little vegetable oil in a pan and carefully put the pieces of tofu and fry for 3 minutes on medium heat on each side. After 3 minutes add the sauce and caramelise the sauce around the tofu.
Now add the butter and fry till nice and golden-brown and the sauce coats the tofu.
For the plating
In a bowl, put some rice. Then place the kale. Place the tofu and sprinkle some roasted sesame seeds and chopped green onions. Serve hot with hot miso soup.
NOTE: For authentic ingredients check Amazon or any big supermarket.
Durri Bhalla is a cookery expert and author of Indian Bohra Cuisine and Inner Truth To Good Health And Weight Loss. You can find her @durribhallakitchen on Instagram, @Durribhallakitchen on Facebook and Durri Bhalla on YouTube