Easy Okonomiyaki(Japanese Savor Pancake) Recipe

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After

Okonomiyaki is probably my favorite Japanese food. It's like a pancake, but for dinner. It's also one of the most versatile and easy to cook. It's a balanced meal all in one. It has flour, meat, and vegetables. Okonomiyaki traditionally uses cabbage and thin strips of pork. My okonomiyaki is simple and tends to be dryer and thicker than you usually get at a restaurant. I usually use ground beef or tuna and just like my fried rice recipe, I keep to my rule of three different vegetables, three colors. It's great and anyone can make it. This recipe makes about 3 pancakes and serves 3-4 people.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of flour (about)
• 1 1/2 cups water (about)
• 1 egg
• 150 grams ground beef
• 3-4 cabbage leaves
• 1 carrot
• 1 leek(large green onion) or use regular onion
• 5 grams hondashi fish stock powder(bouillon)

Topping:

• okonomiyaki sauce(like worcester sauce)
• mayonnaise
• katsuo-bushi(bonito fish flakes)
• ao-nori power(blue seaweed). I really like this, but was out this time.

Directions:

1. Finely dice the cabbage and cut other vegetables into small pieces. 
2. Brown the ground beef in a frying pan, then add the vegetables and cook lightly together. 
3. In a large bowl, combine the flour, water, egg, and fish stock powder.
4. Add the stir fry to the batter and mix everything well.
5. Use a ladle to spoon the batter on the frying pan one large pancake a a time. Fry and flip.
6. Serve with sauce, mayonnaise, bonito flakes and seaweed powder. Sometimes the fish flakes will dance on top because of the steam. Enjoy.

Easy Tuna Chahan(Japanese Fried Rice) Recipe

Chahan or Japanese fried rice is simple, quick, and adaptable. I often make this tasty dish for the kids. My general rule is to use three different vegetables, different colors. You can use carrots, onion, cabbage, Chinese cabbage, or green peppers, whatever you have on hand. For meat, you can use sausage, shrimp, or other meat. I usually use ground beef, but today I used tuna. Sesame oil is the secret ingredient. It gives the chahan such a nice aroma. Unlike most recipes, I usually put my egg at the end. Just dump the whole raw egg in as the fried rice is cooking and stir everything together, hence the "easy" way. It gives the chahan a nice texture and helps it stick together. 

Ingredients:

• 3 cups of rice, cooked
• 1 large carrot
• 3-4 leaves of Chinese cabbage
• 1/2  large stalk leeks(big green onion)
• 1 can tuna
• 1 egg
• soy sauce
• salt
• sesame oil

Directions:

1. Cook the white rice.
2. Finely chop all the vegetables and stir fry on medium heat with a little sesame oil and 2 pinches of salt.
3. Add the can of tuna, mix thoroughly and cook together. 
4. Reduce heat, add the cooked white rice and mix together.
5. Add 4-5 Tblsp. soy sauce, or to taste, mix and cook.
6. Add 1 raw egg, mix and cook together.

Oishii!

Simple Pumpkin Croquette Recipe

Dinner tonight was Hiyasi Chuka, egg noodles served cold with sliced tomato, cucumber and ham and with a white sesame sauce. It's tangy and has a great sesame taste. It's a favorite dish in the summer. Also Junko made croquette with leftover pumpkin and potato salad. It tasted great served with a little okonomiyaki sauce(like Worcester sauce).







Pumpkin Croquette

Ingredients:

• about 1/2 Japanese pumpkin
• mayonnaise
• salt
• flour
• egg
• breadcrumbs
• cooking oil

Directions:

Pumpkin Salad

1. Japanese pumpkins are green very hard. You can peel if you like, but the peel is quite good in pumpkin salad. Wash and cut about half the pumpkin into small chunks and boil in a pan for about 10-15 minutes.
2. Drain pumpkin and mash pumpkin.
3. Add some mayonnaise and a pinch of salt and mix well.
4. Serve pumpkin salad or use for croquettes
5. Shape pumpkin salad into little rolls or patties.
6. Dip patties first in flour, then beaten egg, an finally breadcrumbs.
7. Fry in oil at 350°F(180ºC)until golden brown. Drip off or towel off excess oil.
8. Serve with tonkatsu , okonomiyaki, or Worcester sauce, shredded cabbage and rice.

Japanese Deep Fried Hamburger Cutlets Recipe (Menchi-Katsu)

Menchi-Katsu(メンチカツ) is a very popular, Japanese deep fried meat dish. It's called a deep fried meat cutlet, meat croquette, or fried meat cake. It's very similar to the Japanese korokke or croquette, but korokke are mainly mashed potatoes with some ground beef. Menchi katsu are basically a deep fried, breaded hamburger. They are served with Worcestershire sauce and cabbage. They can be eaten as a stand alone dish with rice, a "donburi" on top of a bowl of rice, with curry and rice(katsu-kare), or on a bun like a hamburger. Any way, they are delicious and satisfy any meat lover.

Serves 4     375 cal./serving

Ingredients:

• 11 oz.(300g) ground beef or pork
• 1/2 onion
• 1 bell pepper
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• fresh cabbage leaves
• vegetable oil
• flour
• 1 egg, beaten
• breadcrumbs
• mustard and/or Worcestershire sauce

Directions:

1. Finely chop onion, bell pepper and 2-3 cabbage leaves.
2. Saute onions in an oiled pan until clear.
3. Season meat with Worcestershire sauce and salt. mix in sauteed onions, bell pepper, and cabbage.
4. Use ground meat mixture to make about 8 oval/football shaped cutlets. Indent the middle a little.
5. Dip each cutlet first in flour, then beaten egg, and finally breadcrumbs. Deep fry over medium heat until breadcrumbs turn golden brown.
6. Remove from oil and drain on a rack or absorbent paper. Serve with a mound of diced cabbage and/or other greens,and Worcestershire sauce, and mustard if desired.

Variation:

• You can also serve on a bun, just like a hamburger.

Japanese Fried Meat and Vegetable Kebab Recipe(Kushi-Katsu)

Japanese deep fried kebabs or kushi-katsu(串カツ) definitely suits western tastes. Kushi-katsu restaurants are very popular. The kabobs can be ordered individually or as a platter. It comes with a Worcestershire based dipping sauce and raw cabbage leaves. The oil and sauce can be a bit strong, so the cabbage helps balance the flavor. Now here's an easy recipe so you can prepare this fun finger food at home. As with tempura, there are numerous possible ingredients. The recipe just offers a few choices, but have fun and experiment with this fun Japanese dish.

Serves 4-8     156 cal./serving

Ingredients:

• 5 oz.(140g) pork loin
• 2 inches(5cm) small eggplant
• 1 bell pepper
• 1 leek or 1 onion
• salt and pepper
• fresh cabbage leaves
• 2-3 cups vegetable oil for deep frying
• 1 orange or lemon sliced for garnish(optional)
• small bamboo skewers

Alternative Ingredients:

• beef
• chicken
• white fish fillets
• squid
• scallops
• pumpkin
• okra
• green beans
• quail eggs
• cheese

Sauce:

• 3 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 3 Tbsp. ketchup
• 1 Tbsp. soy sauce

Breading

• 2 Tbsp. flour
• 1 beaten egg and 1 Tbsp. water
• 1 cup fine dried breadcrumbs

Directions:

1. Slice eggplant into 1/2 inch rounds and soak in cold water for a few minutes. Clean out and cut bell pepper into bite size pieces. Cut leek into 1 inch lengths or cut onion into half rounds. Cut pork into bite size pieces.
2. Make skewers of each ingredient or mix ingredients. Put about 4 pieces on each skewer. Pieces should be touching.
3. Mix sauce ingredients and set aside.  
4. Lay out breading ingredients in 3 bowls. Sprinkle skewers with salt and pepper. Coat skewers first in flour, then egg water mixture, and finally in breadcrumbs.
5. Heat oil in a skillet to (340°F/170ºC). Deep fry 4 skewers at a time, turning once until cooked and both sides are browned. Remove and rain on a rack or absorbent paper.
6. If desired, wrap skewer ends in foil for easier handling. Serve with lemon wedges and cabbage leaves. 
7. Take one skewer, dip in the sauce, and eat. Everyone can use the same sauce as long as you don't dip the same skewer twice. Alternatively, pour sauce over skewers beforehand.

Japanese Tempura Recipe

Tempura is a Japanese seafood and vegetables, deep fried dish. An influence from Portugal, this Japanese adaptation became popular in the 19th century. It can be served on the side with rice, or "donburi" style on top of a bowl of rice called ten-don, or even as a topping in ramen noodles. Besides the favorite shrimp, tempura has many various ingredients that are quickly dipped in batter and deep fried. It's dipped in a special sauce before eating, including grated daikon and ginger. My personal favorites are sweet potato, shrimp, pumpkin, and lotus root.

Serves 4-8    780 cal./serving

Ingredients:

• 8 large shrimp
• 1 squid
• 4 whiting(kisu) fillets or thin fillets of any white fish
• 3 bell peppers
• 1 sweet potato(satsuma-imo)
• 1 carrot
• 2 oz.(50g) green beans
• nori seaweed
• 1 eggplant
• 4-5 fresh shitake mushrooms or 4 fresh white mushrooms
• 7 oz.(200g) lotus root(renkon)
• 5-6 cups vegetable oil(tempura oil if available)

Alternative ingredients:

• Kabocha squash or pumpkin
• onion
• okra
• scallops
• ginger
• snow peas
• asparagus

Batter

• 2 egg beaten
• 1 cup ice water
• 2 cup all-purpose flour

Dipping Sauce

• 2 cups dashi stock
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup mirin

Preparation:

• Shrimp- Shell shrimp with tails still attached and devein. Make 3- small incisions on the underside of each shrimp to prevent curling. Gently straighten shrimp by pulling until you feel a slight give.
• Squid- Gut squid and remove thin membrane skin. Cut in half lengthwise, then into 3/4 inch(2cm) wide strips.
• Fish- Lightly rinse fillets.
• Bell Peppers- Seed and and cut into 2-3 inch, i inch wide strips
• Sweet potatoes- Wash and cut into 1/2 inch thick rounds.
• Carrot- Cut into 1/4 inch rounds.
• Eggplant- Quarter eggplant lengthwise. Lay cut side down and make 3 more lengthwise cuts, fan out, and cut off cap for slices. If using mini-eggplant, cut several slits lengthwise and leave cap.
• Green Beans- Tie 4-5 green beans together in the middle with some nori seaweed. Moisten strip with water and secure.
• Shitake Mushrooms- Discard the stems and make an "X" slit on the cap.
• Lotus Root(ren-kon)-  Peel and cut into 1/4 inch rounds. Place lotus root and sweet potatoes in a bowl of lightly salted water for a few minutes.

Dipping Sauce- Combine all dipping sauce ingredients in a pan and bring to a boil. Cool to room temperature.

Cooking:

1. Pat all ingredients with a paper towel to dry them. Arrange all ingredients close at hand before start frying.
2. Heat oil in a an for deep-frying to (350°F/180ºC). 
3. Prepare batter: Make batter just before frying, don't let it set out long. Mix egg and water first, then add flour all together. Mix lightly with a fork or chopsticks. Batter should be loosely combined and should be lumpy. 
4. Dip each ingredients quickly in the batter like a bird diving for fish. Spread ingredients out evenly in pan. Start with lotus root and sweet potato as they take the longest, then seafood, then other ingredients.
5. As soon as ingredients are cooked and crispy, remove from pan and let drip drain on a rack. Serve tempura immediately, line plates with absorbent paper and arrange decoratively.
6. Serve dipping sauce in individual small bowls. Set out grated daikon(Japanese white radish) and grated ginger. Take a little of both and mix in the sauce. Take the tempura you like, dip and eat.

Key Points to great Tempura

• Maintain a constant cooking temperature for the oil, otherwise tempura may turn out soggy. Check oil by dropping in a little batter. If it sinks halfway down and rises back up, oil is ready. When adding ingredients, temperature may go down, so add heat until it comes back up. 
• After batter has set on ingredients in the oil, pick up a piece and expose it to the air for a moment before putting it back. This will allow more air to enter and make crispier tempura.
• Occasionally, use a strainer to remove bits of batter so they don't burn.

Japanese Deep-Fried Breaded Shrimp Recipe(Ebi-fry)

This deep-fried breaded shrimp or ebi-fry(エビフライ) is a favorite in Japan. It's served with rice on the side or on top of a bowl of rice, "donburi" style. This Japanese dish definitely suits a western palette.

Serves 4    216 cal./serving













Ingredients:

• 12 medium or 8 large shrimp(prawns)
• all-purpose flour
• 1 egg, beaten
• breadcrumbs
• cabbage
• tomatoes or cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 lemon cut into wedges
• mayonnaise, tartar sauce, or Worctershire sauce

Directions:

1. Shell shrimp with tails still attached and devein. Make 3- small incisions on the underside of each shrimp to prevent curling. Gently straighten shrimp by pulling until you feel a slight give.
2. Dip shrimp first in flour, then beaten egg, and finally breadcrumbs.
3. Heat oil in pan to medium(350°F/180ºC). Deep fry shrimp until golden brown. Remove and let drain on a rack.
4. Serve on individual plates with a mound of diced cabbage, sliced or cherry tomatoes, a lemon wedge, and choice of sauce. Or serve on top of a bowl of rice "donburi" style.

Simple Japanese Croquettes Recipe (Korokke)

Croquettes are deep fried breadcrumb covered patties usually made from mashed potatoes and ground beef. This western food was introduced to Japan in the 19th Century where it became known as Korokke(コロッケ). Here's a simple Japanese style korokke recipe  you can make at home. Serve with tonkatsu or okonomiyaki sauce(like Worcestershire sauce), shredded cabbage, and rice and if you like, miso soup.

Serves 4


Ingredients:

• 5-6 oz. (150g) ground beef
• 3-4 potatoes
• 1 onion
• salt
• tonkatsu sauce
• cabbage
• flour
• egg
• breadcrumbs

Directions:

1. Peel the potatoes and cut into small chunks. Boil in a pan for about 10-15 minutes or until soft.
2. Drain and mash the potatoes in a bowl.
3. Finely chop the onion and fry together with ground beef in a pan. Add salt to taste. Drain excess oil.
4. Add ground beef and onions to mashed potatoes and mix well.
5. Form mashed potato mixture into rolls or patties.
6. Dip patties first in flour, then beaten egg, an finally breadcrumbs.
7. Fry in oil at 350°F(180ºC)until golden brown. Drip off or towel off excess oil.
8. Serve with tonkatsu sauce, shredded cabbage and rice.

Japanese Pork Cutlet on Rice (Katsu-don) Recipe

In Japanese, don(丼) means something served on a bowl of rice, often meat dishes. One very popular "don" is katsu-don（カツ丼）, fried pork cutlet cooked with egg, almost like an omelet. Katsu-don is made at home or served in most restaurants.You can put a Japanese twist on the typical pork cutlet. The recipe below is for one serving.







Ingredients:

• Boneless pork:                    1
• onion:                               1/4
• egg:                                  1

Batter

• flour
• egg
• breadcrumbs

Sauce

• dashi (stock):                         1/2 cup
• soy sauce:                             1-1/2 Tbsp.
• mirin(sweet cooking sake):        1 Tbsp.
• sugar:                                   1/4 Tbsp.

Directions:

1. Pound the meat with a steak tenderizer and season with salt and pepper.
2. Dip the meat in 1 flour, 2 beaten egg, and 3 breadcrumbs and fry thoroughly in oil at about 160ºC (320ºF).
3. After frying, cut the pork cutlet into 2cm thick slices.
4. Slice the onion thinly.
5. Mix the sauce ingredients together in a saucepan until just boiling.
6. Pour the sauce into a frying pan and boil the onions.
7. Add the pork cutlet to the frying pan. Cover with a beaten egg and cook until the egg sets.
8. Fill a large bowl not quite full of rice and pork and egg on top.
9. Garnish with a bit of parsley, green peas, or thinly sliced nori seaweed.