JAPANESE RECIPE: MIXED VEG IN A LIGHT AND CRISPY TEMPURA BATTER

Kaki-age tempura is a type of tempura with a mix of vegetables and other ingredients such as seafood. I think it's one of the easiest and more versatile types of tempura to make at home as you can use whatever you have in the fridge.

INGREDIENTS:

200g sweet potato (cut into thin strips like matchsticks, leave skin on)

200g carrots (peeled and cut into thin strips like matchsticks)

100g onion (peeled and cut into thin strips)

2 tbsp flour (to coat the vegetables)

For the batter

1 cup of flour (sieve)

1 tsp corn flour (sieve)

3/4 cup ice cold water
Few ice-cubes

1 egg yolk

For the sauce

100ml dashi stock (homemade dashi stock or 100ml water and a sprinkle of dashi instant granules)

20ml  mirin

20ml soya sauce
Grated ginger/daikon (optional)

Lemon wedges and sea salt (serve on the side)

Vegetable oil (for frying)

INSTRUCTIONS:

FOR THE MIXED VEG TEMPURA

1. Mix all the vegetables in a large bowl and using your hands or a large spoon evenly coat the vegetables in 2 tbsp of flour. Then set aside. 
2. Beat the egg yolk and ice cold water in a large bowl. Toss in a few ice-cubes to keep the water cold.
3. Gradually add the flour and cornflour to the water/egg mix and then lightly mix.
4. Toss all the vegetables into the batter mix and ensure all the veg is equally coated.
5. Heat the oil in a heavy based large saucepan to 170 degrees celsius (medium/high heat).
6. Drop a bit of batter in the oil to check the temperature. If the batter rises slowly to the top of the oil the temperature is right.
7. Put the tempura veg mix on a large wooden spoon and slowly place in the oil against the side of the saucepan. Use a large spoon or chopsticks to help keep the veg mix together when placing in the oil. Remove the wooden spoon slowly once the tempura mix is secure and firmly binded together.
8. Deep fry the tempura until it is golden brown only turning a few times.
9. Drain on paper towel to absorb excess oil. 

FOR THE TEMPURA DIPPING SAUCE 

1. Put all the ingredients for the dipping sauce into a saucepan and let it simmer for a few minutes. Then set aside and let cool.

HOW TO EAT:

• Serve on top of a bowl of rice or udon noodles.
• Season with salt and lemon wedges or a tempura dipping sauce. 

TIPS:

• You can add a little sesame oil to the vegetable oil for extra flavour
• Do not overcrowd the saucepan as the oil temperature will drop
• Do not over mix the batter, lumps are ok in the batter
• Add prawns or scallops to the mix

JAPANESE SWEET POTATO CHIPS RECIPE WITH WASABI MAYO

I mentioned in a previous post that I’m always looking for foods that help asthma since my little boy was diagnosed with asthma this year. Sweet potatoes can help diseases related to inflammation such as asthma and also chronic diseases like cancer and heart disease. It's worth including them as part of your weekly diet as they're filled with nutrional benefits.

This recipe is a quick and healthy way to eat sweet potatoes as a snack or as a side dish to a main meal.

INGREDIENTS:
1 large sweet potato, about 400g (peeled and cut into chips)

2 tbsp vegetable or rapeseed oil
Freshly ground salt and pepper for seasoning 
Nori (optional to garnish)
Wasabi mayo (optional for dipping sauce)

 

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
2. Place the sweet potato chips in a roasting tray and use your hands to coat in the oil and then season with freshly ground salt and pepper. 
3. Spread the chips out in a single layer so they cook properly and won't stick together.
4. Cook for about 30 minutes (depending on the thickness of the chips) in the oven until the chips are cooked through.

TO MAKE WASABI MAYO

Mix the mayo and wasabi together until you get a nice green mayo. Add more or less wasabi depending on your liking. I usually add 1tsp of wasabi to every 2 tsp of mayo.  

NOTES: 

Wasabi is made from the root of the wasabi plant. It has a similar taste to hot mustard and is regularly used in Japan. It is best known for being served on the side with sushi. If you can't find wasabi for this recipe (big supermarkets like Tesco and Superquinn stock wasabi) then Hellman's recently launched Hellmann's wasabi mayonnaise.

Click here to see my recipe on Japanese style fish & chips

JAPANESE COLESLAW RECIPE WITH DAIKON AND CARROT

Since my son was diagnosed with asthma I've tried to research what kind of foods might help his asthma. A healthy and well balanced diet should definitely be part of his overall asthma treatment plan. However, I read various articles that mentioned the possible link between two Asian vegetables and the improvement of respiratory related illnesses such as asthma. These vegetables are lotus root (renkon in Japanese) and mooli (daikon in Japanese). They're part of the Japanese diet and recently have become available in the West. I buy these vegetables in my local Asian market and sometimes I can find them at my local farmer's market. It's worth mentioning that these vegetables not only aid respiratory related illnesses but also have an endless list of associated health benefits including anti cancerous properties.

Mooli - daikon

Lotus root - renkon

Daikon is a white radish that can be used for juices, salads, soups, stews etc. Here's a simple recipe of mine using daikon. 

JAPANESE COLESLAW WITH DAIKON AND CARROT

INGREDIENTS:

100g daikon (peeled and roughly grated)

100g carrot  (peeled and roughly grated)

2 tbsp mayo

1 tsp rice vinegar

1 tsp soya sauce

Salt and pepper (to season)

Black or white sesame seeds (to garnish)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Mix the mayonnaise, rice vinegar and soya sauce in a large bowl.

2. Add the grated daikon and carrot and mix well.

3. Serve with sesame seeds sprinkled on top (optional)

NOTES:

- If you don't have rice vinegar and soya sauce at home just add mayonnaise, fresh lemon juice and salt & pepper instead. 

- Click on the links below to see my other lotus root recipes:

Sauteed lotus root and carrot
Lotus root and seaweed salad

SPINACH, BEANSPROUT AND TOFU DONBURI

Donburi means bowl in Japanese but when referring to food it can mean a Japanese rice bowl dish. So when a dish is served sitting on a bowl of rice the name of the dish often ends with don (the abbreviation for donburi)!

Oyako-don (chicken and egg dish) and katsu-don (pork cutlet, egg and onion dish) are two of the most popular donburi dishes in Japan.

I made my own donburi dish one evening using leftovers in the fridge and was delighted to find that spinach and beansprouts go really well with tofu in a stir-fry. You can use whatever leftover vegetables you have at home for this dish once you have the rice and the seasoning. 

Serves 4
Prep time 10 mins
Cooking time 30 mins

Ingredients
Bowl of cooked rice per person serving
Vegetable oil or rapeseed oil (for frying)
Sesame oil (for frying)
150g tofu, preferably GM free (carefully cut into bite size rectangular pieces)
2 large garlic cloves (peeled and finely grated)
Thumbsize piece of ginger (peeled and finely grated)
150g Spinach/ Pak choi
150g Beansprouts

Seasoning:
2 tbsp sake (Japanese rice wine)
3 tbsp soya sauce
1 tbsp brown sugar

Roasted sesame seeds or nanami togarashi (optional to garnish)

Instructions:
1. Heat 1 tbsp of vegetable oil in a non-stick frying pan on medium to high heat. 
2. Gently place the tofu pieces on the pan and fry both sides of the tofu until slightly browned.
3. Carefully place the fried tofu pieces on a plate and set aside.
4. Heat 1 tsp of vegetable oil and 1 tsp of sesame oil in a heavy based saucepan.
5. Add the garlic and ginger and fry for less than one minute (do not brown).
6. Toss in the beansprouts, spinach and finally add the fried tofu pieces.
7. Pour the sake evenly over the veg and tofu followed by soya sauce and sugar. Then gently stir.
8. Fry for a few minutes until the seasoning has absorbed into the vegetables and tofu.
9. Serve on top of a bowl of white rice.
10. Sprinkle roasted sesame seeds or nanami togarashi over the dish.

How to eat:
This dish can be served immediately with rice. It can also be eaten cold like a salad and tastes great the next day!

Tips:
1. Freeze leftover rice in the freezer in portion sizes wrapped in cling film.
2. Try not to overcook the vegetables.

Notes:
Please see my posts on Basic Japanese Ingredients to understand the basic ingredients used for Japanese cooking.
Basic Japanese Ingredients Part I
Basic Japanese Ingredients Part II

BENTO - JAPANESE STYLE LUNCHBOX

Japanese people take great pride in preparing bento for their families. Many Japanese mothers get up quite early in the morning to make bento. They put a lot of effort and time into creating a bento that is nutritionally balanced, tastes great and looks appealing. In Japan, the appearance of the food is just as important as the taste! Generally, the bento will have rice, fish or meat and some kind of vegetable or fruit. Since the bento box is divided into different compartments various dishes can be stored in the box together.

It is surprising how quickly you can become immersed in this bento culture. When I lived in Japan the thoughts of bringing my bento to work every day seemed like a chore but it didn't take long before I was looking forward to making my bento every night.

Here is a bento that I made for my family at the weekend. It is served in a bento box used by Japanese restaurants and can be used to serve a Japanese meal at home. I bought this online from Amazon! The bento box used for work/ school lunches is smaller and more compact.

BENTO BOX MENU

1. Japanese rice - click here to see my post on how to cook Japanese rice. You can use any type of rice of this meal.

2. Japanese style pan fried cod fillet 
Ingredients:
1 tbsp vegetable oil or rapeseed oil (for frying)
Cod fillet
2 tbsp sake

Pinch of salt

Thumb size piece of ginger root (peeled and finely grated) 
2 tbsp Japanese soy sauce

Instructions:
Marinate the cod in sake and salt. Leave for about 10 minutes before frying.
Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium to high heat. 
Place the cod on the pan and seal one side by frying for a minute or so. Then turn the cod over and seal the other side. 
Reduce the heat and continue to cook for another 5 minutes or less. 
Mix the ginger and soy sauce together in a small bowl and then pour over the fish when ready to eat. 

3. Japanese style stir fried spinach/pak choi with beansprouts

Ingredients: 
1 tbsp vegetable oil or rapeseed oil (for frying)
2 large garlic cloves (peeled and finely grated)
Thumbsize piece of ginger (peeled and finely grated)
200g Spinach/ Pak choi
200g Beansprouts

Seasoning (mix all in a bowl together):
2 tbsp sake (Japanese rice wine)
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine)
2 tsp caster sugar

Roasted sesame seeds (optional to garnish)

Instructions:
Heat the oil in a heavy based saucepan on medium to high heat. 
Add the garlic and fry for about 10 seconds. The quickly add the ginger and fry for another 10 seconds.
Toss in the beansprouts and stir. 
After less than one minute add the spinach. 
Pour the seasoning evenly over the vegetables. 
Fry for a few minutes until the seasoning has absorbed into the vegetables.
When ready to serve sprinkle roasted sesame seeds over the vegetables. 

4. Sliced melon and mango sprinkled with pomegranate (Japanese people often eat fruit as dessert)
Ingredients:
Honeydew melon 
Mango
Handful of pomegranate seeds

Instructions:
Peel and cut the chilled melon and mango into small bite size cubes.
Toss a handful of pomegranate seeds over the fruit salad.

How to eat:
Bento goes well with miso soup if you're eating it at home or in a restaurant.

Tips:
Pack a smaller version of this bento into a lunch box by using cupcake cases or tinfoil to separate the dishes.
Be adventurous by swapping the dishes in this bento with your favourite Japanese dishes.

Why not:
You can get takeaway bentos in a few places in Dublin including Kokoro on Lower Liffey Street in Dublin http://kokorosushibento.com/
Musashi noodle and sushi bar and Michie sushi in Dublin, Ireland have a reasonably priced bento lunch deal 

Kinpira Renkon - Sautéed Lotus Root and Carrot

I decided to post this recipe because I'd love to see more people eating lotus root. Lotus root is very popular in Asia however most Irish people are not familiar with this vegetable. Although it's relatively difficult to find in supermarkets in Ireland many Asian markets have started to stock fresh lotus root. I bought this one in the Asian Market on Drury St in Dublin. 

Lotus root (renkon in Japanese) is a vegetable that has amazing health benefits. It's low in calories, aids digestion, increases energy levels, helps treat lung related illnesses such as asthma and lots more! Lotus root like other vegetables can be cooked in a variety of ways. In Japan it's often added to salads, soups, stews, fried dishes, tempura etc.

If you can't find lotus root for this recipe then try to replace it with another vegetable or seaweed to go along with the carrots and use the same seasoning to enjoy a traditional Japanese sautéed vegetable dish. 

Prep time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 15 mins

Ingredients:
1 tsp vegetable or rapeseed oil
1/2 tsp sesame oil
300g Lotus root (peeled and thinly sliced)
1 Carrot (peeled and thinly sliced into strips)
1 tbsp sake
1 tbsp soya sauce
11/2 tbsp mirin
1 tsp roasted sesame seeds (to garnish)

Instructions:

1. Place the lotus root in a bowl of cold water for about 10 minutes to get rid of the bitterness and the excess starch. 
2. Drain and dry in kitchen towel.
3. Heat the oils in a heavy-based saucepan or frying pan on high heat for a minute or so.
4. Turn the heat down to medium-high, add the lotus root and carrots and fry for about 10 minutes.
5. Pour the sake over the vegetables, stir and fry for about 1 minute.
6. Add the soya sauce and mirin, stir and fry for a few minutes.
7. Remove from the heat.

How to eat:

Serve as a side dish on a small plate with sesame seeds sprinkled over the dish.

Tips:

1. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge and eat it the next day or a few days later (it tastes even better!!).

2. Make homemade lotus root chips using any leftover lotus root.

Why not:

Use the same seasoning but different vegetables if you can't source lotus root.

 

Hiyayakko- chilled tofu with grated ginger and soya sauce

Hiyayakko is chilled tofu with different toppings and a drizzle of soya sauce. The most popular toppings among Japanese people are grated ginger, spring onion, katsuobushi (bonito flakes), shiso and daikon radish.

Hiyayakko should take only 5 minutes or less to prepare! You can have it as an appetiser, side dish or main dish. It's nice and refreshing to eat on a warm summer's day.

Ingredients:

1 pack of cold silken tofu (preferably GM free tofu)

Thumb size piece of fresh ginger grated
Handful of finely chopped spring onion (optional)
Handful of bonito flakes/katsuobushi (optional)

3 tsp soya sauce

Instructions:

1. Gently drain the water from the block of tofu and place on a serving plate. 
2. Place the grated ginger (bonito flakes and spring onion) on top of the tofu.
3. Drizzle soya sauce over the tofu and toppings just before serving.

How to eat:
You can serve this dish Japanese style as one block of tofu and let everyone help themselves or you can cut the tofu into smaller blocks and put a little topping on each small block of tofu. Then, serve on individuals plates.

Tips:

1. Be careful not to pour too much soya sauce over the tofu or it will overtake the delicious taste of the tofu.
2. Make sure to serve the tofu chilled.

Tempura - deep fried vegetables and seafood in a light crispy batter

My sister came over for lunch on Saturday so I thought I'd cook one of my favourite recipes for her. She loves her Irish grub so sometimes it's hard to get her to try different types of food. But I knew she'd love this as it's an easy transition into the world of Japanese food! She devoured it all so I can safely say that this dish will be enjoyed by all, both the conservative and the adventurous type. She has a prawn allergy so I included some cod fillet pieces in the tempura mix too. I love this recipe because it's versatile. You can use your favourite vegetables, seafood or even meat for this recipe. The options are endless!

I remember my Japanese homestay mother taught me how to make Japanese tempura. She said that the secret to a light and crispy tempura batter is to make sure that the water is ice cold and the mixture is not over-beaten.

INGREDIENTS

1 aubergine - thinly sliced (1cm thick)

1 sweet potato - peeled and thinly sliced (1cm thick)

Red or green pepper - cut into square pieces

Cod fillet - cut into square pieces (skinned and boned)

Large king prawns - remove the head and the shell, leave the tail and devein using a tooth pick. Then, make a few little cuts with a sharp knife on the belly and back of the prawn and pull the prawn to straighten.

Tempura dipping sauce

1 cup of water

1 tsp instant dashi stock (Japanese cooking stock) or homemade dashi*

1/4 cup mirin (sweet Japanese rice wine)

1/4 cup soya sauce
Grated ginger or Japanese radish called daikon (optional)

Basic tempura batter

1 egg

1 cup ice water

1 cup plain flour

vegetable oil for frying (oil temperature 180 degrees Celsius)

*Click here to see my recipe for homemade dashi.

INSTRUCTIONS

Tempura dipping sauce

I like to prepare the dipping sauce first so everything is prepared when the tempura is ready. If you do not have time or the ingredients to prepare the dipping sauce then you could just serve the tempura with soya sauce or sprinkle with salt (preferably sea salt).

1. Pour a cup of water into a small saucepan. 
2. Add the dashi stock and the mirin and then bring to the boil. 
3. Reduce the heat and add the soya sauce. Remove from the heat after a few minutes. 
4. Put the tempura dipping sauce in a serving bowl and add the grated ginger or grated Japanese radish (daikon) to taste.

Basic tempura batter

1. Place the egg in a medium size bowl and beat using chopsticks or whisk.
2. Pour the ice cold water into the bowl and mix with the egg.
3. Sieve the plain flour and add to the water and egg mix. Mix lightly leaving small lumps in the mixture (at this stage you could sit the medium sized bowl filled with the batter into a larger bowl filled with ice to keep the batter cold).

How to cook the tempura

1. Place all prepared vegetables, prawns and cod pieces on a large plate and dust lightly with sieved flour on both sides.
2. To check the oil is hot enough, drop a small bit of batter into the oil and if it comes up right away then the oil temperature is ok. 
3. Gently dip a few pieces of the vegetables or seafood into the batter, shake off the excess batter and place in the oil (try to fry the vegetables first and then the seafood).
4. Only fry a few pieces in the oil at the time to ensure that the oil temperature remains hot. The pieces should be turned only a few times until they have a nice light golden colour. This usually takes a few minutes.
5. Place the fried tempura on a plate lined with kitchen towel to absorb the excess oil.

How to eat:

This dish is better served immediately because the tempura will become cold and soggy very quickly. If you really need to delay serving then you could put them in a preheated oven for a little bit. I normally serve the tempura on a large serving plate along with the dipping sauce so everyone can help themselves. Then, I give each guest a bowl of Japanese white rice.

Tips:

1. Add a dash of sake (Japanese rice wine) or even Guinness for an Irish twist to the batter mix to add taste and also to make the batter more crispy. 
2. Place the water in the freezer until it is very cold before mixing with the egg. This helps make the batter light and crispy.

Why not:

Try tempura with a bowl of soba noodles or udon noodles instead of rice.