Spicy Garlic Fried Rice

I love these Japanese fried rice mix packages! They are so good to have around the house for days when I don't feel like spending more than 20 minutes in the kitchen. If you've never tried them, I urge you to go to your closest Japanese grocer and try all the different flavors, they are delicious! One flavor I often use is garlic. It's mild but still gives the fried rice a good, almost smoky base. To that I add a few more ingredients, serve it and watch my husband deliriously happy devour his bowl of fried rice. This recipe is his favorite because it encompasses two flavors he adores: fish sauce and tobanjan paste. The result is spicy, salty and smoky garlic fried rice. Yum!

Can't find Japanese fried rice mix packages? Look at the end of this recipe for 3 basic, tasty fried rice recipes.

Ingredients:

- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1/2 medium size onion, finely chopped
- 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
- 1 tsp tobanjan
- 1 1/2 tsp fish sauce
- garlic fried rice mix
- about 2 cup pre-cooked rice (you can use any type of rice for this)
- 2 tbps oil
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup, finely chopped mushrooms
- salt and pepper to taste


Directions:

In a medium/large size pan, add oil garlic, onions and celery. Cook for 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes. Add rice and slowly break it down with a wooden spatula, and stir for 2 minutes. Add fish sauce, tobanjan and fried rice mix, and stir well for another minute.

Lower the heat, push the fried to one side of the pan and break the 2 eggs on the other. Whisk the eggs with the spatula (like you would if you were making scrambled eggs) and once the eggs are almost cooked, slowly incorporate into the fried rice. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

If you don't have pre-packaged fried rice mix, you can try this simple vegetable fried rice, Japanese fried rice or garlic fried rice I also created. They're all very similar but with a slight change of ingredients.

Chawanmushi (Japanese egg custard)

Chawan Mushi

Recipe by Caroline Phelps

This light and delicate egg custard is a wonderful appetizer to prepare if you're looking to wow your partner or dinner guests. It's both beautiful and fun to eat, is extremely simple and easy to make, and require few ingredients. This Japanese dish is often served in omakase meals and in traditional Japanese restaurants. The flavors are mild, eggy and earthy, with a texture very similar to silken tofu.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cup low sodium chicken or beef broth (room temperature)
• 4 large eggs
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cups chopped mushrooms
• 3 scallions, finely chopped
• Sauce:
• 4 tbsp low sodium chicken or beef broth
• 1 1/2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar

Cooking Directions:

Bring the water in your  steamer to boil, cover and lower the heat to simmer.

In a large pan, add the oil and cook the mushroom for a few minutes until they become slightly caramelized. Set aside and let them cool down to room temperature.Your chicken or beef broth should also be room temperature. 

Whisk the eggs and add broth. In 4 small separate bowls, equally divide the mushrooms and pour the egg stock on top. Add a few scallions in each cup and briefly stir. Put the cups in the  steamer, cover and steam for 12-14 minutes. 

Meanwhile mix all the ingredients of the sauce together and set aside. When the custard cups are ready, take them out of the steamer, pour a little sauce on top and garnish with scallions.

Tori no Kara Age - Japanese Fried Chicken

JFC (Japanese fried chicken) or Tori no Kara Age

Recipe by Caroline Phelps

Japanese fried chicken (also known as JFC :) ) is saltier than its American relative. Using a marinade of soy and sake, and dusting the nuggets with potato starch or corn starch puts this fried chicken recipe in a league of its own. It's VERY juicy and the light and crispy batter doesn't disappoint. (Makes 10 to 12 pieces)

Ingredients

• 1 lb boneless chicken thighs with skin, cut bite size
• 1 thumb size ginger, grated
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp sake
• 1/2 Potato starch (katakuriko) or cornstarch (if you have both, potato starch is better)
• 1 tsp kosher salt (or 1/2 tsp regular salt)
• 1/4 tsp chili powder (for a little kick) *optional*
• Vegetable oil (for frying)

Cooking Directions

Combine grated ginger, soy sauce and sake in a bowl. Add chicken and toss well to coat. Marinate for at least an hour (no longer than 4 hours otherwise the chicken may lose moisture because of the salt in the soy sauce). 

In a medium size bowl, mix the potato starch, salt and chili powder. Heat the oil to 350 degrees using a temperature-controlled fryer or a thermometer. If you don't have one, test with a small piece of chicken. Coat each piece very well, shake off excess and fry in batches (don't put too many at once as doing so lowers the temperature of the oil). Cook for a few minutes, until golden brown. 

Lay chicken on paper towel and serve with lemon wedges, yuzusco or shichimi.

Print this recipe!

Japanese Potato Salada

Potato Salad (Japanese)

Recipe by Caroline Phelps

Japanese potato salads are a little sweet and tangy, which I love since every bite seems to taste different. I've pickled the cucumber for this recipe with a little salt and sugar. This softens the texture and gives it zing. The flavors blend really well together, making this a personal favorite. Serve as a side to chicken katsu and you have yourself and very traditional and homely Japanese meal.

Ingredients

• 2 medium size potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 medium size carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 thumb size ginger, peeled and grated
• 1/2 English cucumber, cut in 1/4 lengthwise, finely chopped
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp sake
• 1 tsp granulated sugar
• salt and freshly ground pepper

Cooking Directions

1. Boil potatoes and carrots until tender but still a little firm. 
2. In a bowl, pour a little salt and sugar over the cucumbers (about 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, 1/2 tsp sugar), mix with your fingers and leave to marinate for about 15-20 minutes. Drain and squeeze the excess water from the cucumber, rinse quickly under cold water and squeeze again. 
3. In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, carrots and ginger. 
4. With a potato masher, mash about 1/2 of the mixture, add cucumber, mayonnaise, sake, sugar, salt and pepper and mix well with a spoon or spatula. 
5. Adjust taste and texture (by adding more mayo) to your liking. Serve.

Omusoba (Japanese omelet with stir fried noodles and veggies)

Omusoba is a very popular dish in Japan that can be

found in 'family restaurants' and izakayas (Japanese brasseries).

It is an uncomplicated dish, remindful of what you would

get in a Japanese household. Sweet and savory flavors

are both present in this Japanese omelet that's extremely

satisfying on a cold day!

Makes about 4 omelets

Ingredients:

- 8 eggs

- 1 carrot, cut into small strips

- 1 onion, finely chopped

- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

- 2 cups cabbage, chopped bite size

- 4 tbsp neutral oil (grapeseed, canola)

- 2 tbsp soy sauce

- 1 1/2 tbsp rice vinegar

- 2 tbsp water

- 1 tbsp sake

- 1 tsp sugar

- 1 sheet nori (dried seaweed), ground (I use a coffee grinder) or very finely chopped

- 6 oz (170g) chow mein noodles (ramen noodles are also good)

- Tonkatsu sauce 

- Kewpie Mayonnaise (optional)

- salt & pepper

Directions:

Boil your noodles just short of al dente (you will finish them in the pan), rinse in cold water and set aside. 

In a large pan over high heat, add 2 tbsp oil, garlic and onions, and cook for 2 minutes. Add the rest of the vegetables and cook until they are almost soft (about 8 minutes). 

Lower the heat and add noodles, water, soy sauce, sake, rice vinegar, sugar and nori. Mix well and cook for a couple of minutes.

While the veggies are finishing up in the pan, grab another pan to make your omelets. Use 2 eggs per omelet (break in a bowl and briefly whisk). Add oil to the pan and when the oil is hot, make your first omelet. When the omelet is ready, put it on a plate and repeat the process until all your omelets are made. 

Equally divide the veggie and noodle mix and spread it on one side of each omelet. Fold with the empty side, squirt a good amount of Tonkatsu sauce on top, add some kewpie mayonnaise too if you like to add creaminess, and serve!

Japanese fried rice (Chahan)

Japanese Fried Rice

You can use different ingredients for this recipe,

just like any other fried rice, it's great to make when

you have leftovers!

(serves 2)

Ingredients:

- 1 cup frozen green peas (thawed)

- 3 cups cooked Japanese rice

- 1 small carrot, finely chopped

- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

- 1/4 lb boneless chicken breast, cut into small cubes

- 2 tbsp neutral oil (canola, grapeseed)

- 1 tbsp tonkatsu sauce (vegetable and fruit sauce. I use Bull-Dog)

- 2 tbsp soy sauce

- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

- 1/4 tsp kosher salt

- 2 eggs

Directions:

In a pan over medium heat, add oil, garlic and cook for a minute. Add chopped carrots and cook for 2 minutes. Add chicken and cook for 2-3 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. 

Add rice and peas and mix well. Add soy sauce, tonkatsu sauce, black pepper and salt, and mix well. Push the rice to one side and break the eggs on the clear side. Slowly scramble the eggs and incorporate with the rice. Serve!

Vegetables 'oden' style

When I am in Japan in the fall or winter,

I often go to a convenience store for Oden. Oden is a very

simple dish consisting of vegetables, eggs, 'konyaku', cooked

in a light soy based or kombu based broth. I've added some

garlic and ginger to mine to give it a bit of a twist.

(serves 2)

Ingredients:

- 4 carrots, roughly chopped

- 1/2 lb daikon, roughly chopped

- 1 onion, roughly chopped

- 1 shallot, finely chopped

- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped

- 1 tbsp ginger, finely grated

- 2 cup water

- 2 tsp granulated sugar

- 5 tbsp soy

- 1 tsp powdered dashi

- 1 tbsp cooking sake 

- 2 tbsp mirin

- 2 tbsp neutral oil (canola, grapeseed)

Directions:

Do your prep first, have all of your vegetables ready.In a pot over medium heat, add oil, ginger, garlic and shallot. Cook for 2 minutes and add onions. Cook for about 5 minutes, until onions are translucent.

Add carrots and daikon, and cook for 2 minutes. Add water, stir, add dashi, sake, mirin, sugar and soy, stir well. Bring to boil, lower heat and simmer for 30 minutes (until daikon and carrots are soft). 

Serve in small bowls with rice.

Onigiri (Japanese rice balls)

What could be more Japanese than onigiri!

It is a less fancy version of sushi maki, usually

filled with ume (Japanese pickled plums), mentaiko (spicy fish

roe), okaka (bonito flakes and soy), tarako (salty cod roe),

tuna mayonnaise and kombu (Japanese pickles). These are

great for snacks as they are healthy and filling. For this blog,

I've chosen my two favorite fillings: Ume and Mentaiko.

Makes about 8 onigiris

Ingredients:

-  4 cups cooked Japanese rice (I use Nishiki)

- Umeboshi (Japanese plums)

- Mentaiko (spicy cod roe)

- Nori (seaweed)

- Salt

Directions:

A couple of tricks to make good Japanese rice; soak your rice for a few minutes and massage a little until the water turns milky white. This removes some of the starch. Do it 2 or 3 times until the water is almost clear. Follow instructions and measurements listed on packaging. When you add your rice, give it a quick stir, put the lid on and leave it alone! I use a timer each time I make rice, this way I don't have to worry about under or over cooking it, and it always turns out perfect. 

When the rice is cooked, put it in a bowl and let cool. Grab a wooden spoon and gently fold over the rice (do not stir, you want to keep it fluffy!) while adding some salt (until you get your own perfect level of saltiness).

Now let's make our onigiris!

Grab a small handful of rice, shape it into a triangle (or ball) and make a dent in the middle. It's good to have a bowl of water nearby so you can wet your fingers (it helps with shaping the rice). Add filling of your choice. Wrap a strip of nori (a wider strip will make it much easier to eat) around the rice and you're done! It's that easy!

You can keep onigiri by wrapping it in cling film and refrigerate overnight. Zapping it in the microwave for about 30 seconds the next will day make the rice balls nice and soft again.