‘Shirataki’ are translucent and gelatinous noodles made from Konnyaku Potatoes (Konjac Yam or Devil’s Tongue Yam). Largely composed of water and dietary fibre, they are very low in calories. Slightly coloured type is called ‘Itokonnyaku’. They are getting popular as a healthy gluten & wheat free pasta alternative. I love it especially with Ponzu, a …
One of Japanese iconic dishes of Spinach is ‘Ohitashi’, marinated in dashi-base sauce. I particularly like Wasabi flavoured ‘Ohitashi’. If you don’t like Wasabi, forget this dish. My daughter enjoys most of the food on this planet, but Wasabi is one of the few things that she doesn’t enjoy. I usually stock a bottle of …
There are two very popular Japanese dishes of Spinach. ‘Goma-ae’ is probably the most popular one, and the other one is ‘Ohitashi’, marinated in dashi-base sauce. Many people enjoy it with ‘Katsuobushi’ as a topping. I like it without ‘Katsuobushi’. I often mix Wakame seaweed with Spinach but Toasted Nori is also very nice. Try …
‘Hijiki’ is a dark brownish coloured sea vegetable and it has been a part of the Japanese diet for centuries. Hijiki is rich in dietary fibre and minerals such as calcium, iron and magnesium. There is a health concern about the level of inorganic arsenic in Hijiki and some say it is toxic. I have …
A store of Daiso has opened in a shopping centre near my house recently. If you are interested in Japanese culture, you must know Daiso. Daiso stores sell a great variety of Japanese products all at one price $2.80 each in Australia. They sell some cooking ingredients and ‘Shredded Kombu (Kelp)’ is one of them. …
‘Tsukudani’ is a dish of commonly small fish, shellfish or seaweed cooked in Mirin, Sugar and Soy Sauce to preserve the ingredients. Its name originates from Tsukuda-jima, an island in Tokyo where it was first made in the Edo period. Seaweed ‘Tsukudani’ can be made with Kombu (Kelp) or Wakame. But Nori ‘Tsukudani’ is probably …
Cabbage is such a versatile vegetable and one of my favourites. This summer I have been using it for salad very often. Cabbage salad is not necessarily like coleslaw. The hard & crunchy texture can be softened by cooking slightly. This salad needs to be served straight away after mixing because the toasted nori flavour …
A Korean grocery store nearby sells many ingredients very similar to Japanese ones and I can purchase dried Wakame. The dried Wakame are totally shrunk and look like thin twigs or something, but the volume increases a lot when rehydrated. You would better use small amount. My mother used to use Vegetable Oil for this …
This is probably one of the very traditional home-style dishes that most mothers cook. My family recipe is always meat-free but you may wish to add chicken to this dish. This can be mixed with freshly cooked rice to make “Hijiki Mazegohan’ which is also popular. Makes 4 Servings Ingredients 20 to 25g Dried Hijiki100 …
Do you use Nori (Seaweed Sheets) for cooking other then Sushi? I use Nori for soup, salad and many other things. Try this Korean inspired Cabbage & Nori Salad. Cabbage can be replaced with Lettuce. I cook this salad quite often! Makes 4 Servings Ingredients 1/4 Cabbage *OR LettuceBoiling Water to soften Cabbage1 clove Garlic …
One of the most popular and authentic Japanese salad. This type of salad is called ‘Ae-mono’. This particular ‘Ae-mono’ is one of the refreshing dishes that I sometimes have a craving for when I am very tired. Makes 4 Servings Ingredients 1 Continental Cucumber OR 2 smaller ones *about 300g2 to 3 tablespoons Dry Wakame1/4 …
Miso Soup is one of the traditional Japanese staple dishes and this is my favourite Miso Soup since my childhood. And this is the first dish that I cooked on the very first day at a uni apartment after I moved out of my family’s home. It’s a dish to remember. I always use mild …