It all started when I first fried Nori to use up leftover Tempura batter. Nori Tempura turned much crispier than I expected, and it brought back a memory of a childhood snack. I altered the batter to achieve the right texture and I added Katsuobushi (Bonito Flakes) to it. These ‘Crispy Fried Nori’ are really …
‘Tsukudani’ is a dish of commonly small fish, shellfish or seaweed cooked in Mirin, Sugar and Soy Sauce to preserve the ingredients. If I were living in Japan, I would have never tried to make this Kombu ‘Tsukudani’ as it is popularly available in a variety of flavours. But, here in Melbourne where I live, …
This is a Korean inspired salad. I usually add Garlic, but the salad tastes good without Garlic. This salad is seasoned with Salt only, but it is absolutely delicious and can be a great side dish. Good for drinking, too. Makes 2 to 4 Servings Ingredients 200g (4 large leaves) Iceberg Lettuce *OR Cos Lettuce2 …
Ponzu is a versatile sauce. It can be a great dipping sauce and it can be used as a seasoning sauce. It is handy to have a bottle of Ponzu always. This is a very low-in-calorie salad as Shirataki (Konjac Noodles) has very little calories. Today I added some Chilli Garlic Sauce to make it …
‘Arame’ is a sea vegetable of Kombu (Kelp) family and its texture is softer than Kombu’s. My mother used to cook ‘Arame’ very frequently. It is more popular than Hijiki or Kombu where I grew up. I happened to come across a bag of Dried ‘Arame’ at a local Asian grocery store yesterday. I purchased …
‘Chikuwa’ is a tube-shape Japanese fishcake. ‘Chikuwa’ is made from Surimi (fish paste) and it is suitable for many dishes. Today I added ‘Chikuwa’ to the ‘Wakame & Cucumber Salad‘. Instead of using the traditional dressing, I used Japanese Mayonnaise and Wasabi. Makes 4 Servings Ingredients 1 Continental Cucumber OR 2 smaller ones *about 250g1/4 …
I sometimes crave simple Japanese flavoured salad like this one. No Chilli. No Herbs. No Garlic. Simply seasoned with just Soy Sauce and Vinegar. This salad is so refreshing to me. Sugar is not necessary as Tomatoes are sweet. Makes 4 Servings Ingredients 2 Tomatoes *cut into small pieces2 tablespoons Dried Cut Wakame1/4 Onion *thinly …
I am very fond of this kind or savoury sprinkles, which are called ‘Furikake’ in Japan, to eat with Rice. Many Asian grocery stores sell some ‘Furikake’ products but I have never seen ‘Shiso (Perilla) Wakame Furikake’ in Australia. Since I started growing Shiso in my garden, I have some harvest every year, and I …
Dried Wakame is probably the most accessible sea vegetable for many of us. Most Asian grocery stores sell them. I usually buy Dried Wakame that are already cut into small pieces, but not too small. They can be used for many dishes. Makes 4 Servings Ingredients 1 large Cucumber *about 250g1/4 teaspoon Salt2 to 4 …
‘Tsukudani’ is a dish of commonly small fish, shellfish or seaweed cooked in Mirin, Sugar and Soy Sauce to preserve the ingredients. Seaweed ‘Tsukudani’ are often made with Kombu (Kelp) OR Nori. But for me, Wakame ‘Tsukudani’ is the easiest to make. Ingredients 6 tablespoons (*about 12g) Dried Wakame1 cup Dashi Stock *OR 1 cup …
Chikuwa is a tube-shape Japanese fishcake made from Surimi (fish paste). This is a dish of Chikuwa that is stir-fried with a small amount of Oil and seasoned with Sugar and Soy Sauce. Super quick and easy dish that used to appear in my lunch box quite frequently. It is yummy with freshly cooked rice, …
No need to pre-cook or blanch Broccoli before stir-frying it. This method is so easy and works with any Oil. Today I used Sesame Oil because I wanted to mix the cooked Broccoli with Korean fried & seasoned seaweed called ‘Gim-gui’. Of course you can use Sushi Nori instead. Makes 4 Servings Ingredients 1 head …