Nikujaga is Meat and potatoes are a staple dish for Japanese people.
It is also called “mother’s taste” in Japan.
It is a dish that has been around for a long time and is probably one of the dishes passed down from mother to daughter.
These days, many households make it simply by using dashi (soup stock) powder instead of soup stock.
This is probably due to the fact that they are both working and have little time to cook.
However, I would like to introduce a delicious Nikujaga using a freshly made dashi.
Please refer to the previous article on how to make dashi using a teapot.
What you will need this time
Potato
Carrot
Onion
Konjac noodles (You can buy at Coles or Asian shops).
Beef thin sliced (You can buy at Asian shops, and they are already sliced). called shabu shabu style beef.
Soy sauce, Sake, Mirin. (You can buy at Asian ships or sometime find them at Woolworth or Coles)
Beef shabu shabu style cut from asian shopsShirataki-konjac noodles from asian shops
Tip for making Nikujaga
Choose thin beef with a good amount of fat.
The amount of fat in beef used for Nikujyaga is crucial.
Too much fat will result in a greasy texture, while too little will result in a bland texture.
Sautee ingredients before simmering. Although nikujaga is a stewed dish, the process of adding water and simmering is only the “finishing touch.
By sautéing the ingredients first, it prevents them from falling apart. It also adds a savory flavour.
Remember stewed dishes have more flavour the next day.
Do you know Takoyaki?
If you visit to Japan, especially the Kansai area and cities such as Osaka, and you might see it.
Takoyaki is golf ball sized balls of batter with octopus, spring onion, red ginger. Shops will often add other ingredients to make their Takoyaki different from the others. You will be surprised find different tastes, textures, or ingredients.
This recipe, of course you can use a Takoyaki maker, or Japanese Tamagoyaki non-stick fry pan, but this time I’m using something most people have, a Sandwich press.
Yes, the shape is different but the taste is the same and you don’t have to use or buy a special machine.
What is Takoyaki
It is a dish believed to have originated in Osaka. It is made of flour dough, filled with octopus and condiments, and baked into a spherical shape about 3-5 cm in diameter.
History
Takoyaki was invented by Tomekichi Endo, the founder of Aizuya in Nishinari-ku, Osaka, in 1935.
Takoyaki was made with soy sauce flavoured batter and was not eaten with sauce. It is said that it was not until after the war, when tonkatsu sauce like BBQ sauce were introduced, that sauces were added, around the 1950s. Incidentally, “Aizuya” still sells “Takoyaki”, a lightly seasoned dough that can be picked up without sauce, in keeping with the taste of the original establishment.
Takoyaki is street and soul food in Osaka.
About Ingredients
Takoyaki Flour– You can buy this at Asian or Japanese supermarkets.
Takoyaki flour includes Dashi powder, sugar, salt, wheat etc. Each maker has a different recipe. Mine is 100g of Takoyaki flour, 300ml of water and 1 egg. Just add water and egg, mix, then done. Easy to use and quick.
Takoyaki Sauce– You can buy at Asian or Japanese supermarkets.
I’m using Otafuku Takoyaki sauce, but you can use Tonkatsu sauce, Okonomiyaki sauce, BBQ sauce, Obento Tonkatsu sauce (from Coles), or Bulldog BBQ sauce.
Mayonnaise– I’m using a Japanese one. You can use any one you like.
Red pickled ginger – You can buy at Asian supermarkets
You don’t have to use this but using red ginger makes Takoyaki taste exceptionally different, or you can use sushi ginger pickled.
Konbu Dashi powder– You can buy at Asian supermarkets
You’ll need this product if you are using plain flour to make Takoyaki batter.
Frozen taro– You can buy at Asian supermarkets, or you can buy fresh Taro at vegetable markets. You’ll need this as well if you are using plain flour for making Takoyaki batter. Using taro, your Takoyaki batter will be nice and fluffy. Octopus– Frozen or Fresh.
You can use squid or prawn if you don’t like octopus or if you can’t get any.
Tenkasu– make tempura batter and drip the batter with chop sticks or a fork into hot oil and deep fry until golden colour. I make a lot them and make small portions. I put them into Ziplock bags and then freeze them. You can use for making Okonomiyaki, toppings for Udon noodle with soup, salad topping etc. If you don’t want to make them, you can use fried onion which is you can buy at supermarkets.
Bonito flakes– this is for topping when finished, but you don’t have to use it if you don’t want to. You can buy them at Asian supermarkets
Takoyaki makers– you can buy on eBay, or at Dick Smith, Kogan, Amazon, or Bunnings if you want to get one.
Tips for making Takoyaki
• When you make Takoyaki batter, put wet ingredients in first and add dry ingredients so your batter doesn’t get rumps.
• Grate taro, I tried putting taro into a blender but didn’t get good results. It didn’t make my batter fluffy.
• When you use Takoyaki flour, each company has different recipes so before making the batter, check your Takoyaki flour.
• Cool down Dashi stock before adding it to the plain flour when making Takoyaki batter.
• When oiling the sandwich press, oil both sides.
• When you put the lid of the sandwich press down, check edge of the batter if it’s firm put it down carefully without any pressure.
When to eat Takoyaki
In japan, sometimes we do Takoyaki parties when a bunch of people gather, cook Takoyaki, drink beer, and have fun. Just like a BBQ here in Australia.
Today’s recipe is seafood hamburg patties using minced prawn and squid instead beef or pork.
Using a food processor to mince vegetables and seafood makes this so quick easy.
This recipe is good with beer, sake, white wine, or any alcohol you like.
Make a lot and you can use them for your parties, family dinners, or dinner with friends.
What you need:
Peeled Prawn: fresh or frozen, you can buy at seafood shops or supermarkets.
Squid: fresh or frozen, you can buy at seafood shops or supermarkets.
Lotus root: frozen, you can get Asian shop or Woolworth
About lotus root, if you can get fresh lotus root, peel the skin, slice it, then put it in water otherwise it will turn brown. I rarely see fresh ones near me, so I use already sliced frozen ones. It is also easier to use.
If you don’t have a food processor, unfortunately, you have to use a knife to mince the seafood and vegetables. 😓 I use Braun stick-style food processor which makes the job quick and easy. My husband uses it every morning to make a banana smoothie for his breakfast.
A good one costs about AU$150-250, is easy to use and powerful enough for home cooking.
It is a good kitchen gadget to have. 😃
This time I am going to show you how to make Agedashi tofu
Agedashi tofu is very popular at any Izakaya restaurant, but you can make it yourself very easily
So, would you like to try it at home?
INGREDIENTS FOR AGEDASHI TOFU
What you need
Dashi powder: you can use Shiitake mushroom, kelp (kombu), or Bonito dashi powder.
Where can you get them? Usually, Asian shops but sometimes Woolworths will have it.
Tofu: Using Momen tofu is better as it’s a little firmer. You can use silken tofu but it’s sometime difficult because it’s soft.
I use Japanese style tofu not Chinese ones.
Soy sauce: if you are gluten free, use Tamari.
Mirin: if you are gluten free, check always check the label, sometimes they contain wheat.
Tips for making Agedashi tofu
• Dry Momen tofu.
Just wrapping the tofu with paper towel is fine.
• Before you deep fry your tofu, make the sauce.
Once deep fried the tofu will eventually soften. Have the sauce ready to go so your tofu has a nice crunch.
Wrap tofu with kitchen paper to make sure it’s dry.
Making the sauce; pour 250ml of water into a pot and turn heat to mid.
Add shiitake mushroom dashi powder, mirin, soy sauce and melt all ingredients.
Remove the top of the eggplant and cut it in half.
Score the eggplant’s skin (see the photo)
Cut the eggplant in 3 (see the photo)
Cut the tofu in 6 pieces
Heat up oil in a pot for deep frying.
Deep fry the cut eggplant pieces. When cooked through remove the pieces from the oil and put them on a tray.
Cover the tofu with starch and deep fry the tofu until the outside is crunchy.
Heat up the sauce and put the eggplant pieces into the sauce (Don’t put the tofu in yet you want to leave it crispy on the outside.)
Put the tofu into a bowl, transfer the eggplant from the sauce into the bowl and pour the sauce on both. Garnish with shallots for extra pro-look points
Today’s blog is an Izakaya favourite, how to make Yakitori at home with using a frypan.
Everybody who visits Japan loves yakitori. I love Yakitori, especially from the small shops you find in the back streets of Japan.
When I was young I used to go to yakitori shops after work, they were dirty and smokey but cheap and the yakitori tasted so good. One yakitori was $0.80-$1.20 so I would eat lots.
You can make yakitori at home using a frypan or your BBQ if you prefer.
Izakaya
What you can use for yakitori
Thigh or breast chicken
Chicken skin
Chicken wings
Chicken tenderloin
Pork
Beef
Spring onion
Cherry tomato
Asparagus
Garlic
Mushroom
Onion
Jalapeno etc.
Sauce and Salt
About Yakitori sauce
Soy base sauce
Salt
Actually, I like salt so when I go to yakitori restaurants or shops, I order salt.
Cut spring onion (only use the white parts) to 2-2.5 cm pieces.
Skewer the chicken and spring onion.
Making the sauce, add all ingredients into a pot.
Turn heat to mid and melt everything.
Once ingredients are melted, turn off heat.
Turn heat to mid and add 2 tbsp of rice oil into a frypan once it’s hot.
Once the frypan is hot, add the skewered chicken and cook one side until light brown.
Turn over the chicken (yakitori) and cook until light brown.
Pour 2 tbsp of the sauce you made earlier over the chicken then turn over the yakitori few times. Cover the yakitori with sauce and cook the chicken through. (Check the heat if you need reduce heat to low and also you can add the sauce more if you need.)
Place the Yakitori on a plate.
If you prefer to salt your yakitori, use sea salt instead the soy-based sauce.
Video
About Yakitori shops
In Japan, you will find lots of Yakitori shops or restaurants. From cheap yakitori shops full of businessman eating with their boss or co-workers to pricy yakitori restaurants for couples or businessman to wine and dine their customers.
I prefer the cheap yakitori shops because they always have a good atmosphere and sometimes you talk with other customers. The fine dining restaurants are good atmosphere and good food but just not the same.
This recipe is using a frypan to make great tasting yakitori at home.
The sauce is so easy to make.
Using a frypan or hot plate
It is hard to cook at home using a Yakitori grill because your fire alarm will go off from the smoke. Of course, you can use the BBQ outside.
Also, if you have Japanese grill (Hibachi) at home and you can use charcoal.
About skewer
If you don’t have or want to use skewers you don’t have to. There’s NO RULES!! Hahaha
If you use BBQ or Japanese grill, before skewer chicken, soak skewers in water for 20-30mins so they don’t burn.
Theme (not just dinner you can use other)
Party
Picnic
BBQ with friends
School or work events
Etc
Anyway, yakitori is good with cold beer, especially in summer after working hard. Just drink cold beer and sink your teeth into a piece of yakitori ….“うめぇ〜” (ume-) meaning “ Yummy”. Don’t say it if you are a proper lady though. Hahaha.
Do you know Okonomiyaki? It is getting popular now.
Maybe you think How to make Okonomiyaki is hard, not really, actually it is quiet easy. I will show you how step by step.
Okonomiyaki on hot plate
When Okonomiyaki is cooking you will hear the pork sizzling then the aroma fills the air and makes you so hungry. Have you had this kind of experience? Now you can experience this in your home. This recipe is easy to make and very tasty. This savoury pancake was another favourite of Jindabyne locals when I had my restaurant. It went so well with the Hitachino beers we served.
Okonomiyaki
In Japan, some people use a read-made okonomiyaki flour from shops that contains bonito or kelp stock powder, salt, sweetener, baking powder and thickeners. You can buy it at Asian shops but it can be quite expensive. Alternatively, you can make okonomiyaki flour at home with my recipe that uses tofu for texture instead. You can get tofu and bonito stock at Coles or Woolworth or Asian shops.
What you need
Tofu– Silken or Firm doesn’t matter as you will use a blender anyway. This is also a great source of protein for those who don’t want to use pork. Flour– Plain flour is better. Bonito dashi stock– my recipe uses the Yamaki brand or you can use Shimaya bonito soup stock from Woolworths. If you are vegan, you can use kelp powder stock. If you have a seafood allergy you don’t have to use powder stock at all. This bonito dashi stock you can also use for making miso soup, Udon soup, Soba soup, or other Japanese foods. I always keep a stock of stock in my pantry.
Sliced Pork belly – you can buy at Coles. You can also use prawns or squid or bother you like. Using this slice is better because when you cook on a frypan or hot plate it will be quick to cook. Okonomiyaki sauce-Otafuku brand okonomiyaki sauce you can buy at Woolworths or Asian shops. if you can’t find okonomiyaki sauce, you can use BBQ, Tomato, and Worcestershire sauce mix is fine.
Kewpie mayonnaise– you can buy at Coles or Woolworths or Asian shops. About topping– I put Kimuchi on Okonomiyaki sometime because I like spicy food and Kimuchi you can get Asian shops or Coles or Woolworth or you can make at home. (I will put on video how to make kimuchi one day) How to cook– you can use a frypan or elect hot plate, when you cook on a hot plate set to 7-8 on the dial.
There are so many okonomiyaki recipes on the Internet and some people use TENKASU Tempura breadcrumbs you can buy at Asian shops. My recipe just keeps it simple so you don’t have to buy lots of expensive ingredients.
Making Okonomiyaki batter: break tofu in to pieces and add 150g in to a blender.
Crack an egg into a bowl. Always crack eggs in to a bowl other than the one you will mix in. This is because sometimes you will get a rotten egg and if you crack it directly into the bowl or blender your tofu will be ruined.
Add the egg and 80ml of water into the blender and blend until smooth.
Add 100g of plain flour into a bowl and add 1tsp of dashi powder as well.
Add the tofu mixture into a large mixing bowl.
Add the flour mix into the bowl and mix well. Your okonomiyaki batter is ready to go.
Chop cabbage.
Chop bean shoots.
Chop spring onion.
Add the all chopped vegetables into the okonomiyaki batter and mix well.
Heat up a frypan over a med-high heat.
Add ½ tbsp of rice oil to the frypan.
Spread the oil with paper.
Add the okonomiyaki mixture in to the frypan and cook for 3mins.
After 3mins add the sliced pork belly and turn over with 2 spatulas. Using 2 spatulas makes it easier to turn over without everything falling apart.
Cook the pork until light brown colour.
Turn the okonomiyaki over again, put a lid on the frypan, and steam bake for 2-3mins.
Check bottom of the okonomiyaki to ensure it’s not burning. Reduce heat if necessary. (you don’t want to burn your okonomiyaki.)
Place to the okonomiyaki on a plate and top with okonomiyaki sauce (Otafuku) and Kewpie mayonnaise.
Garnish with kimchi or Beni-shoga (red pickled ginger) if you like.
Video
Notes
If you can’t get okonomiyaki sauce, mix BBQ, tomato, and Worcester sauce together.
