My husband loves Nikujaga as well as I do. And actually, when we started dating back in Japan almost 15 years ago (OMG!), he made me Nikujaga and I was impressed as it was really good! Unfortunately, the recipe which he was using is missing so we haven’t had it for a long time now, but when I make one with my recipe, he really enjoys it and it gives him a smile 🙂 He says Nikujaga is one of the best Japanese comfort food for him as well 🙂 He’s American, but maybe he has become a bit Japanese by living in Japan, haha.

For the ingredients, this time I used, were potatoes, thinly sliced beef, carrots, yellow onions, Edamame, and Shirataki (しらたき) which is basically a noodle version of Konnyaku (こんにゃく, konjac yam cake).

Seasonings for this dish are soy sauce, Sake, Mirin, sugar, and Shiro-Dashi. Nikujaga is actually a quite easy dish to make and there are basically 3 steps to make. First, stir fry the vegetables (except Edamame) and the meat with a little amount of oil, then add water to it to boil. Once it starts boiling, add the seasonings (soy sauce, Sake, Mirin, etc.) to it and keep it simmer until the vegetables become soft enough. Hmmm, thinking about the taste of Nikujaga makes me smile as it’s really comforting to me 🙂

What is your favorite comfort food? Please share in the comment section below, I’m interested!

If you’d like to learn more about Nikujaga’s history, check out this Wikipedia page.

If you are interested in commonly used ingredients for Japanese dishes, read this post: A Guide to Japanese Cooking Ingredients

If you enjoyed this post about Nikujaga, you might enjoy these posts as well:

• You may know Tonkatsu and Katsu Sando, but have you heard of Menchi Katsu?
• Takoyaki is My Favorite Osaka Street Food, Perhaps I’m from Osaka, Not Tokyo?!
• Tonkatsu Sause is The Magic Sauce: Japanese Stewed Hamburg Steak
• Sukiyaki (すき焼き): My Favorite Dish to Eat When I’m Missing Japan

Eat Well, Be Happy!

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The post Nikujaga – Japanese Comfort Food for Winter appeared first on EATwithOHASHI.

My love for Katsu (especially Menchi Katsu)

My love for Katsu is strong. I’m pretty sure that one of the things that made me fall in love with katsu was that my mom was really good at making pretty much any kind of Katsu and we regularly ate it throughout my childhood years. It was my Japanese soul food that I couldn’t live without. It’s hard to say which one is the best, but if I had to make a choice, I would say Tonkatsu is my favorite!

And I remember, when I was pregnant with my son, I was craving Katsu so bad, that I had to eat it whenever I see it. I had some hesitation to eat Katsu so often while I was pregnant and I remember thinking if it’s really fine for my little peanut growing inside me, but I couldn’t stop thinking about Katsu and nothing could stop me from having them ;P

Japanese Katsu’s growing popularity in the US

It seems Tonkatsu and Katsu Sando has started to become very popular in the US. Tonkatsu is basically a deep fried version of the American pork chop, and who doesn’t like deep fried food? 😉 But people are so busy these days, what if there was a more convenient way to eat this tasty dish, perhaps in the form of a sandwich. That’s how the Katsu Sando came about. Here is a photo of what it looks like, doesn’t that look tasty!

What do you eat Katsu with?

The way I like to eat Katsu is simply by itself, so that I can enjoy the tastes and flavors of those simple ingredients. However, if I put something on it, I usually pick soy sauce. I think Tonkatsu sauce is well known and popular as Katsu sauce for most of the various kinds of Katsu, but for vegetable Katsu, some go well with Ponzu. Try if you haven’t! 🙂

Tonkatsu sauce
(とんかつソース)

Soy Sauce
(しょうゆ／醤油)

Ponzu
(ポン酢)

Katsu Dishes

There are other ways to enjoy Katsu, like Katsu curry rice (かつカレーライス), Katsudon (かつ丼), and Katsu Curry Udon (かつカレーうどん), etc. When I make Tonkatsu, I sometimes make more than the amount I serve to my family for dinner. I use the leftover pieces in a different katsu dish (like in the below pictures) the following day for lunch.

What is Menchi Katsu?

Now I would like to introduce Menchi Katsu. If you describe Menchi Katsu in a simple way, it is a deep fried minced beef ball. You make minced beef into ball shapes like this:

And dress them up with flour, beaten egg, and bread crumbs (パン粉), and then deep fry it in heated oil.

Yum, I can hear the sizzling sound from this picture and it’s making me want to have them right now!

If you want to know how to make Menchi Katsu, please let me know in the comments below and I will prioritize adding it to my growing list of recipes just for you!

Here is a photo of a recent Menchi Katsu dish I made for my family…Eat Well, Be Happy!

Read more about Tonkatsu in this blog post: Tonkatsu and Tonkotsu: Do You Get Them Confused?

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Takoyaki is usually served as a street food and the most common place to buy it, is from a street vendor at a local park or at one of the many Japanese seasonal festivals. Street vendors will set up small pop up food stalls to sell their delicious Takoyaki balls. You may also find Takoyaki listed on menus at Japanese Izakaya restaurants.

And what is Takoyaki’s best friend (according to my husband)? Beer of course, and Japanese Whiskey Highballs. If you visit Tokyo, you will for sure see a standing bar with people enjoying beer, highballs, and Takoyaki. These are food shops which specialize in Takoyaki. Gindaco is a very famous and well known Takoyaki shop and can be found throughout Japan.

Takoyaki has also started to become popular, even outside of Japan. Gindaco has recently expanded in overseas markets, such as Hong Kong and the United States. One of the US locations I’m familiar with, is in the city of Gardena, which is a city with a large Japanese population in Los Angeles. If you live in or around the Los Angeles area, you should definitely check it out and experience this popular Japanese street food!

I have experience working at Takoyaki shops in Japan with many hours of experience making Takoyaki. This is an authentic recipe I created based on my experience working in Takoyaki shops. I’ve added some steps and tips to make the result better.

What’s inside these Takoyaki balls?

The contents inside Takoyaki can vary from shop to shop but usually consists of octopus, Tenkasu (tempura flakes), Negi (spring onion), Benishoga (pickled red ginger). But you can also substitute different ingredients in place of octopus if you want. For example shrimp or scallops.

This recipe uses Japanese mayonnaise as one of the ingredients. If you can’t get Japanese mayonnaise, you can easily make it yourself with this recipe:

Organic Japanese Mayonnaise

Click to see the recipe

I hope you enjoy making Takoyaki with my recipe!

Print

Authentic Takoyaki Recipe (Japanese Octopus Balls)

Takoyaki is a traditional food from Osaka, Japan. Takoyaki is a fun food to make and enjoy with family and friends. Many people in Japan have Takoyaki parties where they enjoy making this dish together.

I hope you enjoy this recipe and enjoy making it with friends over good conversation!

Course Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine Japanese

Keyword Japanese, Mayonnaise, Octopus, Okonomi sauce, Snack, Street food, Takoyaki

Difficulty Level Hard

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Equipment

• Takoyaki Pan
• Oil Brush
• Cooking Chopsticks
• Measuring Cup with Spout
• Mixing Bowl (Large)

Ingredients

• Olive Oil Extra virgin

Filling Ingredients:

• 100 g Octopus (Boiled) Substitutions: Squid, Shrimp, Scallop, Bacon, pretty much anything that you like
• Tempura Flakes
• 1 bunch Spring Onion
• Red Pickled Ginger Shredded. It's different from Sushi ginger (Gari).

Batter:

• 1 Eggs
• 450 ml Water
• 1 tbsp Tsuyu-no-Moto
• 200 g All-Purpose Flour
• 1 tbsp Dashi Powder

Traditional Toppings:

• Takoyaki Sauce Substitution: Okonomi sauce
• Japanese Mayonnaise
• Aonori Green seaweed power
• Katsuobushi Bonito flakes

My Recommend Toppings:

• Tsuyu-no-Moto For the different taste version 1
• Spring Onion For the different taste version 1
• Dashi Powder For the different taste version 1
• Ponzu For the different taste version 2

Instructions

Preparation:

• Cut the octopus into roughly 1/2 inch cube size.
• Chop the spring onion into small pieces.
  
• Chop the red pickled ginger into small pieces.
• Beat the egg in a large mixing bowl.
• Add water and Tsuyu-no-moto to your large bowl and mix well.
• Add flour and dashi powder into the bowl and mix well until no dried (clumped) flour remains.
• Place some batter into the measuring cup to get ready to pour it. Set this aside. 

Instructions:

• Place the takoyaki grill pan on the stove on medium heat.
  
• Place a small amount of oil in the individual holes with the oiling brush and also coat the other surfaces of the pan with some oil as well.
  
• When the pan is heated, pour the batter into each hole about half way full (we will add more later).
• Place a piece of octopus into each hole.
• And some tempura flakes, spring onion, and red pickled ginger into each hole.
• Fill up each hole with the batter and let it overflow out of the hole. But be sure not to pour too much, that it overflows from the pan. The goal is to cover the entire top portion of the pan without overflowing onto the counter/grill top.
• Flip the Takoyaki Balls:

  Once the batter outside the holes starts to look like it's not liquid anymore, it's time to flip those half balls over within the hole. This is where the skill comes into play.

  To do this you will be testing your chopstick skills. Use one of the chopsticks to hook the outside cooked part of the half ball on the opposite side from you. Hook from the inside of the ball angle and try to flip it by dragging the point in the direction towards you. For example: in a circular motion, swipe the ball around to flip it over.

  Then, use your chopsticks to push some of the half cooked batter around the hole on the surface of the pan, into the hole that you just flipped.

  Repeat this process for each Takoyaki ball.

  This process might take a little practice to be able to do it smoothly but don't worry, you will get there eventually 🙂 I will also create a video showing how to do this, as it's quite difficult to explain in text.

  Please Note: If you can’t turn the Takoyaki easily, it probably needs to cook for a bit longer. Let it cook longer and try again. This is often the mistake most people make. Practice makes perfect!

  * The picture is an example image.
  
• You can usually only flip each ball about 2/3 of the way around, so allow it to cook a bit more before flipping it again. The balls will become easier to turn the more they cook.
• Once all the balls start to look like actual balls (refer to picture), then add more oil outside of the holes onto the pan evenly to let it seep into each hole to make the outside of the balls get a crunchy texture by lightly deep frying in the oil. Note: Don't put too much oil.
  
• Keep rotating them in the holes until they turn a golden brown color on all sides. Make sure they are cooked evenly.
  
• Congratulations! Now you successfully made the Takoyaki balls! Now move on to dress them 🙂
  

Finish:

• Place Takoyaki on a plate and drizzle with Takoyaki sauce and Japanese Mayonnaise. Then sprinkle some Aonori and some Katsuobushi on top of them. They are gonna have the best look if you follow this order 😉
  
• Time to eat! But be careful not to burn your mouth, the insides are really hot! Allow them to cool a little, but definitely enjoy them while they are still hot. The trick is to bite into the side of the ball and let the steam release, blow to cool down and then enjoy the goodness!

  Ita-daki-masu! (Japanese greeting word to say right before you eat. It means "thank you for the food!")

If you want to try with a different taste…

Alternative Version 1: Dashi soy sauce with spring onion (My favorite way to have Takoyaki <3)

• You can swap Takoyaki sauce with special Dashi soy sauce and add some chopped spring onion with the rest of the toppings.
• Mix Tsuyu-no-moto with water. (Ratio 3:1)
  
• Add Dashi powder to it and mix well, and this becomes the Dashi soy sauce.
  
• Chop the spring onion into small pieces.
  
• Pour the Dashi sauce onto your Takoyaki, then cover them with the chopped onion.
• Drizzle with Japanese Mayonnaise, then sprinkle some Aonori and some Katsuobushi on top of them. Hmmmm, yum!

Alternative Version 2: Ponzu

• You can swap Takoyaki sauce with Ponzu and put the rest of the same toppings on top of it as you desire.
  

Alternative Version 3: Mayonnaise Seafood-yaki (This goes well with both Takoyaki sauce and Dashi soy sauce.)

• Instead of octopus, add shrimp/scallop with a drop of Japanese mayonnaise. (The rest of the instructions stays the same.)

Alternative Version 4: Bacon Cheese-yaki (This goes well with both Takoyaki sauce and Dashi soy sauce as well.)

• Instead of octopus, add small diced bacon with some shredded cheese. (The rest of the instructions stays the same.)

Video

Notes

If you can’t get Japanese mayonnaise, you can easily make it yourself with this recipe:

Organic Japanese Mayonnaise Recipe 

Shopping List

If you need any of the ingredients listed above, I made this Takoyaki shopping list for you.

Click to View My List

Rate this Recipe

Rate this recipe and share your thoughts. I love feedback!

Click to Rate & Comment

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The post Takoyaki Recipe: Authentic Japanese Octopus Balls Recipe appeared first on EATwithOHASHI.

It does require a lot of ingredients, but don’t let that scare you. Most of the effort is in preparation of the ingredients and then it’s just a matter of tossing them into your pot one by one. You can also customize this with pretty much any vegetable or meat that you’d like. Have fun picking your own ingredients while you try out my special mix of base ingredients for that perfect taste!

If you like spicy food and want something healthy, then you must try this spicy Sundubu Jjigae recipe! We probably eat this once a week in our home as it’s just an easy go to dish. It’s that good and it never gets old.

I use thinly sliced pork belly in this recipe. You can usually get it either at a Japanese grocery store or a Korean grocery store. They look like this:

Thinly Sliced Pork Belly

The Kimchi I use in this recipe is this one and I usually get it at WholeFoods or Ralphs:

Kimchi – Wildbrine

Konjac is one of the ingredients for this recipe. I usually get one either at a Japanese grocery store or a Korean grocery store. It’s an optional ingredient but it looks like this:

Konjac (Yam Cake)

(こんにゃく)

I used Shimeji mushrooms for this recipe. I usually get one at WholeFoods, a Japanese grocery store, or a Korean grocery store. It’s an optional ingredient and you could also use Enoki mushroom, Shiitake mushroom or Eringi mushroom instead, but they look like this:

Shimeji Mushroom

(しめじ)

For a complete list of ingredients, please check the shopping list below.

If you like to check out other spicy dishes, I recommend you these posts:

-Kimchi & Pork Jjigae Udon Recipe – A Korean Spicy Udon Soup with Pork
-Enjoy Raw Vegetables and Their Health Benefits with This Japanese Spicy Miso Dipping Sauce
-My Love of Spicy Korean Food – Bibimbap: A Healthy Spicy Rice Bowl with Vegetables

Eat well, be happy!

Print

Sundubu Jjigae (Korean Spicy Soup with Tofu)

Sundubu Jjigae is a Korean spicy soup with tofu. Dubu means tofu, but you can put pretty much anything in this (chicken, pork, shrimp, scallops, cheese, etc.). You can also easily make it a vegetarian dish!

It's also commonly served with rice on the side. You can either place the rice into your soup bowl or it can be eaten separately. If you like spicy and healthy, this dish is for you!

Course Main Course, Side Dish, Soup

Cuisine Korean

Keyword Korean, Soup, Spicy, Tofu

Difficulty Level Easy

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 1 people

Equipment

• Korean Stone Bowl (Dolsot)

Ingredients

Ingredients for Soup Base

• 1 tbsp Garlic (Powder) Substitution: Grated or Minced Garlic
• 2 tbsp Gochujang
• 1 tbsp Miso
• 1 tsp Chicken Bouillon Paste
• 1 tbsp Dashi Powder Kayanoya-no-Dashi
• 1 tbsp Oyster Sauce
• 1 tbsp Sesame Oil Roasted/Toasted
• 1/2 tbsp Japanese Ichimi Togarashi Peppers Put 1 tbsp if you really like spicy.
• 300 cc/ml Water

Main Ingredients

• 150 g Pork Belly Thinly Sliced
• 100 g Kimchi
• 1 Spring Onion
• 1/2 pack Tofu Soft
• 1 Eggs

Optional Ingredients

• 1/4 Shimeji Mushrooms
• 1/4 pack Konjac (Konnyaku / Yam Cake)

Instructions

Preparation:

• Cut the pork belly to the desired length. I recommend cutting into 1 or 2 inch length strips.
• Cut spring onion into 1/4 inch wide pieces diagonally (refer to picture).
  
• Cut the Konjac into small pieces (refer to picture).
  

Instructions :

• Add garlic powder, Gochujang, Miso, chicken bouillon paste, Kayanoya-no-Dashi, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and Japanese Ichimi red peppers in the stone bowl.
  
• Add water to the stone bowl.
  
• Mix water and ingredients well.
• Bring the stone bowl to a boil by starting with the lowest heat to avoid damaging the bowl. (IMPORTANT!)
• When the soup begins to boil, add each piece of pork belly one by one into the stone bowl (do not place all at same time).
  
• Add Konjac
  
• Add Shimeji mushrooms
  
• Add Kimchi
  
• Add spring onions
  
• Add Tofu
  
• Put a lid on the stone bowl and keep boiling for about 2-3 mins. Adjust the heat level if necessary (to avoid overflowing).
  
• Add a raw egg into the middle of the stone bowl carefully and keep boiling until the egg hardness is to the level you desire.
  
• Ita-daki-masu! (Japanese greeting word to say right before you eat. It means "thank you for the food!")
  

Shopping List

I have created a shopping list which includes the ingredients used in this recipe. Click the link below to view the shopping list.

View Shopping List

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Rate this Recipe

Rate this recipe and share your thoughts. I love feedback!

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I can’t decide which hot pot I like the most, but I think Sukiyaki is probably my husband’s favorite. With Sukiyaki you dip the meat and vegetables into raw egg as you eat. So we typically go to our nearby farmers market to buy fresh eggs which we can safely eat raw. We don’t use eggs purchased from the local grocery stores, out of an abundance of caution.

Doesn’t the meat in the raw egg look so yummy? I think many Americans are fearful of raw egg, but you should definitely try, it taste so good! But just make sure you buy fresh eggs from a local farmers market. And be sure to check with them that it’s safe to eat raw.

If you like to read about other hot pots, I recommend you these posts:

-Shio Koji Hot Pot Recipe – A Healthy Japanese Dish
-Hot & Spicy Soups / Hot Pots – Too Perfect For Those Cold Days
-Make Shabu Shabu at Home is Actually a Great Idea! – Japanese Shabu Shabu Hot Pot
-Shio Koji Hot Pot Could be the Next Big Hit in the US, Move Aside Tonkotsu Ramen!

Eat Well, Be Happy

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The post Sukiyaki (すき焼き): My Favorite Dish to Eat When I’m Missing Japan appeared first on EATwithOHASHI.

For this dish, I use tofu mixed with minced meat to make this hamburg steak. You can’t really taste the tofu, but adds a nice healthy element to the dish. I also use my original sauce made from scratch for this dish. It looks like demi-glace sauce, but it’s not. It’s a mix of ketchup, Japanese Tonkatsu sauce or Okonomi sauce, and some other ingredients.

Organic Ketchup

Tonkatsu Sauce

Okonomi Sauce

For the salad, I bought this bottle of sriracha ranch dressing from Trader Joes, however, I can no longer find it there. ;(

I love the color combination in this dish. To me, it looks like art. Art that I can eat! 😉

If you are interested in seeing this dish posted as a recipe on my site, please comment below. Check out other recipes here.

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The post Tonkatsu Sause is The Magic Sauce: Japanese Stewed Hamburg Steak appeared first on EATwithOHASHI.