This chicken udon soup only takes 15 minutes to put together. Well, maybe 20 if you’re new to making it? It’s easy to customise, genuinely quick to make, and seriously comforting. Ingredients – Serves 2 How to Make Quick Chicken Udon Soup
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This mackerel and aubergine soba noodle soup tastes like you’ve just found a hidden gem in Japan. It’s authentic, really comforting, and what’s more it only takes about 15 minutes to put together which makes it ideal for a quick lunch or a light dinner. Frequently Asked Questions Ingredients (serves 2) How to Make Mackerel and Aubergine Soba Noodle Soup
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Zaru Soba is a simple cold noodle dish made using buckwheat noodles and an umami packed dipping sauce. The buckwheat noodles have a unique texture with a good bite with a slight bounce. Everything comes together in 10 minutes making it ideal for a quick lunch or light dinner. I didn’t manage to visit Japan too often throughout my childhood but when I did, it was always during Summer where the heat and humidity is no joke. You need to use all the tools in the toolbox – electric fan, cooling clothes, and icy cold noodles. On those hot summery days my Obachan would prepare a mountain of soba noodles and give everyone a bowl of mentsuyu with ice cubes and green onions to cool us all down. Ah, good memories… If you’re looking for more summery recipes you might like my Agedashi Tofu Salad or Miso and Peach Chicken Salad. What is Zaru Soba? Zaru Soba is a cold buckwheat noodle dish. It’s typically eaten in summer since it requires minimal cooking and cools you down quickly. The buckwheat noodles are chewy and bouncy, and the dipping sauce is salty and savoury. The cold soba noodles are typically served on a bamboo matt to allow excess water to run off. If you don’t have one try use a sushi bamboo rolling matt, or leave it in the colander when serving. How to Make Soba Noodle Sauce The savoury dipping sauce is called Mentsuyu – a noodle soup base found in many dishes in Japan. It’s made using sake, soy sauce, mirin, kombu (dried kelp) and katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes). I’m still working on my homemade Mentsuyu, I will update this page when I perfect it! Asian supermarkets or online stores stock mentsuyu, this is the one I use. Tips on How to Make Good Soba Noodles
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This Miso and Peach Chicken Salad is like summer in a bowl. Juicy sweet peaches combined with the umami from the miso makes the perfect marinade for chicken. The corn ribs add an extra layer of summer and fun! I was inspired to make something peachy after seeing so many recipe videos on my instagram. This miso and peach chicken salad is what I landed on, and i’m in loooove. Ingredients Recipe Testing I initially thought garlic would work in this recipe but I personally think it overpowers the taste of peach. If you love garlic and miso, I recommend adding garlic to this Miso Marinade.
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This light and crispy Air Fryer Chicken Katsu is honestly a staple in my recipe rotation. There are many ways to eat chicken katsu – on top of rice, in a sandwich, or with some Japanese curry. All made easier with the help of an air fryer! I love all things katsu, its the texture for me. If I could, I would have something crispy and crunchy on my plate at all times. This air fryer chicken katsu takes a bit of preparation but the cooking process is much easier than the traditional method of deep frying. It’s freezable too which makes it even more convenient! 3 tips for cooking Air Fryer Chicken Katsu Ingredients How to make Air Fryer Chicken Katsu Want more Japanese chicken recipes? Check out these Miso Chicken Thighs which are one of my absolute favourite ways to enjoy miso. I also love to make this Japanese Chicken and Sweet Potato recipe when I want something filling and delicious.
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Air fryer pork katsu is something everyone should know how to make. There might be one too many steps to call this downright easy, but it’s honestly less awkward than deep frying, and much better for you too. It’s crispy, light and versatile – have I convinced you yet? I started testing this air fryer version when I was testing the more traditional method – deep frying. Lets be honest here, it tastes amazing, but there only so much deep fried food we should eat. This air fryer pork katsu is healthier, weeknight friendly, and doesn’t leave your kitchen, clothes, or hair smelling of greasy oil. That’s a win for me! Air Fryer Pork Katsu Ingredients (Serves 2) How to Make Pork Katsu in the Air Fryer 2 Tips for Making Pork Katsu in the Air Fryer Frequently Asked Questions Want More Easy Japanese Recipes? Knowing how to make katsu can open up the doors to other easy and delicious Japanese dishes such as katsu sando, katsu curry, katsudon, all of which I aim to write recipes for soon. For now take a look at my other easy recipes like Ochazuke or these juicy Miso Chicken Thighs.
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Juicy and crispy gyoza paired with a cold beer – perfection. I absolutely LOVE making this gyoza, it’s extra crispy and juicy to thanks to a couple tricks I’ve picked up a long the way. These Japanese dumplings hold a special place in my heart for two reasons. Number one, they’re delicious. Number two – they take me back to my childhood. When we moved to the UK we didn’t have much access to Japanese ingredients, but something we could make without an Asian supermarket was Gyoza! To this day, making gyoza is something I treasure – it feels like therapy. For me, being mixed race means feeling some level of homesickness at all times, but this recipe crosses that bridge. For me as a child, and now as an adult. What is Gyoza? Gyoza is Japan’s spin on the Chinese dumpling – Jiaozi. There are differences in the thickness of the wrapper and the filling, but the general idea is the same. The filling is made out of pork mince which is mixed with various fresh ingredients like garlic, ginger, spring onions, as well as other seasonings and is parcelled up into thin wrappers. There are many different types – with variations on fillings and cooking methods. This recipe is for yaki-gyoza, which is where it has been fried on the bottom but steamed on the top. The best of both worlds! Three Top Tips What to eat with Gyoza? These dumplings are super versatile and can be enjoyed in a few ways. I like to make a batch and freeze them, then I can add them to a simple Miso Soup for a quick meal. They are delicious with a bowl of rice and a side of Yamitsuki Cabbage.
This 3 ingredient Miso Marinade is super easy to make. All you have to do is mix together miso, sake, and mirin. That’s it! Pour it over your favourite protein and let it work its magic. My Obachan gave me a traditional Japanese cookbook which has a load of yummy recipes – one being a miso marinade. Feeling inspired – I tested a bunch of different recipes and settled on this one, which I love. My favourite way to use this is with chicken thighs, marinated for 24 hours and grilled in a hot pan. It’s soo good and great for when I want something tasty but easy. Why This Recipe Works There are two main reasons this recipe works so well. Firstly, the alcohol in the mirin and sake do a great job at tenderising protein and results in super juicy meat. Also – sake, mirin and miso all have that famous umami flavour. All these ingredients contain koji, which is a fermented/inoculated grain, usually rice. All these condiments all go through further fermentation processes, meaning they develop more of that umami flavour. I’m quite wary of using the word umami – I think its misused a lot as a buzz-word. However, in the instance of this recipe, it is necessary. At the risk of sounding cringe – one could say it’s an umami bomb. Miso Marinade Ingredients If you want to dive deeper into these ingredients, check out this post on 5 essential Japanese ingredients. 4 Tips for Using Miso Marinade Miso Marinade Ideas I love to marinate all kinds of things and eat them with rice, as part of a salad, or as a side dish. I like to make a jar of it and keep it int he fridge for those nights when I know I need a quick but tasty dinner. Here are some of my favourite things to marinade:
Ochazuke is a simple Japanese dish which is usually made with fragrant green tea, rice, salted salmon, fresh spring onions, and nori, but it’s very customisable. It’s light, bright, and very easy to put together! I love Ochazuke. I work a remotely, 9-5, so I have full access to my kitchen at all times – dangerous. When I’m feeling an afternoon slump coming on, I know what I’m making for lunch. The caffeine in the green tea is great if you need a little pick me up and, as long as you have rice prepared, it’ll come together in about 15 minutes. The perfect WFH meal, right? What is Ochazuke? Ocha means “tea” and zuke is “submerged”. So Ochazuke kinda means “submerged in tea” but you can also make it with dashi stock, or my favourite – both! Ochazuke is very versatile can be enjoyed as a light meal or a snack. It’s a great way to use up leftovers too. Frequently Asked Questions Ochazuke Toppings You can add anything you like to Ochazuke, here are some of my favourite variations: How to make Ochazuke Want More Easy Japanese Recipes? Japanese home cooking can be surprisingly easy. Check out my recipe for juicy Miso Chicken Thighs or this flavourful Shogayaki (Japanese Ginger Pork).
These golden Miso Chicken thighs only require 4 ingredients which makes it veeeery easy to make. The sake and mirin tenderise the chicken thighs which makes it plump and juicy, whilst the miso adds an addictively savoury punch. This recipe is inspired by one I found in an old cookbook that my Bachan gave me. I tried and tested a few variations and settled on this version which I think brings out the miso flavour really well. I wasn’t a fan of miso based dishes before I went backpacking in Japan, other than miso soup. Many miso dishes later – I absolutely love it. If I had these miso chicken thighs earlier, I think I would’ve instantly been a miso fan! What are Miso Chicken Thighs? These miso chicken thighs is a super easy Japanese recipe where the chicken is marinaded in sake, mirin and of course – miso. I’ve used white miso in this recipe but you can also use red miso which will give the marinade a stronger and earthier flavour. Miso has a very delicate flavour and will become bitter if you overcook it. To avoid this you need to scrape off the marinade before frying – I know it feels counterproductive but it genuinely gives the chicken a cleaner and brighter miso flavour. What to serve with Miso Chicken Thighs? These miso chicken thighs are great in so many different dishes – salads, sandwiches, rice bowls, stir fries, noodles, bao, or even as a snack! If you’re looking for more miso based dishes have a look at this smokey Miso Aubergine recipe. How Long do I Marinade the Chicken? I’ve tried a few different timings for this marinade and there’s no surprise here – the longer you leave, it the better. The sake and mirin both contain alcohol which tenderises the meat and allows the flavours really soak in. I recommend marinading the night before for the juiciest miso chicken thighs but if you don’t have time then 30 minutes is still very tasty. I like to make a big batch of them, marinade overnight then pack them into ziplock bags and freeze. Then I have juicy miso chicken thighs on hand for those busy weeks – the ultimate form of self care, in my opinion. Frequently Asked Questions Ingredients in Miso Chicken Thighs Miso Chicken Nutritional Value per serving (serves 4) Each serving contains two chicken thighs. Nutrition information is an estimate generated using Cronometer and is intended for guidance only.
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