31st March 2018 / Last updated : 1st April 2018 Mog 03 : Side Dishes

Pounded cucumber Salad (Tataki kyuri, きゅうりの叩き)

What? Pound cucumbers? You might be shocked. But trust me, this process makes cucumber much tastier! You can make them in a plastic bag and bring them to a BBQ party. Ingredients (3~4 servings) Cucumber : 3 (Approximately 360 g) Oyster sauce: Adjust for your taste Salt: 1 tsp or less Sesame oil: 1 tbsp Sesame seeds: Adjust for your taste Instructions Cut off both ends of cucumbers. Pound the cucumbers with a rolling pin. Cut these into bite-size chunks. Put all ingredients in a bowl or a plastic bag. Mix them all together. Marinate them in a fridge for at least 30 minutes. Now your pounded cucumber is ready. […]
30th March 2018 / Last updated : 5th April 2019 Mog 02 : Main Dishes

Chicken Soup Curry (チキンスープカレー)

Soup curry is a Japanese local food in Sapporo, capital of Hokkaido. You can use anything you like for toppings. Today, I used chicken legs, green bell pepper, and Japanese mushrooms. Ingredients (2 servings) Oil: 2 tbsp Garlic: 1 clove (chopped) Dried basil: 1 tsp Garam masala: 2 tsp Coriander: 1 tsp Cumin powder: 1 tsp Curry powder: 2 tbsp Water 600 mL White wine: 100 mL Chicken soup powder: 1 tbsp Sugar: 1 tsp Soy sauce: 1 tbsp Salt: adjust for your taste [Toppings] 2 chicken legs Oyster mushrooms: approximately 70 g Bell pepper: as much as you want Black pepper: adjust for your need Boiled egg 1 Instructions […]
28th March 2018 / Last updated : 1st April 2018 Mog 02 : Main Dishes

Tofu Stewed Patty (Tofu Hamburg, 豆腐煮込みハンバーグ)

Many Japanese kids love patties! Tofu, one of the most healthy Japanese ingredients, is used in this recipe. Ingredients (3 servings) Onion (chopped): 1/2 Minced pork: 75g Minced beef: 75g Tofu: 1/2 tub Panko breadcrumbs (or simply, breadcrumbs): 1/2 cup Egg: 1 Salt: 2 dashes Black pepper: 2 dashes Asparagus: 6 sticks Sunflower oil: 1 tablespoon Mentsuyu: 50 cc (or 3 tablespoons of soy sauce and 1 tablespoon of mirin) Water: 1/2 cup Watered potato starch: 1 teaspoon of starch + 1 tablespoon of water Instructions  Cut asparagus into bite-size length. Chop an onion into small pieces. In a large bowl, soak panko in crushed tofu and egg until the […]
27th March 2018 / Last updated : 1st April 2018 Mog 03 : Side Dishes

Seasoned boiled egg (Ajitama,味玉)

Ramen toppings, a good friend of a glass of beer and a side dish for bento. Use your imagination. You’ll be surprised to know this recipe. Super easy! Ingredients 4 eggs Soy sauce: 150 mL Cooking Sake: 50mL Vinegar: 2 tbsp Sugar: 3 tbsp Instructions Start boiling water. When it comes to a boil, put eggs gently into the water. Keep boiling them for 7 minutes. Prepare sauce. Put all condiments in a pot and heat it until it comes to a boil. After 7 minutes, take the eggs out, and put in cold water. Peel the shell of the eggs. The cold water causes the egg to contract inside […]
26th March 2018 / Last updated : 1st April 2018 Mog 06 : Sweets & Snacks

Frying pan Takoyaki (フライパンたこ焼き)

Takoyaki is a Japanese ball-shaped snack. Usually, we use takoyaki makers to make takoyaki, but this recipe shows how to make them without takoyaki makers. It’s much more takoyakish than we think! Ingredients (3~4 servings) All-purpose flour: 100 g Potato starch: 30 g Baking powder: 1.5 Tsp Water: 400 mL 1 Egg Soy sauce: 1 Tsp Sugar: 1 Tsp Dashi powder: 1 tsp (optional) Salt: 1 dash Cabbage: 3~4 leaves Green onion: as much as you want (optional) Boiled octopus: approximately 150 g Toppings: optional, see the process Takoyaki sauce, mayonnaise, aonori and katsuobushi: as much as you want Instructions Cut boiled octopus into bite-sized chunks. Chop all vegetables into […]
25th March 2018 / Last updated : 1st April 2018 Mog 02 : Main Dishes

Steamed Clams with Cabbage (アサリとキャベツの酒蒸し)

Cabbage can be the main dish. The flavour of clams has soaked right in. So delicious. Ingredients (2 servings) Cabbage: 1/2 Clams: 100 g Butter 1 tbsp Cooking sake: 2 tbsp Grated garlic: 1 tbsp Soy sauce: 1/2 tbsp Salt: 2 dashes Black pepper: for taste Cut cabbage leaves into thin strips Instructions Put butter, garlic, cooking sake, cabbage and clams in a frying pan with a lid. Start heating until all the clams open up. Add soy sauce, salt and black pepper and heat them over high heat for about 1~2 minutes. Now your steamed cabbage and clams are ready. いただきます( Itadakimasu)!
24th March 2018 / Last updated : 15th October 2018 Mog 02 : Main Dishes

Cabbage Menchi-Katsu(キャベツメンチカツ)

Crispy and juicy! Cabbage helps this recipe a little healthier. Ingredients (4 servings) Cabbage: 200 g All-purpose flour: 1 tbsp Minced pork and beef: 200 g Brown onion: 1/2 (chopped) Panko (bread crumble): 1/2 cup Milk: 2 tbsp Egg: 1/2, beaten Salt: adjust to your taste Black pepper: adjust to your taste Panko (bread crumble) All-purpose flour Egg: 1/2, beaten oil for deep frying Instructions Wash cabbage leaves and drain water with kitchen papers. Chop the cabbage leaves into small pieces. Put them in a bowl with some flour and mix them together. Microwave chopped onion for 1’30”. Or stir-fry them quickly. Soak panko in milk and beaten egg until […]
23rd March 2018 / Last updated : 1st April 2018 Mog 02 : Main Dishes

Sweetened Boiled Saury (Sanma no Kanro-ni, さんまの甘露煮)

Thanks to a pressure-cooker, cooking time is saved. Even bones become soft and edible. Bones contain a lot of calcium. Ingredients (3 servings) 3 Pacific sauries (or sardines) Soy sauce: 2 tbsp Cooking sake: 2 tbsp Mirin: 2 tbsp Vinegar: 2 tbsp Sugar: 2 tbsp Water: 1 cup Garlic: 2 thumbs (sliced) Instructions Put all seasonings and garlic in a pressure-cooker. Remove guts from sauries if you don’t like guts. TIPS: How to remove guts from a fish Place the tip of a knife in and run from the tail to the head, along with the bones. Put the tip of the knife to cut the joint between head and […]
22nd March 2018 / Last updated : 1st April 2018 Mog 03 : Side Dishes

Potato Salad (ポテトサラダ)

My husband did not like potato salad. Since I made it with this recipe, he changed his mind. Japanese mayonnaise is highly recommended. Ingredients (3~4 servings) Potatoes: 3~4 (approximately 400 g) Eggs: 2 (boiled) Cucumber: 1 Onion: 1/2 Carrot: 3~4 cm Salt: 1 tsp Rice vinegar: 2~3 tbsp Mayonnaise: 4 tbsp ~ Black pepper: 2 dashes Instructions Steam potatoes then peel their skins. Mush them with heating over low heat to evaporate their moisture. Add rice vinegar. Then cool them down. Cut boiled eggs into small pieces. Thinly slice a cucumber and an onion. Very thinly slice a carrot. Rub vegetables with salt. When excess water comes out, squeeze the […]
21st March 2018 / Last updated : 30th December 2018 Mog 01 : Basic

Homemade mentsuyu

Read an article on mentsuyu to learn what it is. Mentsuyu is a very useful condiment. You don’t like additives? Make homemade mentsuyu, then!  Ingredients Dashi 150 mL (Check this page to learn how to make dashi.) Soy sauce: 2 tbsp Mirin: 1/2 tbsp Sugar: 1/2 tsp Instructions Put all ingredients in a pot and heat over high until it comes to a boil. Cool down until the liquid becomes warm. If you concentrated type mentsuyu, boil down the liquid to about a third. Store in a jar and keep it in a fridge.