Homestyle Japanese Cooking (8 page)

Tofu and Vegetable Soup

250 ml (1 cup) water

1 teaspoon vinegar

120 g (4 oz) burdock root, peeled (optional)

225 g (8 oz) firm tofu

1 teaspoon oil

1 teaspoon sesame oil

120 g (4 oz) minced chicken

1 potato, peeled, quartered, and thinly sliced

120 g (4 oz) daikon, peeled, quartered, and thinly sliced

1 carrot, peeled, quartered, and thinly sliced

1¼ liters (5 cups) Basic Dashi Stock (page
4
)

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon salt

4 fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and discarded, caps quartered

2 spring onions, cut into sections

Seven-spice chilli powder (page
3
)

1
Combine the water and vinegar in a bowl. Shave burdock root into long, thin strips and soak in the vinegared water for 5 to 10 minutes. Rinse and drain.

2
Using a fork, break the tofu roughly into small pieces.

3
Heat both oils in a medium saucepan over medium heat, and when hot, add the chicken. Cook the chicken, stirring constantly until just cooked, about 1 minute.

4
Add the burdock root, potato, daikon and carrot, and cook, stirring constantly, for another 2 minutes.

5
Add Basic Dashi Stock, soy sauce and salt, and heat until boiling. Reduce heat to low and cook until vegetables are tender, about 4 minutes. Stir mushrooms and tofu into soup, and cook for another 2 minutes. Add spring onions and remove from heat. Serve immediately with the seven-spice chilli powder.

Serves 4

Preparation time:
20 mins

Cooking time:
12 mins

Miso Soup with Tofu and Bamboo Shoot

180 g (6 oz) soft tofu, cubed

100 g (1 cup) fresh or canned bamboo shoots, thinly shredded

1 liter (4 cups ) Basic Dashi Stock (page
4
)

3 tablespoons miso

1
Place Basic Dashi Stock and bamboo in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook for 1 minute and add the tofu.

2
Place miso in large ladle and dissolve it with some of the hot soup, stirring it with a wooden spoon. Stir the miso into the saucepan, and add the soy sauce.

3
Bring the soup to a boil and ladle it into four bowls. Do not overcook. Serve immediately.

Serves 4

Preparation time:
5 mins

Cooking time:
5 mins

Chicken and Egg Drop Soup

100 g (3½ oz) chicken breast, cut into thin strips

1 tablespoon sake

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 liter (4 cups) Basic Dashi Stock (page
4
)

2 eggs, beaten

180 ml (¾ cup) water

8 thin slices carrot, blanched, for garnish

1
Place chicken strips in a small bowl and marinate with sake and ¼ teaspoon salt for 5 to 10 minutes.

2
Heat Basic Dashi Stock in a saucepan until boiling. Add ¼ teaspoon salt, soy sauce, and chicken to the Basic Dashi Stock and cook for 1 minute.

3
Slowly pour one-third of the beaten egg into the soup, stirring constantly; the egg will form “threads” as it cooks. When the soup boils again, add another one-third of the egg, stirring constantly. Bring soup back to a boil, add the final amount of egg and when all the egg cooks, remove from the heat.

4
Ladle soup into four serving bowls and garnish with carrot. Serve immediately.

Serves 4

Preparation time:
20 mins

Cooking time:
15 mins

Japanese-style Plain Steamed Rice

660 g (3 cups) uncooked short-grain rice

750 ml (3 cups) water

1
Cover uncooked rice in cold water and wash it thoroughly by rubbing between your hands until the water is quite cloudy. Drain and repeat this process several times until the water rinses off clear.

2
Place the rice in a saucepan with a heavy base, fill with the water, cover with a lid, and bring to a boil.

3
Once boiling, lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. By this time most of the water would have been absorbed. Remove from the heat and leave rice to stand for a further 10 minutes with the lid on.

4
Using a wet rice paddle or a fork, fluff up the rice and serve in heated individual rice bowls.

Serves 4-6

Preparation time:
5 mins

Cooking time:
35 mins

Rice with Three Toppings

400 g (2 cups) uncooked short-grain rice

500 ml (2 cups) water

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons sake

1 tablespoon fresh ginger juice

250 g (½ lb) minced chicken

2 cups fresh or frozen peas

8 large eggs, beaten

½ teaspoon salt

Pickled ginger ((page
2
)), for garnish

1
Cook rice following the steps for plain rice (see above), but keep rice warm in covered saucepan until needed.

2
Combine 1 tablespoon of the sugar, 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of the sake, and the ginger juice in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and add the chicken, stirring with a wooden spoon to break up the clumps. Cook about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

3
Cook peas in boiling water until tender, about 4 minutes. Drain and set aside.

4
Place eggs, salt and remaining sake, soy sauce, and sugar in a saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until eggs are set but still moist, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat.

5
Divide rice among four individual bowls and place equal amounts of the three toppings over the rice in distinct sections. Garnish with pickled ginger and serve immediately.

Serves 4

Preparation time:
15 mins

Cooking time:
35 mins

Azuki Bean Rice

140 g (¾ cup)
azuki
beans, washed and drained

750 g (3½ cups) uncooked glutinous rice, washed and drained

Sesame salt (page
3
) to taste

1
Place the red beans in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and drain, cover with fresh cold water, and bring to a boil again.

2
Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until beans are tender, about 40 minutes, adding more water as needed to keep beans covered.

3
Drain the beans, reserving the liquid. Pour the reserved liquid from the beans onto the uncooked rice grain and let stand, covered, overnight to allow the rice to take on a pinkish color.

3
Drain the rice and reserve the liquid. Combine the beans and rice, taking care not to crush the beans. Bring water to a boil in the base of a steamer. Line the steamer with cheesecloth and spread the rice and beans mixture over top. Poke a few holes in the rice for the steam to escape.

4
Steam over high heat until the rice is cooked, about 50 minutes, basting frequently with the reserved red bean liquid.