Sautéed Kabocha with Butter and Soy Sauce is a great side dish to any entree, from Japanese to American foods. In fact, the rich savory flavor with a touch of sweetness of this Kabocha would be a nice holiday dinner addition.
Mentaiko Potato Salad is Mentaiko (spicy salted cod roe) mixed with mashed potato and seasoned with tangy Japanese mayonnaise. It’s a variation of regular Japanese potato salad, but it has become quite popular in Japan as a side dish in the last decade or so. Mentaiko Potato Salad is a great little dish next to…
Pan Fried Onion with Butter and Soy Sauce is a simple and delicious side dish you can make with a few ingredients. Onion, preferably a sweet onion, is sliced into medallions, pan fried with olive oil, and seasoned with butter and soy sauce.
Yaki Onigiri (焼きおにぎり) are Japanese rice balls that are grilled until crispy on the outside. Japanese short-grain rice are seasoned with soy sauce and formed into triangle shape by hand. The same sauce is then brushed on the surface during Onigiri are grilled.
Tenkasu is Tempura batter that has been deep-fried to become crispy bits and pieces. It is also called Agedama in the Tokyo area. Tenkasu or Agedama is used in various Japanese dishes and a useful ingredient to know when it comes to Japanese cooking. It can be bought in bags at stores, but it is…
Japanese style garlic fried rice is often served at Teppanyaki restaurants as a side dish for steaks or grilled seafood. Minced fresh garlic is slowly cooked in olive oil and butter in a frying pan, and the cooked steamed rice is fried in the aromatic oil. Similar to garlic noodles or garlic bread, the flavor…
Hiyayakko is cold Tofu salad widely eaten in Japan during hot weather. Basic Hiyayakko is eaten simply with chopped green onion and Katsuo dried bonito flakes drizzled with soy sauce. If you like to eat Hiyayakko throughout the whole summer, that might be a bit boring. We will show you three more ways to arrange…
This bell pepper tsukemono is something between pickles and salad. Rice vinegar and sugar adds just enough sourness and sweetness to the red and yellow bell peppers. Ginger root and sesame seeds are great accent in flavor. Eat as is or pour a little bit of soy sauce over if you like. Bell pepper tsukemono…
Tamagoyaki is a popular Japanese rolled omelette that is commonly eaten for breakfast or packed in bento lunch. You can make a plain Tamagoyaki or mix in many different ingredients for flavor variation. Today, we added a canned tuna and chopped green onions. An entire can of tuna (in water) can be added directly in…
Crab and Cucumber Sunomono is a salad with fake crab meat and sliced cucumber marinated in a rice vinegar sauce. This salad is so easy to make with simple ingredients, in a matter of 10 minutes. It is also healthy, with no fat, delicious, and a wonderful side dish for Bento lunches and dinner.