Karaage is a popular deep-fried dish, which is most often made with chicken. Avocado Karaage is a plant based alternative, and it’s vegan and gluten free. Bite sized avocado pieces are lightly seasoned, coated with potato starch, and deep fried in avocado oil. It’s creamy inside and crispy outside. This is a delightful appetizer for anyone to enjoy.
Tofu Avocado Salad is a simple and healthy side dish that is so easy to make. It’s also completely plant based and vegan. Diced tofu and avocado are tossed in the Japanese style vinaigrette dressing with a hint of wasabi and sesame. It’s delicious by itself, but you can also put this on a bowl of rice to make a Donburi rice bowl.
Today’s miso soup is made with vegetable broth. You can clean out any leftover vegetables from your fridge, cooking them in convenient store-bought broth. Then, season with the miso paste of your choice to create an easy-to-make, tasty miso soup for any time of day. Even without dashi, this miso soup offers plenty of umami flavor and a touch of natural sweetness from the vegetables and broth. The only thing you need to be careful about is adjusting the amount of miso paste depending on the type of vegetable broth you use. Many store-bought broths contain sodium, so add the miso paste gradually to avoid it becoming too salty. Other than that, this healthy miso soup is great because it’s not only delicious but also incredibly nourishing. Plus, all the ingredients can be found locally without a trip to the Japanese market. Vegetarian and vegan-friendly too. I hope you give this a try!
Miso Glazed Eggplant (Nasu Dengaku, 茄子田楽) is grilled eggplant rounds topped with a sweet miso sauce. It makes for a great appetizer alongside your favorite drinks such as sake and beer. Additionally, it serves as a delicious main dish that pairs well with steamed rice. The robust flavor of the miso sauce complements the freshness of the juicy eggplant. Feel free to use any kind of miso you prefer, adjusting the amount of sugar and Mirin accordingly. This dish is also vegan-friendly. We hope you give it a try!
Azuki Gayu (あずき粥), red bean porridge, is a delightful blend of simmered Azuki beans and rice. Unlike ordinary white porridge, it takes on a red hue, and this color has been recognized for its mystical power. It has been used to ward off disasters during house moving or embarking on a journey. Moreover, it holds a special place as a culinary treasure for festive occasions, shrine festivals, and annual events, with a prominent role during Little New Year (January 15th).
This simple salad is made with fuyu persimmon and small radish which are both in season during fall through winter. Known as the national fruit of Japan, persimmons have been loved by the people of Japan for over a thousand years. Persimmons are naturally sweet, and they can be eaten firm or soft after being ripened. For this salad, it’s best to use persimmons that are ripe but still firm.
Teriyaki Tofu Bowl is pan-fried Tofu in Teriyaki sauce over rice. This is such an easy dish to make for busy weekday nights. All the ingredients are found locally in most places even outside Japan, and the steps are also very simple. It’s flavored with sweet and salty Teriyaki sauce that everyone loves, so it will please the pickiest eaters too. Too much work to mix seasonings for Teriyaki sauce? No problem. You can use a prepared bottled sauce to shortcut even further. Teriyaki Tofu Bowl is healthy (vegetarian friendly), yummy, and also easy on the budget. So what are you waiting for? Try this tonight!
Gyoza is dumplings, usually ground pork or chicken and vegetables wrapped in round (fresh pasta like) flour skins and pan-fried. Gyoza is originally from Chinese fried dumplings, but it is so popular and rooted well in Japanese cuisine today. Most of the time, Japanese Gyoza is pan fried (with some steaming action in the middle), however, here we deep-fry to make them crispy outside and juicy inside.