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Japanese Chicken Risotto My Japanese Chicken Risotto is based on a Venetian risotto dish called Risotto alla Sbirraglia (I think the dish translates into English as the Risotto of the Guards of the Serene Republic, which is, I think you will agree, a bit of a mouthful - best left in the original Italian perhaps!) Anyway, if you know your Venetian risottos, you'll know that they are characterised by being quite runny and very smooth and rich and my Japanese take is no exception. The Japanese angle in this recipe arises from several of the ingredients - first, instead of Italian arborio short grain rice, I use a Japanese short grain variety instead. The starch content of Japanese short grain varieties is uniformly high, so it makes for a great, creamy risotto and you get an end result that is no different from using arborio rice. Second, instead of the glass of white wine that goes into a classic Italian risotto, I use a glass of Japanese cooking sake. It's used in the same way as in the original Italian dish, poured onto the (in this case) chicken and vegetables and stirred in over a medium heat until the alcohol has evaporated. Because Japanese sake is sweeter than white wine, the cooking sake gives the dish a very subtle sweetness that it otherwise wouldn't possess. Then, there are the vegetables. I conjure a touch more Japanese influence by using a cup of edamame beans and I think these work quite well. I put them in quite late on into the dish so that they don't go too soft. Holding their firmness, the edamame give the dish a different dimension. Along with the edamame, there are also some shiitake mushromms thrown into the mix. I add 2 tsp of miso at the end of cooking to give a little more salty flavour. I would usually use a light miso but, when I made this recipe, I didn't have any, so I used a dark variety and that works very well too. My tips for this recipe are threefold: One: keep your stock just below the simmer. This is important for any risotto - you need to keep the stock hot so that when it is added to the rice, no time is wasted getting the stock hot again. Two: be patient! Add the stock one ladleful at a time and don't top up with another ladle until the rice has absorbed the last ladle of stock. As long as the stock is kept nice and hot, you shouldn't need more than 20 minutes to create a perfectly cooked risotto. `Three: keep stirring! The heat in a risotto needs to be evenly distributed, so keep stirring and turning the rice over with a large wooden spoon. Don't be tempted to leave it cooking to do something else for a minute or two as this risks the rice in the bottom of your pan or casserole catching and hardening which isn't the result you want. So there you have it - my Japanese Chicken Risotto. If you want to try out a risotto dish that's a little different and absolutely yummy, I suggest you give this a try. You can find the Youtubte tutorial by clicking Japanese Chicken Risotto or by scrolling to the bottom of the page. The written recipe is just below. Happy cooking! Kurumi XXXX. ingredients: (makes 2 generous servings) 1 onion 2 cloves, garlic 2 spring onions 4 fresh shiitake mushooms 75 g / 3 oz unsalted butter 1 chicken breast fillet ( around 250 g / 9 oz) 150 g / 5 oz frozen edamame 1 glass cooking sake (around 150 ml / 5 fl oz) 200 g / 7 oz Japanese short grain rice 600 ml / 21 fl oz chicken stock 2 tsp light miso 50 g / 1.75 oz Parmesan cheese black pepper how to: finely chop the onion peel and crush the garlic cloves finely chop the spring onions emove the stem ends from the 4 shiitake and slice slice the chicken breast into cubes heat up the chicken stock and keep it on a low simmer gently fry the onion, garlic, shiitake and spring onions in 50g / 2 oz of the butter for about 5 minutes until just coloured add the chicken and gently cook for another 5 minutes next, add the cooking sake. turn up the heat and cook for 2 minutes to allow the alcohol to evaporate add the rice. stir for about 2 minutes until the rice is hot and glossy next, reduce the heat and use a ladle to add the chicken stock. pour in one ladle at a time, stirring until the rice has absorbed the stock. then, add another ladle of stock, keep going until almost all the stock has been used. before you add your last ladle of stock, add the edamame and stir them into the risotto. add the last ladle of stock and keep stirring until absorbed. the rice should now be cooked and tender with a tiny bit of al dente. in all, this should take about 20 minutes stir in the remaining butter, the miso and half the Parmesan remove from the heat and cover rest your Japanese Chicken Risotto for about 3 - 4 minutes. add the remaining Parmesan cheese and season with a few twists of black pepper just before serving Japanese Chicken Risotto

The Ultimate Spaghetti Napolitan AKA Ketchup Pasta If you use my recipe site regularly, you might have seen my recipe for Japanese Spaghetti Napolitan. The origin of the Japanese version of this venerable pasta dish is an interesting subject in itself. (You can find that blog post by clicking Japanese style Spaghetti Napolitan). Somewhere down the line, this dish has also taken on an alternative English name - Japanese Ketchup Pasta - I'm not sure why - Spaghetti Napolitan sounds so much better! This was one of my favourite childhood recipes, I occasionally wind back the years by indulging in a plate of spaghetti napolitan when I am back in Japan. I was last back in the autumn of 2022 and I ordered a plate of spaghetti napolitan in a tiny little restaurant in Shibuya, Tokyo. It only took one mouthful for me to realise I was eating something a little bit different to what I was used to - something richer and well, just ever so, ever so nice. As the place wasn't too busy and I could see the chef at work in his little kitchen, I got his attention and told much I had enjoyed his food and how was he making it. It turned out that he was happy to divulge his secret and the secret was really pretty simple - some canned tomatoes and some cheddar cheese (imagine!) I left the place sceptical that it was that easy, so I tried it a few days later at my parents home and found out that what the chef had said as spot on - the canned tomatoes and cheddar cheese raise what is already a great, fast Japanese dish to another level. While the classic Japanese spaghetti napolitan is light and a little sweet (read: kid's favourite), what I now call the "Ultimate" version has much more depth of flavour, even perhaps a little umami - all-in-all, it's just a really tasty, satisfying way to enjoy a plate of spaghetti with minimum fuss and maxxed out flavour. if this has you in the mood for trying something, quick, easily and utterly delicious, then you can find the Youtube tutorial by clicking Ultimate Spaghetti Napolitan or by scrolling to the bottom of the page. The written recipe is just below. Happy cooking! Kurumi XXXX. ingredients: (makes 2 servings) 1 small onion 1 clove garlic 1/3 green bell pepper * 1/3 red bell pepper* 4 large button mushrooms 5 frankfurter style sausages 180g spaghetti for the sauce: 1/2 tin of tomatoes, (200g / 7oz) 4 tbsp of tomato ketchup 1 tbsp of brown sauce (I use Bull-dog brown sauce but other brown sauces work too) 50g cheddar cheese 1 tbsp vegetable oil salt & pepper dried or fresh basil for garishing *yellow bell pepper is fine too! how to: halve and slice the onion slice the bell peppers finely slice the clove of garlic slice the mushrooms diagonally slice the frankfurter sausages spoon the tinned tomatoes in a bowl. add the 4 tbsp of tomato ketchup & 1 tbsp of brown sauce. if you are using uncopped tomatoes, gently mash them into a pulp. mix everything together well grate the cheddar cheese into a second bowl heat the vegetable oil in a medium frying pan. add all the vegetables and the frankfurters. stir fry for about 5 minutes over a medium heat or until the frankfurters are cooked. season with a little salt & pepper to taste meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in a saucepan according to the packet instructions, then drain next, return to your frying pan. push the vegetables/frankfurters to the side of the pan. pour the sauce mixture into the middle and wait until it begins to simmer. now, mix the sauce and the vegetables/frankfurters together well. add the grated cheese, then the drained spaghetti. mix again until the cheese has melted serve immediately. sprinkle with fresh or dried basil The Ultimate Spaghetti Napolitan AKA Ketchup Pasta

Japanese style Spaghetti Napolitan Here is a Japanese dish that is guaranteed to have Italian nonnas everywhere raising their hands to the heavens and crying, "Mama Mia!" Why? Because instead of an Italian passata style sauce, this recipe uses tomato ketchup. Yes, ketchup and it works really well. It doesn't take too much guesswork to figure out why ketchup is used once you know a little bit of the history behind this dish. During the US occupation of Japan after World War II, a lot of local restaurants wanted to grab the trade of US servicemen - after all, the Japanese had no money and the American had lots of mighty dollars. It turned out that what a lot of these Americans boys wanted was spaghetti. The problem for the Japanese restauranteur was getting hold of passata or even tomato juice. But what they could get hold of, often by some shady dealings with US Army personnel, was imported ketchup. But it doesn't stop there. Another problem was getting minced beef. So another substitute was found...tinned frankfurters (US Army to the rescue again!) Over 70 years later, you'll still find this dish on the menu of cafes the length and breadth of Japan. It's quick to make and kids (young and old) love it. So why not cast your conceptions aside for a while and give it a try - your kids will thank you for it! You can find the written recipe just below and for the Youtube tutorial click Japanese style Spaghetti Napolitan or you can scroll to the bottom of the page. happy cooking! kurumi XXXX. The Japanese are big fans of pasta. Why not browse some other Japanese pasta dishes like my Miso Tuna Spagetti? Japanese style Spaghetti Napolitan ingredients: (makes 2 servings) 150g spaghetti (dry weight) 1 clove, garlic 1 small onion (approx. 100g) 40g green pepper 40g yellow pepper 4 mushrooms 4 frankfurters 1 tbsp vegetable oil 5 tbsp tomato ketchup 1 tbsp bull-dog sauce 1/8 tsp pepper 40g grated pecorino or parmesan cheese how to: halve & thinly slice the onion do the same with the peppers and mushrooms slice the frankfurters diagonally into 1.5 - 2 cm pieces bring a pan of water & cook the spaghetti for 8-10 mins, then drain heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan, stir fry the garlic & onion for 1 min add & stir fry the peppers & mushrooms for 1 min add fry the frankfurters for 4 mins, then add the spaghetti, ketchup & bull-dog sauce and mix everything together well sprinkle with the grated cheese and serve Japanese style Spaghetti Napolitan

Chisou Japanese Sushi and Izakaya I celebrated my wedding anniversary recently, so my partner and I visited Chisou Japanese Sushi and Izakaya in Mayfair for a lunchtime bite out. Chisou advertised itself as a sushi bar and izakaya (which roughly translates as a Japanese style pub). Chisou is part of the Saga Restaurant Group, which operates 2 restaurants, the Mayfair branch and one in Knightsbridge. The company also operates Sushi Atelier in Fitzrovia and the bento delivery brand Go Chisou - busy people obviously! The company describes Chisou as "tranquil, intimate and exciting" with the food being taken "very seriously, creating menus filled with exceptionally well presented dishes." That all seems quite a claim to make, so, I went along expecting to be wowed. Chisou Japanese Sushi and Izakaya Chisou, Mayfair is very easy to find. It's less than 5 minutes from Bond St. tube station at the bottom of Woodstock St. Stepping inside, the first thing I thought was that I was glad I made a reservation as the place was pretty busy for a Tueday lunchtime. I'm not sure that I would describe Chisou's interior as intimate or exciting but it's light and quite spacious.The interior looks authentically Japanese and has some nice fun touches like the lighting made from illuminated sake bottles. As you would expect from a restaurant that advertises itself as a sushi bar, there's a sushi counter with seating for 8. Apart from the counter, there is table seating for around 35-40 diners. There were 5 or 6 staff waiting the tables and two chefs behind the sushi counter with more chefs in a serving/plating area at the back, plus a kitchen in the basement. Chisou Japanese Sushi and Izakaya I got the impression that things were well organised and that the service was going smoothly without too much pressure on the staff or diners left waiting for their orders. There was plenty of natural and artifical light and no piped music. Ah, I though, a place to contemplate and enjoy some good Japanese food. What did we eat? We ordered the following: Tempura Tempura Lunch Set (Tempura, miso soup, Japanese salad, rice, Japanese pickles.) Daikon Salad Spinach & Shimeji Musrooms in a Sesame dressing (Goma Shimeji Ohitashi) Teriyaki Chicken Meatballs (Tsukune Yaki) Salted grilled chicken wings (Teba Shioyaki) Deep fried chicken (Tori Karaage) The Daikon Salad, Spinach and Shimeji, Miso soup and Japanese salad all arrived within 10 minutes of our order. The other courses arrived over the next 15 - 20 minutes so we weren't left waiting for our food at any time. One minor criticism, at one point our table was overflowing with plates, so if you visit Chisou feeling hungry, make sure you're seated at a table for four not two. How did the food score? Daikon Ribbon salad 8.5/10 Daikon salad As you might know, daikon is used a lot in Japanese cooking. I like using daikon in salads because it has a fresh taste and a curncy texture. Chisou's daikon salad was a winner with me. The daikon was sliced into long, thin ribbons and decorated with radish and cress. The salad was dressed with a plum (ume) dressing which had just the right balance and a delicious astringent but sweet taste that complemented the daikon very well. Conclusion: A very good and creative salad dish that was a pleasant surprise. Goma Shimeji Ohitashi 7/10 Goma shimeji ohitashi I am a big fan of spinach, so I had to order this dish. I liked the presentation although the spinach was a little difficult to break up into edible pieces - I suspect it had been prepared and then frozen or deep chilled and hadn't hd time to come back to room temperature. Tastewise though, I really couldn't complain, the sesame dressing really was a good pairing with the spinach and the shimeji mushrooms were a nice touch. I could eat a large portion if this with some rice for a lunch or supper and be perfectly happy. Conclusion: A good vegetable dish, well flavoured dish that I was happy to eat. Tsukune Yaki 7/10 Tsukune Yaki Chisou gives you a choice with this dish, you can have the chicken meatballs served salted or with teriyaki sauce. I opted for the teriyaki sauce. The "tsukune yaki" were generously sized and the chicken was mixed with some vegetable. If I had a complaint, I would say that they were under-cooked and could have done with a minute or two more to create more contrast between the softness of the minced chicken inside and a harder outside - but perhaps that's just my personal preference. What was also a little disappointing was that there just wasn't enough teriyaki sauce. As I said, the "tsukune yaki" were generously sized but there was no sauce left after I had gotten through the first skewer. Conclusion: Well made, nicely served, but more teriyaki sauce, please! Teba Shioyaki 8.5/10 Teba Shioyaki Although most chicken wings seems to be put into the stock pot in Japan these days, grilled chicken wings - teba yaki - remains a favorite in Japanese izakaya style restaurants. Chisou's version were served with just a slice of lemon to complement the salty, grilled flesh. I thought Chisou got these just about right - grilled but not overgrilled, a good salty flavour and in the background the slightly gamey aroma of the freshly cooked chicken wings. Conclusion: A dish very well done and presented. Tori Karaage 9/10 Tori karaage These Japanese deep fried chicken nuggets worked very well on several levels. The flour coating was cooked to a perfect crunch and was a visual treat. The chicken inside was cooked through but still soft and a little juicy. The pieces were on the small side and some might complain about this but using smaller cuts of chicken probably does make it easier to produce the perfectly deep fried coating. The dish was served with lemon and a dish of mayo. Conclusion: Delicious. Tempura Lunch Set 7/10 Tempura When I order a Japanese lunch set like this, I don't necessarily expect anything to be outstanding but I do expect everything to rank at least as good. And that's what I got with the Tempura set. I couldn't complain about anything but at the same time, nothing wowed me. The miso soup and the salad were what I expected. Ditto the rice and the pickles. The tempura itself was fine - nicely cooked, the batter crispy. There wasn't enough tempura sauce supplied with the dish as it had mostly gone when I was only half way through my tempura. Conclusion: A good lunch set without being outstanding. The Bill. Tempura Lunch Set £19.00 Daikon Salad £10.90 Goma Shimeji Ohitashi £ 5.90 Tsukune Yaki £ 7.60 Teba Shioyaki £ 6.00 Tori Kara Age £ 9.15 Total £72.39 including VAT & Service charges Summary: I liked Chisou. The restaurant was spacious and nicely decorated. Best of all, the place was well lit - I really dislike sitting and eating my food under poor illumination - part of the pleasure of food after all, is being able to enjoy the sight of it. The table service was pleasant, friendly and willing to help. Minor criticisms: First, the table was too small for the number of plates that we ordered. Our waiter upset one plate when he brought it to the table - not his fault - the table was already brimming with plates. Second, please Chisou, increase the amount of sauces in your servings - neither the teriyaki sauce or the tempura sauce was adequate to fully enjoy these dishes. I would happily go back to Chisou for another lunch - I'd be confident that anything I ate there was well prepared and nicely presented. Food: ★★★★☆ Ambience: ★★★★☆ Value for Money: ★★★☆☆ You can find Chisou at 22 Woodstock St, London W1C 2AR. Booking via the website at www.chisourestaurant.com (PS: the restaurants I review are unaware that I am reviewing their fare and service. I pay for what I eat. My opinions are honest and unbiased....) And how about making it yourself? We all love to dine out and you certainly won't be disappointed by Abeno's offering. But don't forget you can make Japanese food at home which will not only taste good but for a fraction of the price too! I've listed two recipes below for items I ordered during my review. Why not give them a try? Just follow the links to the written recipes and Youtube tutorials. Recipe #1 Daikon Ribbon salad Daikon Ribbon salad The daikon salad served at Chisou was very good if a little expensive for what is a very quick, easy dish to produce. You can make this at home in under 30 minutes and it will taste every bit as good as the restaurant version. Apart from a good quality, fresh daikon, the other ingredient you will need is some Japanese instant dashi stock granules. You can buy these online from Japanese stockists, Amazon etc. If you would like to take a closer look at this dish, simply click Daikon Ribbon Salad to go to the recipe page. Recipe #2 Tsukune Yaki Grilled Chicken Meatballs with Teriyaki sauce Tsukune Chicken Meatballs If you enjoy Japanese Tsukune chicken meatballs, you don't have to only eat them at a restaurant as an occasional treat - they are not difficult to make at home and if you folow my recipe, you will have some Tsukune ready for the table in 30 minutes - I promise that once you've eaten these, you might not want to order them at a restaurant ever again! If you want to try these out, just click Tsukune Chicken Meatballs to go to the recipe. About the reviewer: Hi, I'm Kurumi, a cooking writer and blogger. I'm Japanese but I have lived in London for the last kurumi 30 thirty years. Back in the days before the internet (and Youtube), I was a food writer. My first book published in English was called Japanese Cooking for Two which I wrote in 1994. It has become the 9th best selling Japanese cookbook ever… yippee! My other books were ‘The Noodle Cookbook”, “The Soy for Health Cookbook” and “Healthy Noodles.” I also published a book in Japanese “English Home Cooking”. Then I had children and my life changed! By the time my children had grown up, the world had changed quite a lot too! Internet, Youtube, Insta etc. So, these days, instead of books, I publish recipe and articles on my website and on my Youtube channel. I hope you'll check out my recipes - they are all tried and tested (some more times than I care to mention!) until I think you will get them right first time when you make them and enjoy eating them. If you’d like to read more about me or my books, then follow the link here: www.kurumicooks.co.uk/about

Temari Sushi balls with Smoked Salmon There is no better way to show people that you don't need to be a ninja or the master of any dark arts to make your own sushi at home than Temari Sushi. (Temari-zushi if you want to be a stickler for correct pronunciation.) Temari, translated into English, simply means "hand moulded." Traditionally, (although temari-sushi are quite a recent innovation) the sushi balls were made by rolling and moulding the rice into a ball in the hand. But nowadays, most people use a quick and easy hack - AKA clingfilm. I'm no expert on clingfilm but one thing I have noticed is that Japanese clingfilm is a little thicker and therefore more robust than the clingfilm I buy in the UK. So when I use clingfilm to make my Temari, I cut out a sheet from the roll and then fold it over to double the thickness in order to give it a bit more strength. Anyway, back to the Temari Sushi - all you need is 1 cup of Japanese rice, which when cooked will be about 450g / 15oz - enough to make 18 - 20 Temari Sushi balls. As well as your rice, you'll need a pack of smoked salmon fillets, your clingfilm and some catering gloves - the latter are optional but as you are handling people's nosh, I think it is good food hygiene practice. First, don your latex gloves and wet them with a little water to stop the rice sticking to them. To make your Temari Sushi, take a dessertspoon of rice and place it one hand. Pre-form the rice into a rough ball. Once that's done, take the clingfilm and lay it in your hand. Then, lay a square of smoked salmon onto the clingfilm and lay your rough draft rice ball on the salmon. Then, close the clingfilm and twist so that it tightens and forms the salmon and rice into a nice spherical shape and voila! You have made your first Temari Sushi ball! It shouldn't take you more than 10 minutes to prepare 18 - 20 balls. Once they are all done, you can either present them "as is" or garnish them - in this recipe I use two garnishes - some tiny lemon wedges for half of the balls and some toasted black sesame seeds for the other half - but I leave that to you. If you think you would like to try your hand at creating your own Temari Sushi, you can find the Youtube tutorial Temari Sushi Balls with Smoked Salmon or by scrolling to the bottom of the page. (I would advise you to take a look at the video - I think it is much easier to make Temari Sushi once you have seen it done for yourself, so as to speak.) You'll find the written recipe just below. Happy moulding! Kurumi XXXX. ingredients: (makes 18 - 20 Temari Sushi balls) 1 cup Japanese rice (1 cup = 160ml / 5 fl oz ) 1.5 tbsp sushi vinegar (if you can’t find sushi vinegar, use the following ingredients to make your own.) 1 tbsp sugar 1.5 tbsp Japanese rice vinegar a pinch of salt 120g-140g / 4- 5 oz of smoked salmon slices 1 sheet of kitchen paper a 60cm /20 inch square of cling film, folded in half 1 lemon (optional) 1 tsp toasted black sesame (optional) a little water how to: *to make your own sushi vinegar: combine the rice vinegar, sugar and a pinch of salt in a bowl and mix well, then set aside. cook the cup of Japanese rice using a rice cooker or a saucepan. place the cooked rice in a large bowl and add the sushi vinegar. mix gently with a slicing motion, taking care not to squash or mash the rice. place a kitchen paper over the bowl, so the rice will not dry out, then set aside cut a 60 cm length of cling film and fold in half cut 2 thin slices of lemon, then cut each slice into small segments. you will need 9-10 segments, so choose the best shaped ones when you've finished cutting cut the smoked salmon into 3-4 cm (approx.) pieces. you will need 18-20 pieces of smoked salmon wet a dessertspoon in water, so that the rice doesn’t stick to it then, take a dessertspoon of the sushi rice. gently form it into a small rough ball in your hand (I use caterering gloves for this stage) once your first sushi ball isroughly formed, pick up the cling film. place 1 piece of smoked salmon in the middle of the cling film. put the rice on top of the salmon then, wrap the cling film around the salmon and rice. shape the rice ball by twisting the cling film quite tightly around it and forming with your hand until you get the desired shape. unwrap the clingfilm and set your first terai sushi ball aside repeat the process until you used all the sushi rice. this should be enough to make 18 - 20 temari sushi last, arrange your temari sushi on a serving platter, garnish alternately with the black sesame seeds and lemon segments Temari Sushi balls with Smoked Salmon

Inside Out Egg Sushi Rolls Have you ever been to a sushi bar, seen inside out sushi rolls on the counter and wondered, "Who had the idea to turn a sushi roll inside out?" Or maybe,"How does the chef do that?' If you have, then read on..... So, Inside Out Sushi Rolls are Japanese, right? Well, not exactly...in fact, you don't often see uramaki (as they are called in Japanese) on the menu in a sushi bar in Japan. That's because, as the name California Roll might suggest, they were actually first made in California. Legend has it that back in the 1960's, a Japanese sushi chef in California was wrestling with a problem - the nori seaweed sheets available in California were second grade - overly dry and prone to splitting when the chef made a sushi roll. So, the story goes, he hit upon the idea of hiding the nori inside the roll and voila, the Inside Out Roll or California Roll was born. Now, whether the story or not, I don't know, but the technicque is certainly a clever commercial ploy - with the nori on the inside of the roll, you can prepare an Inside Out Roll in advance without worrying about the nori discolouring or splitting, because it is hidden inside the rice - this means a longer shelf life (next time you pass the sushi counter in a supermarket, take a look at what is on the shelf and my guess is, it will mostly be Inside Out Rolls, not only because they are popular with customers but also because the shop can have them made hours in advance of sale. Although Inside Out Egg Sushi Rolls look a little daunting, there isn't too much to learn in terms of technique and not a lot of kit required either to make these yourself. Your Japanese rice can be cooked in a saucepan but if you have a rice cooker, so much the better. (If not, you can find my how to instructions by clicking How to Cook Japanese Rice in a Saucepan and the same content on a Youtube tutorial by clicking How to Cook Japanese Rice in a Saucepan.) If you have watched videos of a chef preparing a Japanese sweet omelette for sushi, chances are you've noticed that they all use a rectangular shaped frying pan - in fact a lot of Japanese homes, mine included, have one too. But you don't need a rectangular shaped pan to make a perfectly good Japanese sweet omelette - just a regular circular 20cm / 8 inch frying pan will do. In my Youtube video tutorial (see the link below), I use a circular pan - once you have finished making your omelette, you can just clean up the ends with a kitchen knife and you'll have a Japanese sweet omelette that looks and tastes just the same as one made in a rectangular pan. So, other than the rectangular pan, what other kit will you need to turn out some inside out egg sushi rolls, that you might not already have? Well, there is really only one thing you'll need and that is a sushi rolling mat. You can purchase these on line or at most Asian stores for not a lot of money for as little as £1.50 here in the UK (although they seem a little more expensive in the US.) Turning your attention to cooking ingredients, what will you need to learn to turn out really good uramaki egg sushi rolls? First, for your sushi rice: You will need some short grain Japanese rice. You'll also need some Japanese rice vinegar. (You can buy this in many supermarkets or online. Pricewise, here in the UK, it costs around £5 for 500ml from a relibale manufacturer such as Mizkan.) Also, if you wish to decorate the rice, you'll need some toasted white sesame seeds. Second for your Japanese sweet omelette, along with eggs, you will need some mirin although this is optional and can be excluded for those who either cannot or prefer not to use alcohol in their cooking. Adding miring will give you a richer flavour and a little umami. (You can buy mirin from Asian stores and online. Here in the UK, a 300ml bottle costs £ 6-7.) Third, for producing your inside out egg sushi rolls, you will need some Japanese nori seaweed sheets. I add some oba (AKA shiso) leaves to my rolls as they add a lovely sweet lemony flavour and make these rolls truly tasty but they are an option so don't worry if you can't get hold of any. Next, some tips. You'll read more about technique in the "how to" section below but here are the key things to know: First, your Japanese short grain rice. You are aiming for a sushi rice where the grains are glossy, slightly sticky and have a little transparency. This means washing the grains well to remove any starch from the polished grain. Second, when you add Japanese rice vinegar to make sushi rice, be gentle. Mix using a slicing motion and don't rush. Third, when you make your sweet egg roll, get the pan nice and hot before adding any oil. You will only need a thin covering of oil in the pan - if the pan dries out you can add a little more oil at a later stage - but the oil must be kept nice and hot. Four, wrap your rolling mat in clingfilm. This will stop the rice - remember the rice is on the outside of your roll - sticking to the mat. Okay, so enough writing! if you are ready to get started, you can find the Youtube tutorial by clicking Inside Out Egg Sushi Rolls or by scrolling to the bottom of the page. (If you are a sushi roll first-timer, I would recommend that you take a look.). The written recipe is just below. Happy rolling! Kurumi XXXX ingredients: (makes 4 Inside Out Egg Sushi Rolls) for the sushi rice (rice cooker method): 1 cup (160ml /5.5 fl oz ) Japanese rice 1.5 tbsp sushi vinegar (saucepan method) make sure you use a thick bottom saucepan use 185ml / 6.25 fl oz water per 1 cup of rice for the Japanese egg roll: 3 large eggs 1.5 tbsp sugar 1 tbsp mirin a little salt 1 tbsp vegetable oil 20cm / 8 in frying pan for the sushi rolls: 2 nori sheets a sushi rolling mat enough clingfilm to wrap your mat 6 oba / shiso leaves toasted white sesame seeds how to: first, to cook your Japanese rice: put the rice into your rice cooker or saucepan. cover the rice with cold water. stir using your fingers until the water becomes cloudy, then throw the water away. repeat this step 2 or 3 times until the water is nearly clear. now pour in cold water up to the 1 cup line in your rice cooker. if you are using a saucepan, then pour in 185ml / 6.25 fl oz of water per 160ml / 5.5 fl oz of rice. to make your sweet Japanese egg roll: put the eggs, sugar, mirin, & a little of salt into a jug or a bowl. whisk everything together well. next, get your frying pan nice and hot. add the vegetable oil and swirl it around in the pan to cover the whole surface. pour back any excess oil to a small bowl (yo will need it later.) pour 1/4 of the egg mix into the frying pan. wait until the egg skin just forms on the bottom - you;ll know when this is happening as the egg will become opaque. now, carefully fold the egg over to the one side of the frying pan using chopsticks and/or a spatula. now pour in another 1/4 of the egg mixture into the pan. use the chopsticks/spatula to gently raise the egg roll, so that some of the egg mixture slides underneath. wait once more for the egg skin to form, then roll the egg roll to the other side of the frying pan again using your chopsticks and/or a spatula. if the pan now seems dry, add a little more oil. add the egg mix two more times following the steps above. you should now have a thick, sweet egg roll in your pan. turn off the heat and flip the egg roll onto a plate. next, take the two sheets of nori. one side of the nori is slightly longer than the other. fold down the long side of the nori and cut in half. now, lay your sushi mat on a sheet of cling film. use sufficient cling film to so that you cn fold it over the mat and seal it. this will prevent the rice from sticking to the mat and spoiling your inside out rolls. slice the egg roll into 4 strips lengthways, then slice each strip in half lengthways. last, cut each strip in half and trim off the ends so you have two pieces of egg roll that will be the same width as the nori sheet. if you are using oba leaves, then cut them in half down the middle of the stem. next make your sushi rice: put the cooked rice in a large bowl, sprinkle over the sushi vinegar and mix gently taking care not to mash or squash the rice grains. to make your first inside out sushi roll: place a sheet of nori onto your sushi mat, spread 1/4 of the rice over the nori sheet so that you get a thin, uniform layer of rice with no gaps. next, sprinkle some sesame seeds over the rice. carefully turn the nori sheet over and lay it back on the mat so that the bottom edge of the nori is sitting on the bottom edge of the sushi mat. place 3 1/2 shiso leaves in a line in the middle of the nori. then place four pieces of egg roll over the oba leaves in two lines. now for the rolling. support the mat with your thumbs and then roll it over the rice. use gentle pressure with your fingers to begin to form the roll. now, raise the sushi mat a little and roll again so that your first roll is now complete. use gentle pressure once more to form the roll shape. now simply unroll the mat and your first inside roll will be revealed! wet a sharp knife and cut the roll in half. then put the 2 halves side by side and cut into 3 equal pieces per roll. repeat for your next three rolls and your batch of Inside Out Egg Sushi Rolls will be complete. Serve with small dishes of soy sauce for a delicious lunch or dinner. Inside Out Egg Sushi Rolls

Japanese Curry soup When you think Japanese curry, you probably think Japanese curry cubes and who would blame you? Most of the Japanese curry recipes you'll find on this site are made with the ubiquitous Japanese curry cube whether it be a Golden Curry cube, a Java curry cube, a Vermont curry cube or one of the many other Japanese curry cubes you can find on the market. But not every Japanese curry is made with curry cubes. This one is made from scratch using five spices and some salt and pepper. It's quite a recent idea in Japan, but if the Brits can have their Mulligatawny, then the Japanese can have their Curry soup too! So what goes into a Japanese Curry soup? As I said above, Japanese Curry soup doesn't use curry cubes so the first thing that goes into the mix is the spices - some curry powder, coriander, cumin, cinnamon and last but not least, some paprika. As you can see from the picture above, although this is a "soup", it is meant to be a filling main course, so each diner gets a chicken thigh and drumstick plus a halved boiled egg. Of course, if you don't want to include so much animal protein, you can miss out one of those ingredients and you'll still have a nourishing meal. As for the vegetables, this recipe includes some peppers, baby corn, sweet potato, butternut squash, courgette and it woudn't be a curry without some tomato, onion, garlic and ginger. (Well, I said this was nourishing, didn't I!) Once you've mixed your spices, you'll need to finely chop the onion, garlic & ginger. Then, a little more chopping - the sweet potato gets cut into small pieces - it's really in the dish to add a little sweetness to the soup. The peppers and courgette are cut in half as is the piece of butternut squash, while the tomato is cut into segments - like the sweet potato, it's there for its sweetness. The babycorn stay as they are. A last little bit of prep, make a slash or two into the meat of the chicken drumsticks to ensure that they cook through. Next, let's get cooking. The first thing to do is boil your eggs. I hard boil mine for this recipe but if you prefer an oozy middle, then I leave that to you. Next, slightly brown the chicken in a tbsp of vegetable oil - just enough to get the meat cooking and colour and flavour the oil. Once that is down, set the chicken aside and tip the chopped onion, garlic and giner in to the oil to fry until lightly browned. Then, in with the tomatoes and the spices - add another tbsp of oil here and mix everything into a curry roux - the aroma should already be getting your appetite going! Next, pour in 400ml of water and return the chicken to the pan along with the sweet potato. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat quickly to a simmer for 20 minutes. While the chicken and the curry sauce are cooking, pour about 1cm / 1/2 in of vegetable oil into a frying pan. Get the oil nice and hot, then shallow fry the peppers, the butternut and the babycorn until they are nicely browned. Last of all, peel and halve your boiled eggs. Now you are ready to assemble your Japanese Soup curry. Place a chicken drumstic and thigh into a deep serving boil. Add pieces of fried pepper, babycorn and butternut. Pour over your Curry soup. Top with the boiled egg halves. I always add some coriander as a garnish but I leave that to you. Your Japanese Curry soup is ready to serve with a boil of steamed rice. If this recipe has got your taste buds going, you can find the Youtube tutorial at the bottom of the page or just click Japanese Curry soup. If you want to look at the written recipe, you can find that just below. Happy cooking! Kurumi XXXX. ingredients: makes 2 generous servings for the curry spice mix: 1 tbsp mild curry powder 2 tsp cumin powder 1 tsp coriander powder 1 tsp cinnamon powder 1 tsp paprika powder 1/2 medium sized onion 2 cloves of garlic 2 cm ginger, peeled 2 tbsp vegetable oil 2 boned chicken drumsticks 2 boned chicken thighs 1 tomato 60g / 2 oz sweet potato, peeled 400ml / 13.5 fl oz cold water 1/2 chicken stock cube salt and pepper to taste 2 eggs vegetables for shallow frying: 1/2 red pepper 1/2 yellow pepper 2 slices of butternut squash or kabocha 2 babycorn 2 portions of steamed rice how to: to prepare the curry spices, mix the curry powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, cinnamon powder & paprika powder in a small bowl. set aside. chop the onion, garlic & ginger finely cut the tomato & (peeled) sweet potato into small pieces halve the peppers and courgette. peel the butternut squash and cut into 2 slices make some incisions on the chicken drumsticks. trim off the excess fat from the chicken thighs add 2 eggs to a small saucepan of boiling and cook for 10 mins (for hard boiled.) drain the eggs and leave to cool in cold water before peeling and halving. heat 1 tbsp of vegetable oil in a medium saucepan. lightly brown the chicken, then remove to a plate add the onion, garlic & ginger to the saucepan and brown lightly over a medium heat add another 1 tbsp of oil to the saucepan and add the spice powder. stir well next add the tomato & sweet potato pieces to the saucepan and stir add the 400ml water to the saucepan along with the pieces of chicken, 1/2 chicken stock cube and some black pepper. bring to the boil then simmer for about 30 mins meanwhile, heat 1cm of oil in a small frying pan. shallow fry the pepper, butternut squash, baby corn and courgette, turning once or twice until lightly browned. rest on kitchen paper season the curry soup with salt to taste. place the chicken and vegetables in two serving bowls. ladle over the soup. serve with bowls of steamed rice Japanese Curry soup

Thai style Tofu and Beanthread noodle salad Here's my take on a healthy Thai style Tofu and Beanthread noodle salad. ingredients: (makes 2 substantial servings) 2 X 40g / 1.4oz packets of dried beanthread noodles 1/2 red onion 1/2 a bell pepper 1 stalk of celery 10 baby tomatoes 300g / 10 oz firm tofu 50g / 1.75 oz carrot, peeled 70g / 2.5 oz green beans for the dressing: 1 garlic clove 2 tsp of sugar juice of 2 limes 2 - 3 tbsp Thai fish sauce a little dried chilli flake 2 tbsp of vegetable oil some kitchen paper 4 crabsticks or seafood sticks some coriander leaves for garnishing (optional) how to: cook the beanthread noodles in boiling water for 2 mins or according to the instructions on the packet. stir a couple of times as they cook. when they are done, the noodles will have become translucent. drain and set aside. peel and thinly slice the red onion. soak in a small bowl of water for 10 minutes to reduce the bitterness. halve and slice the bell pepper. thinly slice the celery and halve the baby tomatoes remove the tofu from its pack and rest on kitchen paper for 5 - 10 minutes to reduce the water content cut the peeled carrot into 3 or 4 pieces, then cut into matchsticks top & tail the green beans, then cut in half. cook in boiling water for 2-3 minutes, drain and set aside. to make the dressing" slice and mince the garlic. put it in a jug or small bowl. add the sugar, lime juice & fish sauce and stir well remove the tofu from the kitchen paper. cut into 2cm / 1 in cubes. heat 2 tbsp of vegetable oil in a frying pan. fry the tofu until lightly browned on two both sides. (use a lid on the saucepan if the oil begins to spit) drain the tofu again on kitchen paper tear the four crabsticks into strings combine all the vegetables in a large bowl, add the shredded crabstick, beanthread noodles, tofu and the dressing. mix everything together well garnish with the coriander leaves Thai style Tofu and Beanthread noodle salad

Pumpkin Gyoza with Mango dip With Halloween just around the corner, here's a pumpkin recipe that you can prepare in advance and serve on the day at your Halloween party. Now, you might be thinking - aren't gyoza savoury? Mango dip...really? Don't you gyoza serve with a mix of soy sauce and a little vinegar? And you would be right....or, you'd me right most of the time. But I invite you to think a little bit laterally and think about what a gyoza is exactly. Basically, it's a filling in a wrapper, isn't it? So, if you change the filling to something a little sweeter...? I think you can see where I'm going with this. A gyoza doesn't have to be savoury and I hope you will agree that this recipe proves my point. First things first. You'll need to buy some gyoza wrappers. You'll find these in the freezer section of most Asian stores. If you don't have one. near you, then you'll easily be able to find your gyoza wrappers on line. I usually buy a couple of packs of 50, use a quarter or a third and pop the rest into the freezer for another time. So, what's going on inside a pumpkin gyoza? Instead of the more traditional Chinese pork/ garlic / spring onion filling, the main element of the filling here is some butternut pumpkin / squash. This needs some prep - peeling, chopping and then a few minutes in the microwave. (if you don't have access to a microwave, you can boil or steam the pumpkin but the microwave method is best, I find, as it stops the pumpkin becoming too moist. Either way, you want to cook the pumpkin until it's softened but still a little firm.) Along with that, there's a little fried onion, seasoned with salt & pepper, along with a finely chopped spring onion and a few ounces of cheddar cheese. I add the cheese to give the gyoza a little more richness and flavour but they work pretty well without the cheese if you want to make a lighter, vegan version. (Yes, these gyoza make a great vegan or vegetarian option.) Once I've prepared the filling, a heaped teaspoon goes into each gyoza wrapper. (The recipe amounts you can see below are enough to make +/- 20 gyoza.) If you follow the Youtube tutorial (link below), you'll notice that I simply fold the gyoza wrapper rather than making the pretty little pleats that you would normally expect. You could be forgiven for thinking that I am just being lazy but in fact, folding the wrapper together without pleats does two things: One, you can get a nice tight seal which you need as you want to stop any moisture from the pumpkin oozing out during cooking. Two, you get a nice flat gyoza which makes it easy to fry these instead of steaming. That way you get a nice soft, moist filling contrasting with a crunchy fried and browned gyoza skin. The mango dip could not be easier to prepare. Cut half a large mango into chunks. Add a teaspoon of honey and a tablespoon each of lemon juice and water. Blend everything together and it's done. As I said above, I pan fry these gyoza without any steaming. I turn them and fry about 2 minutes on each side until they are a nice, toasty brown. Serve on a large plate with the mango dip and you've got a really tasty, "Hey, I've never thought of that!" finger food + dip dish for your Halloween party. (And every party after that too!) Is this the sort of thing that gets your taste buds going? If it is, you can find the Youtube tutorial by clicking Pumpkin Gyoza with Mango dip. Or, if text is more your thing, you can find the recipe just below. Happy cooking! Kurumi XXXX. ingredients: (enough for 20 pumpkin gyoza) 160g / 5.5 oz peeled & seeded butternut pumpkin / squash or Japanese kabocha 40g / 1.4 oz onion 1 spring onion 35g / 1.25 oz cheddar cheese 2 tsp sugar 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil salt & pepper 1 tbsp plain flour 20 gyoza wrappers a small bowl of water 2-3 tbsp vegetable oil for frying for the mango dip: 150g peeled fresh mango 1 tsp honey 1 tbsp lemon juice 1 tbsp water how to: roughly chop the butternut pumpkin. put the chunks in a bowl and microwave at 600W for 5 mins, then set aside finely chop the onion halve & slice the spring onion finely chop the cheese into small pieces so it is easily mixed heat 1/2 tbsp of the vegetable oil in a frying pan. fry the chopped onion for about 2 minutes and season with salt & pepper, before setting aside put the cooked pumpkin into a large bowl. mash well and then add the fried onion, cheese, spring onion & sugar. mix everything together well sprinkle 1 tbsp of plain flour onto a large plate. pour a little water into a finger bowl now, take a gyoza wrapper in the palm of your hand. place 1 heaped teaspoon of pumpkin filling in the middle of the wrapper. wet your index finger and dampen the edge of the wrapper with a little water. then, fold the wrapper to make your first gyoza. take care at this point to press any air out of the wrapper when you seal the edges. set the finished gyoza onto the floured plate repeat the above until you have used up all the filling to make the mango dip, put the mango chunks , honey, lemon juice and water into a blender and blend to create your dip. spoon into a serving bowl and set aside to fry your gyoza, heat 2 tbsp of vegetable oil in a frying pan. fry the gyoza about 2 mins on each side. you will need to turn two or three times until the gyoza are lightly browned if you find the pan becomes dry, add another tablespoon of vegetable oil. once you have fried all your gyoza, simply serve on a plate with the mango dip Pumpkin Gyoza

Tenshindon Today, I'm looking at a simple, Japanese comfort food, tenshindon. "Tenshin" is the Japanese name for the Chinese city, Tianjin and "don" is short form for a bowl of rice, hence "tenshindon". If there are any Japanese manga readers out there, you'll know that tenshindon is also called tenshinhan, like the famous character in the Dragon Ball manga series that's named after this dish. Funnily enough, although it's on the menu of every Chinese restaurants in Japan, it is in fact, a Japanese creation. Nobody is sure of the true origin but tenshin-don emerged shortly after the end of World War II and has been popular ever since. Basically, what you see is what you get, an omelette, (sticklers will claim that the omelette must contain crab meat but I prefer it without seafood - and it's cheaper that way!) a thick soy/oyster sauce gravy and hidden underneath, the rice. It's the sort of thing the Japanese eat when they want something quick, nourishing and hearty. Click Tenshindon to see the video tutorial or just scroll to the bottom of the page. The written recipe is just below. Happy cooking! Kurumi XXXX ingredients: (makes 2 servings) 4 large eggs 3 seafood sticks 1 spring onion 1 tbsp mirin salt & pepper 1 tbsp veg oil 400g Japanese rice (cooked weight) for the sauce: 200ml water 1 tbsp sugar 1 tbsp soy sauce 2 tsps oyster sauce 2 tsps japanese rice vinegar 10g frozen peas 1/2 tbsp potato flour how to: shred the seafood sticks with your fingers finely chop the spring onion put the egg, seafood sticks, spring onion, mirin, salt & pepper in a bowl and mix well, then set aside to make the sauce: add the water, sugar, soy sauce, oyster sauce, rice vinegar, peas and potato flour to a pan, heat to a simmer and whisk until the sauce has thickened to make the omelette: heat 1/2 tbsp of veg oil in the frying pan, add 1/2 of the egg mixture to the pan. when the bottom has cooked, turn over and fry until the omelette is firm finally: take 100g of the rice and mold in a small bowl. upturn on a plate, then cover with the omelette. ladle 1/2 the sauce and peas over the top Tenshindon

Japanese Egg Roll / Dashmaki Tamago Here's my latest recipe - Japanese Egg Roll / Dashimaki Tamago - this is much like your standard Tamagoyaki but with dashi stock added to provide a little more savoury flavour and no sugar. The target here is a savoury, soft, almost oozy egg roll with a silky texture and slightly umami flavour - that's why you add the dashi stock. No sugar means this recipe is less sweet (and less calories). The other trick to getting this egg as soft as you can is to remove the - (here comes the technical bit) - chalazae (pronounced cuh-LAY-zee) which are those umbilical type thick cords which anchor the egg yoke to the shell. This tend to be tougher than the rest of the egg white so removing it means you get the softest possible result. If you've made Tamagoyaki before, you'll know that keeping the pan lightly oiled is also key to success. Finally, when your Japanese Egg Roll / Dashimak Tamago is finished, let it cool for 10 mins before you slice it up so that you get a good presentational look. In Japan, this would be a dinner side dish or part of a bento box style lunch - but really, it's great anytime! Are you going to try it out? Then you can find my Youtube tutorial by clicking Japanese Egg Roll/Dashimaki Tamago or scroll to the bottom of the page. The written recipe is just below. Happy cooking! Kurumi XXXX. If you want to try out my standard Tamagoyaki recipe, you can find it here. Japanese Egg Roll / Dashimaki Tamago ingredients: (makes 2 portions) 3 medium eggs 3 tbsp japanese dashi stock 1 tbsp mirin 1 tsp soy sauce 2-3 tbsp veg oil 1 sheet kitchen paper, fold into a small rectangle some cress for garnishing (optional) (in the video, I used a Japanese rectangular frying pan, but you can use a round frying pan as a substitute and still create a great dashimaki omelette. if you get to like making tamagoyaki and you want to invest in a swanky rectangular pan, you can find a very good one here.) how to: break the eggs into a bowl & remove the thick umbilicals from the egg white (so that you can create the silkiest omelette) beat the eggs well, then add & beat in the dashi stock, mirin & soy sauce heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan, then pour the oil into a small bowl with the sheet of kitchen paper for use later pour 1/4 of the egg mixture into the frying pan. let the omelette semi-form, pricking out any bubbles now, use a slice to gently roll the omelette to one end of the pan. then use the kitchen paper to re-oil the pan move the omelette back to the other end and re-oil the pan again pour in a second quarter of the egg mixture, tucking some of it under the existing omelette roll when the fresh. omelette is semi-formed, use the slice again to roll the first omelette over it to one end of the pan oil the pan again and roll the omelette back, then re-oil the pan again repeat the same procedure twice more, using all the egg mixture leave to cool for 10 mins before slicing the omelette with a sharp knife sprinkle with some cress your dashimaki omelette is ready to serve. present as a side dish or part of a bento lunch box or picnic Japanese Egg Roll / Dashmaki Tamago

Classic Natto and Rice I made my latest batch of natto last week & posted a "How to make natto" article on the blog - I hope you liked it if you saw it. Now that I've got a nice stash of the sticky superfood prepared, I'm ready to provide some ideas for how to use it to create some tasty and very healthy dishes. I'm starting with the "classic" way to eat natto - with a bowl of steamed white rice - this is widely eaten for breakfast in Japan but don't let that stop you eating it for lunch or supper! Whenever you do choose to eat natto, it's packed full of protein, iron, minerals, vitamins, dietary fibre and friendly bacteria for your lower gut - it is soooo good for you! What's more, this recipe takes no time at all and is a delicious way to enjoy an authentic Japanese umami flavour - you can serve this dish in two bowls (natto + rice) or pile the natto mix on top of your bowl of rice (like in the picture above). If you want to serve this at dinner set, just add a bowl of miso soup. If you want to do it really old school, then crack a raw egg and a little yellow mustard into your natto and give it all a good mix before piling onto your rice. You can find the Youtube video tutorial by clicking Classic Natto and rice. Why not give it a whirl! Happy cooking, Kurumi XXXX. Ingredients: (2 portions) 100g natto (fermented sticky soya beans) 2g katsuobushi (bonito flakes) - optional 1 spring onion, finely chopped 1/2 tsp mustard 1.5 tbsp soy sauce Natto and Rice