JAPANESE COOKING 

Jan May-Sep

Chirashi Sushi- Colourful Sushi Rice
Yaki Ganmodoki - Pan-fried Tofu Cakes 
Kenchin-Jiru- Root Vegetable Stew
Horensou Goma Ae-Spinach in Sesame Sauce 
Tsukemono (Seasonal Japanese pickles)

🍚 Chirashi Sushi- Colourful Sushi Rice

🍘Yaki Ganmodoki- Pan-Fried Tofu Cakes

🥣 Kenchin Jiru - Root Vegetable, Miso Stew

 🌿 Hourensou Hakusai Maki- Cabbage and Spinach Rolls with Sesame Miso Sauce 

 🌿 Hourensou Hakusai Maki- Cabbage and Spinach Rolls with Sesame Miso Sauce 

These light and refreshing rolls fully represent the impressionist qualities of Japanese cuisine. They are subtly creamy with liveliness and lightness. Sesame-miso is a sauce used prevalently in Japanese Buddhist cuisine. Rich in healthy fats, fiber and proteins, sesame oil nutritionally helps the body absorb the antioxidant-rich spinach and Chinese cabbage. The miso adds a depth of flavour and an injection of pro and pre-biotics. 

Serves: 2

Active time: 20 minutes 

Total time: 20 minutes 

INGREDIENTS  

• 8  leaves wombok or Chinese cabbage, 

• 1 bunch (300g) English or Korean spinach, washed 

Goma Ae- Sesame Miso Dressing:

• 3 tbsp sesame paste

• 3 tbsp miso

• 5  tbsp shoujin dashi stock 

• 1/2 tsp soy sauce 

• 2 tsp sugar 

• For garnish:1 tsp toasted sesame seeds 

METHOD: 

1. Combine all the ingredients of the sesame dressing together in a bowl, whisking together until everything is uniform and homogenous. 

2. Prepare a pot of boiling water and an ice bath. Holding the spinach by the leaves, gently lower just the stem part of the spinach into the water. Hold it here for about 30 seconds to give the stems a head start in cooking. After 30 seconds, drop the rest of the spinach into the boiling water and give everything a stir. Cook the bunch of spinach for 30 seconds and remove immediately into the ice bath to cool. 

3. Next, boil the leaves of wombok for 1-2 minutes until they have softened. Cool in the ice bath immediately. Drain them, and spread them across a tray lined with tea towels to dry. 

4. Once the spinach is cool, squeeze out some of the excess water, and spread it across a large tray line with tea towels. Roll up the tea towels with the spinach inside and gently squeeze the roll to further drain the spinach of more water. 

5. Place a few leaves of the wombok across the surface of a maki-su (a Japanese, bamboo, sushi-rolling mat). Place a line of the blanched spinach in a row in the center of the wombok. Use the bamboo mat to roll the vegetables into a tight log. Unravel the bamboo mat, leaving the vegetables to remain in a tight roll. Cut the cabbage and spinach rolls into 6 pieces. Arrange them on a plate, drizzly a few large spoons of the sesame-miso sauce over top. Garnish with a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds. 

🥣 Kenchin Jiru - Root Vegetable, Miso Stew 

This stew was said to have been created several centuries ago, Kencho-ji in Kamakura, the first Zen Buddhist temple in Japan. The story follows that one day, one of the monks was carrying a plate of tofu, slipped and fell, smashing the brick of tofu on the ground. Because the ground was kept meticulously clean, the tofu was added to the soup following the Zen principle of reducing waste and sharing materials equally. 

INGREDIENTS  

• 100g firm tofu, drained, pressed in a towel, cut into 1.5x1.5cm cubes or crumbled. 

• 70g konnyaku (devil’s tongue yam), boiled hot water for a few minutes and cut with a spoon into chunks

• ½ (70g) carrot, sliced into thick quarter moons, boiled for 6 minutes 

• ⅓ (70g) daikon radish, sliced into thick quarter moons, boiled for 6 minutes

• 1 (150g) taro potatoes, peeled and roll-cut, steamed for 25 minutes 

• 2-3 (30g) dried shiitake mushrooms, reserved from dashi stock, quartered

Seasoning:

• 500ml shojin dashi

• 1 tsp sesame oil 

• 1 tbsp shouyu (Japanese soy sauce) 

• 1 tbsp mirin 

• 1 tbsp miso 

• 1 tbsp sake 

• ¼ tsp salt

To garnish: 

• Sprinkle of sansho powder for garnish 

• 30g spring onions, sliced 

METHOD

1. Heat a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-low heat. Place 1 tbsp of the sesame oil into the bottom of the pan. Add in the taro potatoes and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add in the carrot, daikon radish, shiitake mushrooms, and konnyaku, and stir-fry for an additional 1-2 minutes.  

2. Place the shojin dashi into the pan and turn the heat up to medium.  

3. Add in the shouyu, sake, and salt, and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add in the tofu and simmer for another 5-7 minutes or until the liquid has reduced a little bit and the root vegetables have softened. 

🍚 Chirashi Sushi- Colourful Sushi Rice

In Zen Buddhism, the significance of the number 5 carries many unique and symbolic meanings. Buddhist thought evokes that there are 5 principle elements: earth, water, air, fire and space. The number 5 also represents the 5 Precepts, or Buddhist moral codes of conduct, such as not engaging in violence, false speech or covetousness. These are represented in the 5 symbolic colours of this dish: white, black, green, yellow and red(orange). 

Serves: 2

Preparation time: 40 minutes

Execution time: 20 minutes 

INGREDIENTS  

• 300g shari

• ¼ cucumber, sliced thinly* see below

• ½ avocado, sliced 

• ½ carrot *see below

• 8g toasted sesame seeds 

For the Broccolini Marinade: 

• 1 bunch broccolini, top parts only, blanched in boiling water for 1 minute 

• 200ml shojin dashi 

• 15g Japanese soy sauce 

• 30g mirin

• 1/4 tsp salt 

For the Lotus Root marinade: 

• 50g lotus root, sliced, blanched in boiling water for 4 minutes

• 60ml shojin dashi 

• ¼ tsp turmeric powder

• 30ml rice wine vinegar 

½ tsp Japanese soy sauce

• ½ tsp salt 

shiitake poaching liquid: 

• 4 dried shiitake mushrooms, reserved from dashi, stems removed, quartered 

• 50ml shojin dashi 

• 20 ml soy sauce 

• 30ml mirin 

• 1 tsp sugar 

METHOD

1. To make the cucumber fans, slice the cucumber into lengthwise quarters. Using a very sharp knife, angle the knife upwards a little so that when you slice it isn’t completely touching the board and make numerous, very thin slices into the cucumber. Next, cut out and remove the inner core where the seeds of the cucumber remain. Slice the cucumber into little sections with 5-6 of the smaller slices on each piece. Fan them out to create a cute little decoration.

2. To make the carrot blossoms, make four 2mm slices, in equal intervals, running along the length of the carrot. Then, make 4 lateral slices starting 3mm to the right of the initial cut, moving from lateral to vertical, and sloping to meet the bottom point of your first lengthwise cut. Repeat this 3 more times with the other incisions. Next, flip the carrot upside down and make the same lateral transitioning to vertical cuts, meeting, once again at the bottom of the incisions. Now slice the carrot into thin slices, creating little flower shapes. 

3. crush the delicate grains of rice. Allow the rice to cool to around 40C before using. 

4. To prepare the broccolini marinade, place the shojin dashi soy sauce, and mirin into a pot and bring it to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Blanch the broccoli by boiling it for 2 minutes in boiling water, or by frying it for 1 minute. Immediately, place them into a container and pour enough warm liquid over top until they are both submerged. Let them marinate for 1 hour or overnight. 

5. To prepare the lotus root: mix together all of the ingredients for the marinade with the bamboo shoots and lotus root and allow them to marinade together for an hour or overnight. 

6. To prepare the shiitake mushrooms, place them along with the mushroom poaching liquid ingredients in a saucepan. Bring the ingredients to a simmer over medium-low heat and cook until the liquid has nearly entirely evaporated. 

7. To assemble: Place 180-200g of sushi rice into a wide, shallow bowl. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top. Layer the vegetables onto the rice, spreading them evenly across the surface, dividing the vegetables by colour. 

🍘Yaki Ganmodoki- Pan-Fried Tofu Cakes

The key to these dumplings is making sure to press as much water out of them as possible. Wrap the bricks of tofu in between tea towels and place a plate and a weight on top of them. You can substitute any vegetable into the center, but be careful not to introduce too much water to the mix.

Serves: 2

Preparation time: 20 minutes 

Execution time: 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS  

• 200g firm tofu, drained well

• 10g shio kombu, salted kelp butter butter 

• 10g miso 

• 30g carrot, julienned

• 1 tbsp potato starch 

• 30g broad beans, peeled, lightly blanched 

• ¼ tsp salt 

• For frying: 500ml vegetable oil 

METHOD

1. Wrap the block of tofu in a tea towel. Place a plate on top of it, and weigh it down with at least 2kgs applied on top. Allow the tofu to rest like this for 1-2 hours to remove as much moisture as possible. 

2. Combine all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl. Using a fork, mash the tofu until it has crumbled quite finely. Divide the mixture into 4 equal portions and shape it into patties. 

3. Prepare a sauce pan and fill it with oil. Heat the oil over medium-low heat until it reac.  hes 180C. Fry the patties for 3-4 minutes, turning over half way through or until the outer skin is an even golden brown. Remove from the oil, drain on paper towel and season the top of the patties with a small pinch of salt. 

🍶Amazu Ankake- Sweet and Sour Sauce 

This sweet and sour sauce pairs well with fish, and or lightly fried foods. 

Serves: 2 

Preparation time: 5 minutes 

Execution time: 5 minutes

INGREDIENTS 

• 470ml shoujin dashi 

• 60ml rice wine vinegar 

• 30g sugar

• 40 g soy sauce

• 1 tsp potato starch 

• 1 tbsp water 

METHOD

1. Place all of the ingredients, except for the potato starch and water into a small saucepan.

2. Heat the mixture to a simmer.

3. Meanwhile, mix the potato starch and water in a small, separate container. 

4. Using a whisk, slowly incorporate the potato starch-water into the simmering liquid, until it thickens to a gravy-like consistency. Place a small dollop of the sauce on each ganmodoki. 

🍄 Shojin Dashi- Kombu and Shiitake Mushroom Stock 

This stock is a foundational element of Japanese Buddhist cuisine. This is the most simple version of the stock, but it sometimes also contains other ingredients like dried or fresh daikon radish, or dried eggplant. Compounds contained within shiitake mushrooms are known to boost immunity, fight cancer and improve heart help. Kombu Kelp is a nutrient dense food which contains lots of magnesium and numerous anti-oxidants.

Active time: 5 minutes

Total time:1 hour 

Serves: makes scant 1L 

INGREDIENTS 

• 1L cold water

• 6g dried shiitake mushrooms 

• 2g kombu 

METHOD 

Either: place all of the ingredients in a container and refrigerate overnight. The next day, discard the kombu, and squeeze out the mushrooms to yield as much stock as possible. The mushrooms can be reserved for another use. 

OR: Place all of the ingredients in a sauce pan and bring the water to around 70C. Simmer the ingredients at around 70C for 1 hour. Discard the kombu, and squeeze out the mushrooms to yield as much stock as possible. The mushrooms can be reserved for another use. 

🍶Sushi Su- Rice Vinegar Seasoning

Preparation time: 2 minutes

Execution time: 5 minutes 

Serves: makes 1 batch of sushi rice (180ml)

INGREDIENTS 

• 100g rice wine vinegar

• 70g sugar

• 25g mirin

• 16g salt 

• 4g kombu (optional)

METHOD

1. In a small saucepot, heat all ingredients except the kombu, stirring constantly until all the sugar and salt dissolve.

2. Add in the kombu and let steep for 1 hour. Discard the kombu. 

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🍚 Shari- Sushi Rice

Preparation time: 30 minutes 

Execution time: 10 minutes 

Makes: 12 rolls 

INGREDIENTS 

• 600g koshihikari- Japanese short grain rice 

• 675g-700g water

• 180ml sushi su 

METHOD

1. Place the rice in a mixing bowl and rinse it under cold water, swishing it around with your hands. Dump out the cloudy, starchy water and fill the bowl up again. Rinse and repeat 2 times until the water runs semi-clear. 

2. Pour enough cold water over the rice to submerge it by at least 4cm and let it rest for 30 minutes. Drain the rice in a colander suspended above a bowl and allow it to rest for 20 minutes.4.) 

3. Place the rice in a rice cooker with 675g of water or place it into a covered sauce pot with 675g of water. 

4. Cook the rice in the rice cooker for 35 minutes. Alternatively, place a saucepan over medium heat and bring it up to a boil. When the liquid starts to boil, place the lid on, turn down the heat to low and simmer the rice for 13-14 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the rice to rest for 10 minutes with the heat off. 

5. Remove the rice cooker pot from the rice cooker and turn the rice out into a large mixing bowl. Season the rice with the sushi su, pouring it over the rice and using a wooden spatula to disperse it, by sprinkling it all over. Mix the sushi rice, using the side of the wooden spatula to ‘cut’ the rice. Once the rice has cooled to around 40c. Cover it with a damp towel and keep it in an insulated container like an esky. 

6. Prepare a bowl of water for dipping your hands. To form the maki sushi, place 1 sheet of the nori seaweed on a cutting board, rough side facing up. Wet your hands in the water and grab 85g of the seasoned sushi rice. Spread the rice all over the surface of the the nori, leaving a 1cm gap at the top. 

7. Flip the nori over so that the rice is touching the cutting board. Add a smear of wasabi on the nori. 

8. Layer your salmon and fillings in an even row in the centre of the nori. Use a maki su, or bamboo matt to roll up the contents of the sushi, and cut the roll into 6 pieces.