Vegan Cooking Online Class Japanese

Serving: 2

Preparation time: 45 minute

Execution time: 45 minute

ZOOM LINK

  • Zoom link on the day https://zoom.us/j/8697696969. If you want to learn more about how to join Zoom meeting here
  • Zoom link for private and corporate class may be different. We will send you a link if required or use your own corporate account. 


HOW WE RUN THE CLASS?

  • Learning by doing! You can start cooking at your own pace before and after actual zoom class because we email ingredient list, recipes and video. 
  • We will answer your question pre and post-class by email or telephone.
  • We recommend you to watch the pre-recorded the video below to understand the recipe before you start making and cooking. We know it might be not easy to find ingredients, and it is better to build up the pantry slowly.
  • In this online cooking class, you are welcome to BYO your wine and beer. However, for safety, please focus on cooking, and enjoy your beverages at the end of class.
  • We recommend for you to measure and put all the ingredients on a dish/tray to be ready to cook. This way, you can enjoy yourself while connecting to others. If you tell us about your dietary requirement, we can suggest some substitute ideas. We will do our best to help you to cook the dishes on the menu.


SPECIAL DIET NOTES 

  • Gluten-free - replace springroll pastry with rice paper rolls - need a plate with water to soften it
  • Vegetarian/ Vegan - you can replace all our meats with tofu or seitan meal. Replace  fish sauce with soy or use salt
  • Dairy-free - Most cases, the recipes doesn't include dairy.
  • Low sodium. Use less fish sauce or salt
  • Kosher. You can use the recipes as a base but use your own version of meats beef or chicken
  • Halal. Our meats are not halal. You can replace with halal versions.
  • No nuts. We don't include any nuts in our meals. 


EQUIPMENT

  • Sharp knife and cutting board 
  • Sturdy sauté pans, a large pot with a steamer setup
  • A set of small bowls for your organizing your ingredients and a few bowls for mixing
  • A rolling pin, spatula, tong, and tablespoons
  • Measuring cups, measuring spoons, and a digital scale

THE MENU

  • Shojin Dashi - Kombu & Shitake Stock
  • Kinoko Miso Shiru - Mushroom Miso Soup 
  • Gohan - How To Cook Japanese Rice 
  • Chirashi Sushi - Colourful Sushi Rice


Ingredients

Shojin Dashi - Kombu & Shitake Stock 

  • 1L cold water
  • 15g dried shiitake mushrooms
  • 10g kombu 

Kinoko Miso Shiru - Mushroom Miso Soup  

  • 700ml cold water
  • 3x3cm kombu (optional)
  • 2 large dried shiitake mushrooms
  • 75g mixed mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 spring onion, sliced thinly
  • 60g soft tofu, diced 
  • 2 TBL red (aka) miso 

Gohan - How To Cook Japanese Rice 

  • 300g Japanese short-grain rice (Koshihikari) 
  • 380ml water 

Chirashi Sushi - Colourful Sushi Rice

  • ½ cucumber, sliced thinly into fans*
  • 4 dried shiitake mushrooms soaked in 500ml water overnight (stems removed & quartered)
  • 150g lotus root, sliced & blanched for 4 minutes
  • 1 bunch broccolini florets, blanched for 1 minute
  • 100g bamboo shoots, soaked in water overnight & sliced
  • 20g shio sakura (salted cherry blossom), soaked in water for 20 minutes
  • ½ carrot cut into blossoms*
  • 8g toasted sesame seeds
  • 1kg of cooked Japanese rice*, still hot (recipe in previous lesson)

 Sushi Su (Vinegar)

  • 50g rice wine vinegar 
  • 30g raw sugar
  • 8g mirin
  • 12g salt

Lotus Root/Broccolini Marinade

  • 200ml shojin dashi 
  • 15g shouyu (Japanese soy sauce)
  • 30g mirin 

Bamboo Shoot Marinade

  • ¼ tsp turmeric powder
  • 30ml rice wine vinegar
  • 60ml lotus root/broccolini marinade*

 Shiitake Poaching Liquid 

  • 200ml mushroom soaking liquid 
  • 20ml soy sauce 
  • 30ml mirin 
  • 15g sugar 

Shojin Dashi - Kombu & Shiitake Mushroom Stock

This stock is a foundational element of Japanese Buddhist cuisine. This is the simplest version of the stock, but it sometimes 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 health. Kombu Kelp is a nutrient-dense food that contains lots of magnesium and numerous anti-oxidants.

Active time - 5 minutes

Total time - 1 hour or overnight

Serves 2-4 - Makes scant 1L 

Ingredients

  • 1L cold water
  • 15g dried shiitake mushrooms
  • 10g kombu 

 Method

  1. Place all 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

  1. Place the water, kombu & mushrooms in a saucepan and bring the water to approximately 70C. Infuse the ingredients together for 1 hour, trying to maintain a constant temperature.
  2. Discard the kombu, and squeeze out the mushrooms to yield as much stock as possible. The mushrooms can be reserved for another use.

Kinoko Miso Shiru - Mushroom Miso Soup

Miso soup is a fundamental aspect of Japanese cuisine. It is traditionally eaten as an accompaniment with any meal of the day. This particular version has deep earthy notes from a blend of dried and fresh mushrooms. Miso has a high concentration of various B & E vitamins, as well as pro and prebiotics.

Serves - 2

Total time - 2 hours

Active time - 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 750ml Shojin Dashi recipes above
  • 75g mixed mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 spring onion, sliced thinly
  • 60g soft tofu, diced 
  • 2 TBL red (aka) miso 

Method 

  1. Cut off the shiitake stems (discard) and thinly slice the mushroom caps, set aside.
  2. Gently heat the prepared broth over medium-low heat until and place the rehydrated and mixed mushrooms into the pot. Gently bring to a simmer for 3-5 minutes, or until the mushrooms are tender.
  3. Divide the tofu and sliced spring onions into serving bowls.
  4. Place the miso in a large ladle and suspend its base over the top of the stock.
  5. Using chopsticks, mix the miso with a little hot liquid to loosen before completely incorporating it into the broth. If you want a smoother textured soup, you can replace the ladle with a small sieve, which will trap any soybean husks. 
  6. To serve, gently ladle the miso soup into bowls filled with tofu and spring onions.

Gohan - How To Cook Japanese Rice

Japanese rice is a short-grain rice that is a little bit stickier, and plumper than other East Asian rice varieties like Jasmine rice. It’s always important to wash Japanese rice a few times before cooking it, to get rid of excess starch. 

Ingredients

  • 300g Japanese short-grain rice (Koshihikari) 
  • 380ml water 

Method 

  1. Place the rice in a large bowl. Fill the bowl up with cold water and mix the rice with your hands to rinse away some of the excess starch. Carefully pour the water out and refill the bowl up with cold water. Repeat the mixing and draining process, rinsing and refreshing the rice 3 times. 
  2. Allow the rice to soak in cold water for 20-30 minutes. Strain the rice through a fine-mesh strainer. Try to shake as much water out of the rice as possible. 
  3. Add the rice to a pot, along with the 380ml of water. Place the pot over medium heat and when it reaches a simmer, put a fitting lid on. Turn the heat down to as low as possible while keeping the rice at a bare simmer. Simmer the rice for 13-14 minutes. Turn the heat off and let it rest for 12-15 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork and serve immediately. 

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 - 4 

Total time - overnight

Ingredients

  • ½ cucumber, sliced thinly into fans*
  • 4 dried shiitake mushrooms soaked in 500ml water overnight (stems removed & quartered)
  • 150g lotus root, sliced & blanched for 4 minutes
  • 1 bunch broccolini florets, blanched for 1 minute
  • 100g bamboo shoots, soaked in water overnight & sliced
  • 20g shio sakura (salted cherry blossom), soaked in water for 20 minutes
  • ½ carrot cut into blossoms*
  • 8g toasted sesame seeds
  • 1kg of cooked Japanese rice*, still hot (recipe in previous lesson)

 Sushi Su (Vinegar)

  • 100g rice wine vinegar 
  • 60g raw sugar
  • 16g mirin
  • 25g salt

Lotus Root/Broccolini Marinade

  • 400ml shojin dashi 
  • 30g shouyu (Japanese soy sauce)
  • 60g mirin 

Bamboo Shoot Marinade

  • ¼ tsp turmeric powder
  • 30ml rice wine vinegar
  • 60ml lotus root/broccolini marinade*

 Shiitake Poaching Liquid 

  • 200ml mushroom soaking liquid 
  • 20ml soy sauce 
  • 30ml mirin 
  • 15g sugar 

Method

To make the cucumber fans

  1. Slice the cucumber lengthwise into 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.
  2. Next, cut and remove the inner core where the seeds of the cucumber remain. Slice the cucumber into chunks with 5-6 of the smaller slices in each piece. Fan out the slices to create a decoration. 

To Make The Carrot Blossoms

  1. Make 4 x 2mm indentation slices, in equal intervals running along the length of the carrot.
  2. 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.
  3. Repeat this 3 more times with the other incisions.
  4. Next, flip the carrot upside down and make the same lateral transitioning to vertical cuts, meeting, once again at the bottom of the incisions.
  5. Now slice the carrot into thin slices, creating little flower shapes. 

For The Sushi Su (Vinegar)

  1. Place the rice wine vinegar, sugar, salt and mirin into a saucepan and bring to the boil.
  2. Stir constantly until all of the sugar and salt has dissolved. Turn off the heat and set aside. 

For The Sushi Rice

  1. Place the rice into a large mixing bowl and pour the sushi vinegar over the rice using a spatula to disperse the vinegar evenly.
  2. Using the side of the spatula in a cutting motion, quickly break up all of the grains of rice, focusing on any portions that remain clumped up. We advise using a folding method while mixing so as not to crush the delicate grains.
  3. Allow the rice to cool to a 40C before using.  

For The Lotus Root & Broccolini Marinade

  1. Place the dashi, soy sauce and mirin into a pot and bring it to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Turn of the heat and allow the marinade to cool slightly.
  2. After blanching and cooling the broccolini and lotus root, place into 2 separate containers and submerge with the warm liquid. Marinate for 4 hours or overnight. 

For The Bamboo Shoots 

  1. Mix all the ingredients for the marinade together with the bamboo shoots.
  2. Marinate for 4 hours or overnight. 

For The Shiitake Mushrooms

  1. Place the mushrooms along with the poaching liquid ingredients in a saucepan.
  2. Bring the ingredients to a simmer over medium-low heat and reduce the liquid until it has evaporated.  

To assemble

  1. Place 200-250g of sushi rice into a wide, shallow bowl and sprinkle sesame seeds over the top.
  2. Lay the vegetables onto the rice, spreading them evenly across the surface, arranging by colour. 

Nasu Miso Itame - Eggplant Stir-fried with Miso

The creamy softness of eggplant paired with the crunchy and vegetal notes of green capsicum make this dish a remarkable pairing with brown rice or other heirloom grains. Miso with a little sake and sugar to balance out its rich and salty taste give this light stir-fry a complex and savoury flavour. 

Serves - 2 

Total time - 20 minutes

Active time - 15 minutes 

Ingredients

  • 300g Lebanese eggplant, roll cut
  • 1 green capsicum, largely diced 
  • 1 TBL vegetable oil
  • 100ml water

Seasoning Paste

  • 30g miso
  • 1 TBL sake 
  • 1 TBL mirin 
  • 1 tsp raw sugar
  • ½ tsp soy sauce 

Method 

  1. In a mixing bowl, combine all the seasoning paste ingredients together.
  2. Heat a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-low heat and add in the vegetable oil. Fry the eggplant gently for 3-4 minutes until it begins to soften a little, stirring occasionally.
  3. Add in the capsicum and stir-fry for a further 2 minutes.
  4. Add in the seasoning paste with the water and simmer until the sauce has thickened and glazes the vegetables. 
  5. Serve as part of a shared meal or as a standalone dish.

 

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