11 Simple Japanese Recipes

There are also many Japanese ingredients used to flavor Japanese dishes that you can find at the grocery store. To build a Japanese pantry, stock up on these ingredients:

1. 1. Soy sauce: Soy sauce, also known as shoyu, is made from fermented soybeans and adds saltiness and flavoring to various Japanese dishes. To properly make Japanese food, use a Japanese-brand soy sauce, such as Tamari; soy sauce made in Japan is milder in flavor than Chinese soy sauce or Korean soy sauce.
2. 2. Miso paste: Miso paste is a fermented bean paste that serves as a key ingredient for miso soup and common base for soup stock. You can also use miso as a flavoring ingredient in salad dressing, sauces, marinades, and as the flavor basis for ramen and other soups and stews. There are different types of miso: such as white miso, yellow miso, and red miso. These different miso have different flavor profiles and saltiness levels due to their different fermentation processes.
3. 3. Dashi: Also known as Japanese soup stock, dashi provides a distinct umami flavor. You can buy ready-made dashi or make your own using kombu (dried seaweed or kelp), dried shiitake mushrooms, and bonito flakes (dried fish flakes).
4. 4. Mirin: Mirin, also known as Japanese sweet rice wine, has a lower alcohol content than sake and is slightly sweet. You can use mirin to add sweetness and acidity to dishes, and as a marinade to tenderize meat.
5. 5. Panko: These Japanese-style bread crumbs are lighter than American bread crumbs. You can use panko as breading for fried foods such as chicken katsu (Japanese fried chicken) or tonkatsu (pork cutlet).
6. 6. Tonkatsu sauce: Tonkatsu sauce is a sweet, sour, and savory sauce. It is a common dipping sauce for tonkatsu, okonomiyaki (Japanese pancake), and omelettes.
7. 7. Japanese noodles: The most common Japanese noodles are ramen noodles, soba noodles (buckwheat noodles), and udon noodles. You can add noodles to a stir-fry, such as in yakisoba, or a soup, such as in ramen.
8. 8. Japanese rice: Rice is another base for Japanese food and often serves as the main starch in a meal. Japanese rice typically refers to short-grain rice. Japanese cuisine also features sushi rice, a combination of rice and rice wine vinegar. Another type of rice, called glutinous rice or sticky rice, is commonly used to make mochi because of its sticky and chewy texture.
9. 9. Matcha: Matcha is a ground powder made from green tea leaves. You can use matcha to make tea or as a flavor base for various Japanese desserts, such as ice cream or mochi.
10. 10. Sesame oil: Sesame oil is made from sesame seeds and adds a nutty aroma to Japanese food. It comes in toasted and untoasted varieties, and you can use sesame oil as a finish for Japanese dishes.

Japanese cuisine features many rice dishes and comfort foods. Some of the most popular Japanese recipes include:

1. 1. Miso soup: Miso soup is a traditional Japanese soup made from a simple combination of dashi stock mixed with miso paste. Different ingredients can be added such as tofu, scallions, and vegetables. Miso soup is considered a staple in Japanese cuisine and is often served with breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
2. 2. Okonomiyaki: Okonomiyaki is a savory Japanese pancake fried on a griddle until both sides are golden brown and finished with various sauces and garnishes. The basic components for an okonomiyaki include a batter made with dashi stock and wheat flour, shredded cabbage, crispy bits of tenkasu (tempura scraps), beaten egg, and grated yam. You can add a garnish of bonito flakes to this common Japanese appetizer and comfort food.
3. 3. Onigiri: Also known as omusubi, onigiri are steamed rice balls that contain a savory filling. The rice balls are typically made from short-grain Japanese rice. The savory rice balls sometimes feature an outer wrapper of nori (dried seaweed) for easier holding.
4. 4. Fried rice: Fried rice is a dish that contains leftover rice, veggies, eggs, and meat fried in a wok or pan. Most Asian countries have their take on fried rice that involves different types of rice and add-ins. In Japan, there are two names for fried rice: chahan and yakimeshi.
5. 5. Bento: A bento box is an all-in-one Japanese meal box containing a variety of small dishes. This meal typically consists of a starch (like rice or noodles), a main protein (such as teriyaki chicken or sushi/sashimi), and assorted vegetable and fruit side dishes.
6. 6. Gyoza: Gyoza are Japanese dumplings, first pan-fried until golden brown and crispy, then steamed, resulting in a tender chew and juicy, cooked filling. Traditionally, gyoza contain a filling of ground pork, green onions, garlic, and occasionally cabbage, but vegetarian versions may feature shiitake mushrooms and other assorted veggies. Gyoza are served with a dipping sauce, usually soy sauce combined with rice vinegar and a bit of rayu/la-yu (chili oil).
7. 7. Yakitori: Yakitori, from “yaki,” meaning grilled, and “tori,” chicken, is a Japanese chicken dish of grilled skewers. To make yakitori, a chef cooks the skewers over a narrow charcoal grill. The meat is cooked until every piece is juicy, flavorful, with the right amount of char. Grilled chicken is often the center of yakitori, but the offerings of a yakitori Japanese restaurant are vast: chicken thighs with scallion (negima), chicken breasts (mune), individually grilled wings (tebasaki), gizzards (sunagimo), bits of crispy chicken skin (kawa), chicken meatballs (tsukune), chicken hearts (hatsu), and chicken livers (reba).
8. 8. Japanese curry: Also known as kare raisu (curry rice), Japanese curry is a dish of vegetables and meat in a thick curry sauce, and served with rice. Japanese curry was influenced by British and Indian cuisine. Curry sauce, made with a mix of spices and a roux, has also found its way into other Japanese foods, including fried rice, ramen, and udon noodles. One of the most popular variations on the dish is katsu curry, which features tonkatsu (pork cutlet) or chicken katsu with curry sauce over rice.
9. 9. Sushi and sashimi: Sushi is a collection of Japanese dishes featuring vinegared rice (sushi rice) and ingredients like raw fish, vegetables, and cooked elements like tamagoyaki (rolled omelet). Sashimi is raw fish or meat, sliced thin and eaten alongside an assortment of garnishes and condiments like freshly grated ginger and wasabi, shredded daikon radish, minty shiso leaves, and a dipping sauce like soy sauce or ponzu. Most Japanese restaurants outside of Japan feature sushi and sashimi.
10. 10. Tempura: Tempura is a Japanese dish consisting of vegetables or seafood lightly battered and deep-fried until crispy. Tempura is typically served with tentsuyu, a dipping sauce made from soy sauce, mirin, and dashi, plus shredded daikon radish and ginger for stirring into the sauce.
11. 11. Mochi: Mochi are Japanese rice cakes made from glutinous rice. Mochi have a chewy texture and can be sweet or savory—savory mochi are typically served with soy sauce. Mochi can also be filled or unfilled. Mochi with a filling are known as daifuku; popular fillings for these mochi dumplings include matcha green tea, anko (red bean paste), black sesame paste, and peanut butter. Mochi is considered a celebratory food, served in the Japanese New Year soup ozoni and in kagami mochi (mirror cakes).

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