Classic Japanese Recipes You Should Know - Are You a Slow Cooker or a Quick Fixer?

【Classic Japanese Recipes You Should Know】

Here, under the theme of "Basic Japanese Cuisine You Can Make at Home," we will cover three dishes: Nikujaga, Teriyaki Chicken, and Tempura.

• For the meticulous (elaborate authentic recipes)

• For the easy-going (quick and easy recipes)

We will introduce two methods for each!

Choose according to your household schedule and mood.

 

1. Nikujaga – The King of Japanese Home Cooking

◆ Elaborate Authentic Recipe (Serves 4, about 60 minutes cooking time)

Ingredients

• Thinly sliced beef  300 g (preferably with more fat)

• Potatoes (Danshaku)  3 pieces (450 g)

• Onion  1 piece

• Carrot  1 piece

• Shirataki noodles  1 pack

• Green beans  8 pieces

• Dashi stock  400 ml (carefully made with kombu and bonito flakes)

• A: 3 tbsp soy sauce, 3 tbsp mirin, 2 tbsp sugar, 2 tbsp sake

Instructions

1. Prepare kombu dashi, remove kombu just before boiling, add bonito flakes → simmer for 1 minute and strain.

2. Cut beef into bite-sized pieces, parboil shirataki noodles to remove odor.

3. Cut potatoes into large chunks, onions into wedges, and carrots into half-moons.

4. Lightly oil a pot and heat on medium. Stir-fry beef → onions in order, add remaining vegetables and shirataki noodles once meat changes color.

5. Add dashi stock, skim off scum, cover with a drop lid and regular lid, simmer on low-medium heat for 20 minutes.

6. Add A, cover again with a drop lid, and simmer for 10-15 minutes until potatoes are tender.

7. Finish by adding diagonally sliced green beans for 1 minute. Turn off heat and let it rest for 10 minutes to absorb flavors.

Tips

• Use a drop lid to prevent breaking and ensure even flavor.

• Resting time recreates the "next day flavor."

◆ Easy Recipe (Serves 2, about 20 minutes cooking time)

• 150 g chopped beef, 2 small May Queen potatoes, 1/2 onion, 1 cup frozen mixed vegetables

• 1 dashi pack + 250 ml water

• 3 tbsp mentsuyu (3x concentrated), 2 tsp sugar

Steps: Put all ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl, cover loosely with plastic wrap. Microwave at 600 W for 10 minutes → stir and microwave for another 5 minutes. Add 5 g butter for richness. Minimal knife and pot use!

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2. Teriyaki Chicken – The Key is the Sweet and Savory Sauce

◆ Elaborate Authentic Recipe (2 chicken thighs, 30 minutes cooking + marinating)

1. Marinade: 3 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp sake, 2 tbsp mirin, 1 tbsp honey, 1 tsp ginger juice.

2. Cut tendons in chicken thighs, poke holes with a fork, marinate skin-side down for 30 minutes.

3. Heat a frying pan on medium, cook skin-side first → press with a weight until crispy. Wipe excess fat with paper.

4. Flip the meat, cover, and cook on low heat for 6-7 minutes.

5. Combine marinade with chicken juices, add to pan, and boil on high until glossy, spooning sauce over the chicken.

6. Rest before slicing. Coat with leftover sauce, garnish with shredded leek, and serve.

◆ Easy Recipe (1 chicken thigh, 10 minutes cooking)

• Use 3 tbsp of store-bought "Yakitori Sauce."

• In a frying pan, cook chicken skin-side for 2 minutes → flip for 2 minutes → remove excess fat, add sauce → simmer on low-medium for 3 minutes.

• Finish with a pat of butter for richness and shine. No knife needed, one-pan dish!

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3. Tempura – The Golden Ratio for Crispy Batter

◆ Elaborate Authentic Recipe (Serves 4, about 45 minutes cooking time)

Batter: 200 ml cold water, 1 egg yolk, 100 g cake flour, 1 tbsp potato starch (mix 80% with chopsticks, not a whisk)

Example ingredients: 8 shrimp, 4 whiting, 8 slices of pumpkin, 2 eggplants, 8 shishito peppers

1. Pat ingredients dry and lightly coat with flour.

2. Prepare batter just before use, keep cold with ice water.

3. Oil at 170°C (root vegetables) → 180°C (seafood) for two-stage frying.

4. Remove as soon as the surface crisps and colors, drain oil.

5. Tempura sauce: 200 ml dashi + 2 tbsp mirin + 2 tbsp soy sauce, bring to a boil. Serve with grated daikon.

◆ Easy Recipe (Serves 2, about 15 minutes cooking time)

• Mix 100 g store-bought tempura flour + 160 ml cold water in a bowl, use frozen mixed seafood & thinly sliced vegetables in bite-sized pieces.

• Heat 1 cm of oil in a frying pan to 170°C, fry on both sides for 2-3 minutes each.

• Serve simply with coarse salt + matcha salt. Minimal washing and oil disposal.

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Japanese cuisine has the charm of deepening in flavor through the steps and ingenuity in preparation.

"Today, I want to cook thoroughly," "Today, I want to finish quickly"—use these recipes according to your daily mood.

May your table be one that fills both your heart and stomach.