Your Home for Homemade Japanese Food

How to cook "with visual instructions" "using familiar ingredients from your local grocery stores" healthy, traditional and delicious Japanese dishes!!


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Pumpkin Croquette

Today I introduce you to a simple and healthy vegetable croquette recipe. This time I cooked the croquette in the oven so there is no need to worry about hot oil and messing up a  kitchen. The ingredients are pumpkin (C. maxima), onion and carrot.

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The differences between this recipe and the potato croquette recipe I posted earlier are taste and nutrition. I used C. maxima pumpkin (Kabocha), which is common in Japan. C. maxima pumpkins are especially high in vitamins, potassium, fiber and beta-carotene. They have more of a strong sweet taste than butternut squash, are not soggy and taste very good. So this kind of pumpkin is good for simmering dishes, a traditional style in Japanese cooking.

 *Click picture to link to this product on Amazon*

In this recipe I show you my mother’s original batter for fried dishes. Normally fry-batters are made from flour, egg and panko (bread crumbs). My mother’s batters are an egg mixture (egg, flour and white vinegar) and panko  (bread crumbs). The white vinegar makes the croquette batter very fluffy texture. You can use this egg mixture for any fried dishes such as fried chicken. Please try it!

{Ingredients (12 balls)}
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½ Pumpkin (Kabocha)

1 Onion

1 Carrot

1 Egg

1 Tbsp. Flour

2 Tbsp. water

1 tsp. Rice Vinegar

1 cup Panko Bread Crumbs Japanese Style

3 Tbsp. Olive Oil

½ tsp. Salt

¼ tsp. Black Pepper

Here is my recipe in PDF: Vegetable Croquette


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Now this is what I call a traditional Japanese homemade dish! (Gluten-Free)

Nikujaga (Japanese style Beef-Potato Stew) is a Japanese simmered dish with a sweet-salty seasoning. It is very popular and everybody likes it.

This dish is one of the “Homemade taste” dishes, and in old Japanese traditions women who can cook this kind of simmered dish were considered full-fledged wives.

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Interestingly, in 1878, a person who had beef stew when visiting England explained to a Japanese chef how the beef stew tasted, and the chef cooked it using his imagination. Eventually that’s where Nikujaga came from. That’s why the ingredients are similar to beef stew.

This is Dashi Dried Kelp I used for Kelp Dashi Stock.
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In Japanese simmered dishes, Dashi stock is the most important thing to add Umami to the dish. I used Kelp Dashi stock this time because I wanted to bring out the flavor of the ingredients. Please see the post on Kelp Dashi stock as a reference.

{Ingredients (servings 2)}
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½ lb. Beef (sliced meet)

1 Potato

1 Carrot

1 Onion

1 ½ cups Kelp Dashi stock
(Recommended Dried Kelp for Dashi stock) Dashi Dried Kelp

2 Tbsp. Cooking Sake

3 Tbsp. Soy Sauce REDUCED SODIUM [Gluten Free] (Organic)

2 Tbsp. Mirin Sweet Cooking Rice Wine

1 tsp. Sugar

Chopped Green Onion to taste

Here is my recipe in PDF: Beef-Potato Stew

Here is “Kelp Dashi stock” recipe in PDF: Kelp Dashi stock


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Heal your stomach with healthy Ginger Soymilk Soup after big dinner. (Gluten-Free)

This Ginger Soup is my mother’s original recipe. The ingredients are ginger, garlic, soy milk, onion, carrot and so on. Because of this, the dish makes you warm, helps your digestion, improves immunity, and speeds up your metabolism. I used to have the dish when I didn’t feel well. The dish has great flavor and incredible taste.

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The nutrition in Napa cabbage is similar to that in regular cabbage, but it is lower in carbohydrate and calories than cabbage. Napa cabbage has Isothiocyanate, so it is good for digestion.

Importantly, Napa cabbage is an ingredient essential for Buddhist cuisine. Buddhist cuisine is a dish for Buddhist monks who are forbidden from eating meat and fish (Mahayana Buddhism). There are several detailed rules for cooking Buddhist cuisine.

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For example:

Using the following in one meal.

5 cooking methods : Raw, Simmer, Bake, Fry, Steam

5 seasonings: Sweet, Acid, Salty, Gingery, Bitter

5 colors: Red, White, Green, Yellow, Black

In Buddhist cuisine the focus is on the minimum nutrition necessary for a human being. The goal is to not take too much energy and nutrition, and to be grateful for all life on earth. Recently, people on a diet or who have been  fasting tend to eat Buddhist cuisine after finishing the diet or fast, because it is easy on the stomach and healthy. We can have real Buddhist cuisine in some temples so it is popular with foreigners too.

Japanese healthy diets are based on Buddhist cuisine. On my site, there are some dishes that reflect Buddhist cuisine.

Enjoy this healthy ginger vegetable soy milk soup!

{Ingredients (2 servings)}

1 tsp. minced Garlic

½ tsp. grated Ginger

⅓ Napa Cabbage (7~10 leaves)

1 Onion

1 Carrot

2 Tbsp. minced Parsley to taste

¾ tsp. Salt

1 cup chicken stock

2 cups Soy Milk

Here is my recipe in PDF: Ginger Soup


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Japanese Savory Pancake

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Okonomi-yaki (Japanese-style savory pizza pancake) is a traditional, well loved, representative cuisine from the west part of Japan (Kansai region). The recipe is very simple. It includes a baking mixture of flour, water, vegetables, shellfish, meat and so on.

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In Japan there are many festival days in summer and many food stalls sell Okonomi-yaki (and usually have long lines because it is so delicious). These stalls cook it on a big cast-iron pan.

This dish is very delicious and easy to cook. It also has a lot of nutrition in one plate, so it was my family’s regular dinner on Sunday, and my father used to cook (this means very easy to cook because my father couldn’t cook anything else)

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My mother always added ground dried anchovy to the mixture to add an anchovy Dashi stock flavor and fabulous nutrition such as calcium and DHA. You can put ground dried anchovy in most dishes to make the dish healthier. It works for omelets, soups, salad dressings, casseroles, pasta, and so on. Dried anchovy adds a slightly salty taste, so it doesn’t bother your dish’s balance. It is easy to grind dried anchovy with food processor (and we can get it at most Asian markets in the US).

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In my recipe, I use “Japanese Sweet Ginger Beef” in the Okonomi-yaki dish. This makes the dish taste great and flavorful. Please see the “Japanese Sweet Ginger Beef” recipe to learn how to prepare the beef.

{Ingredients (2 servings)}

1 ⅓ cups Water

1 ½ cups Flour

½ Cabbage

¼ cup Anchovy Dried Iwashi Fish

4 Eggs

4 Tbsp. “Japanese Sweet Ginger Beef

Here is my recipe in PDF: Japanese Savory Pancake

Here is “Japanese Sweet Ginger Beef” recipe in PDF: Japanese Sweet Ginger Beef


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Healthy Japanese Sweet Ginger Beef (Gluten-Free)

Japanese Sweet Ginger Beef is popular around my hometown area, the Kansai region, which is in the west part of Japan. It is also popular in the Kyushu region.

The seasonings are soy sauce and sugar, and I also use ginger to get rid of the beef smell and to make the dish flavorful so it is salty-sweet. It is a typical traditional, but incredible tasty, Japanese dish like Teriyaki!!

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We use fibrous beef meat for the dish which is called beef shank in English (Number 12 in the picture). Shank meat is high in good protein, vitamin B12, and vitamin K. it is also low in fat and cholesterol. The meat is hard by itself, but when it is simmered slowly, it becomes very tender and flavorful, and it makes great beef broth too!

This dish takes a little bit of time to prepare, but it is easy and simple. You can use this sweet ginger beef as an ingredient in salad, pizza, hamburger, and so on.

Enjoy this healthy beef dish!

{Ingredients (2 servings)}

½ lb. Beef Shank

8 slices Ginger (total)

¼ cup Soy Sauce REDUCED SODIUM [Gluten Free] (Organic)

¼ cup Cooking Sake

4 cups plus ⅔ separate cup water

1 Tbsp. Sugar

2 Tbsp. Mirin Sweet Cooking Rice Wine

Here is my recipe in PDF: Japanese Sweet Ginger Beef


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Sukiyaki (Gluten-Free)

Sukiyaki is a Japanese dish popular with foreigners. There is a famous song that can be heard all over the world named “SUKIYAKI,” which is a cover of a Japanese song (actually, the song name is different in Japan). The ingredients for Sukiyaki are beef, tofu, Napa cabbage, green onion and so on. The soup is salty-sweet. It is definitely delicious.

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When beef prices were high after WW Ⅱ in Japan, Sukiyaki was also treated as a high-grade dish. Nowadays that is how Sushi is viewed. Usually we use thinly sliced beef which can be chuck, rib, rump or round roast. If you can’t find thinly sliced beef in a grocery store, please buy a tender cut and slice by yourself because you can get great beef flavor and texture with Sukiyaki soup.

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In Japan, traditionally Sukiyaki is served with raw egg. The egg makes the Sukiyaki taste mild and adds a great texture. This, however, is up to each person’s taste. I like eating Sukiyaki itself without the egg, but my husband enjoys it with the egg.

Enjoy this popular and delicious Sukiyaki dish!!

{Ingredients (2 servings)}

½ lb. Beef (sliced meat)

⅓ Napa Cabbage (7~10 leaves)

½ blocks (7 oz.) firm Tofu

8 scallions

¾ cup Soy Sauce REDUCED SODIUM [Gluten Free] (Organic)

½ cup Sugar

½ cup Cooking Sake

Here is my recipe in PDF: Sukiyaki


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Steamed Chicken (Gluten-Free)

Today I introduce you to a very easy, delicious and healthy recipe called Mushi-dori (Steamed Chicken). You can use this steamed chicken as an ingredients in your salad, soup, noodles, and so on. Of course, you can also eat it as dish by itself and goes well with any kind of sauce.

This is a popular Japanese dish. Also, it is similar to Chinese and Thai steamed chicken, although the seasonings are different.

For this dish I recommend using chicken breast because of texture, flavor and health benefits.

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I steam the chicken breast with ginger and cooking Sake. Ginger is very nutritious and healthy. It helps our blood flow, helps speed up our metabolism, and blocks the oxidation process in our bodies. Also, ginger is very flavorful and helps rid the meat of its chicken smell.

Also, in this recipe I show you a famous sauce for steamed chicken called Goma-dare (Sesame sauce). You can also use this sauce for Shabu-Shabu (boiled, thinly sliced beef).

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This is White Roasted Sesame Seeds I used in this recipe.

Sesame is also very nutritious. It is high in minerals, vitamins, fiber and protein. The most important ingredient in sesame is Lignan which is an antioxidant. Lignan helps liver function and cholesterol depletion. It is good for our health to take 1 Tbsp. of sesame per day.

{Ingredients (Serves 2)}
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1 lb. Chicken Breast

¼ cup Cooking Sake

¼ cup water

1 tsp. grated ginger

[Sauce]

1 Tbsp. leftover juice of chicken

1 Tbsp. Soy Sauce REDUCED SODIUM [Gluten Free] (Organic)

1 Tbsp. Sugar

1 Tbsp. Miso Soyabean Paste

1 Tbsp. Rice Vinegar

1 Tbsp. Mirin Sweet Cooking Rice Wine

1 Tbsp. White Roasted Sesame Seeds

½ Tbsp. Pure Sesame Oil

Here is my recipe in PDF: Steamed Chicken


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Savory Egg Custard (Gluten-Free)

Chawan-mushi (Savory egg custard) is a dish in which eggs, various ingredients and Dashi stock are steamed together. It has a very smooth texture, great flavor and wonderful nutrition because the ingredients are steam cooked in the egg custard/Dashi stock mixture in a closed steamer so the taste, flavor and nutrition are condensed in the dish.

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Recently, people have started using the microwave for cooking Chawan-mushi because it is quick and easy, but I think the taste and texture are very different so I use a steamer. It takes a little bit more time but it is the best!

I used shiitake mushroom and chicken breast in this recipe. It is high in vitamins, has great protein, and also is low in calories.

Chawan-mushi has a delicate flavor and amazing texture. It is very delicious! Please cook it and taste it!

{Ingredients (Serves 2)}

3 Eggs

4 oz. Chicken Breast

2 pieces Dried Shiitake Mushrooms

2 ½ cups Water (leftover from soaking shiitake mushrooms)

2 tsp. Mirin Sweet Cooking Rice Wine

4 tsp. Soy Sauce REDUCED SODIUM [Gluten Free] (Organic)

¾ tsp. Salt

2 tsp. Cooking Sake

Here is my recipe in PDF: Chawan-mushi


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Creamy Chicken Stew

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Japanese stew is based French stew, but adapted for Japanese tastes. We cook stew a lot in the winter. The two main types of Japanese stew are creamy white stew and beef stew.

Today I introduce you to Creamy Chicken Stew. Japanese usually cook stew with thick white roux.

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But we can also cook with margarine, flour and soy milk to make the dish healthier. You can use butter and milk instead of margarine and soy milk.

This recipe is similar to Chicken Pot Pie recipe. So I am sure you will like cooking and tasting this stew.

The ingredients are taro, onion, carrot and chicken breast. Here, you can use potato instead of taro and chicken thigh instead of chicken breast if you prefer. However, Taro’s gruel, which is a result of mucin, makes the stew’s consistency rich and helps with digestion.

It is great to have during the cold winter months!!

{Ingredients (Serves 2)}

½ lb. Chicken Breast or Thigh

1 Carrot

1 Onion

4 Taros

2 Tbsp. Margarine

3 Tbsp. Flour

½ tsp. Salt

¼ tsp. Black Pepper

1 ⅓ cups Chicken Stock

1 ¾ cups Soy Milk

Here is mu recipe in PDF: Creamy Chiken Stew


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Teriyaki Chicken (Gluten-Free)

Teriyaki chicken is one of the most famous Japanese foods.

The recipe is very easy to prepare and does not take a lot of time! Of course, it is very delicious!

Also, you can use the recipe to make fish teriyaki or Tofu teriyaki. So once you see this recipe, you can make any kind of teriyaki!

The seasonings used are soy sauce, sugar, Mirin (sweet cooking rice wine) and cooking Sake. We use these 4 seasonings a lot in Japanese cooking. You can get soy sauce and sugar at most grocery stores in the US. You can get Mirin and cooking Sake at many grocery stores or at any Asian market. You can use inexpensive Japanese Sake instead of cooking Sake if you are unable to find cooking sake. Mirin is a sweet cooking rice wine that adds Umami and a nice sweet taste to dishes.

Enjoy your Teriyaki!!

{Ingredients (Serves 2)}
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1 lb. Chicken Breast or Thigh

2 tablespoons plus 1 separate tablespoon Cooking Sake

2 tablespoons Soy Sauce REDUCED SODIUM [Gluten Free] (Organic)

2 tablespoons Mirin Sweet Cooking Rice Wine

1 teaspoon Sugar

2 tablespoons Vegetable Oil

½ tablespoon Baking Soda

1 teaspoon salt

½ cup water

Here is my recipe in PDF: Teriyaki