Articles for the Month of July 2022

METHOD
1. Make the dashi by dissolving the dashi powder in the hot water and set aside to cool completely.

2. In a large bowl, add the batter ingredients (including cooled dashi) and mix until well combined. Let it stand for 30mins in the fridge.

3. Take out the batter from the fridge and mix in the cabbage until well combined.

4. Heat a large non-stick skillet and add 2T oil. Add half of the cabbage mix (don’t press down) and spread it around into a large disc in the pan. Cover and cook on med-low heat until the bottom is golden (about 10mins). Add in more oil to the pan if necessary then flip the pancake over and cook the other side until golden (5-10mins). Slide onto a serving plate.

5. Drizzle the tonkatsu sauce on top of your okonomiyaki. Be generous and squeeze out the sauce in a tight zig zag motion. Now drizzle Kewpie mayo across the pancake, perpendicular to tonkatsu sauce. You will end up with a lattice of two sauces.

5. Garnish with red pickled ginger, bonito flakes and spring onions.

6. Repeat to make the next okonomoyaki.

Enjoy!

Serves 2

1. Defrost chashu and soup in boiling water for 2 minutes

2. Transfer soup to a small pot and bring to boil.

3. Meanwhile in a different pot, boil noodles for 1 minute

4. Pour soup into a bowl

5. Add in noodles, chashu and seasoned black fungus. 

To pimp up your ramen, we recommend adding menma (seasoned bamboo shoots) and ajitsuke tamago(ramen eggs) and garnishing with with corn, shallots,

1. In a large wok, add 1/4 cup water and a generous pinch of salt and bring to boil. 

2. Add in frozen edamame pods and toss. 

3. Cook the edamame covered on high for 2 minutes.

4. Give them a stir, then cover again and cook for a further 2 minutes.

5. Remove the lid. Cook and toss for a further 1 minute until all the liquid in the wok has evaporated.

6. Add in chopped garlic and toss.

7. Turn the heat down to medium, make a well in the centre of the wok and add in the miso and butter, and chilli oil.  

8. Give everything a toss/stir so that all the pods are coated in the spicy miso butter.

Enjoy! 

Making the rice cake soup is just a matter of putting together all the components.

The meat component:

1. Cook the bulgolgi in a little oil in a non-stick skillet in batches. Cut the beef into more bite sized pieces. Set aside until assembly time.

Prepare the rice cakes:

2. Cook according to packet instructions then divide amongst your serving bowls (I find this amount serves 4-6 people).

Make the egg garnish:

3. Heat a large non-stick skillet, then add 1/2T oil. Swirl the oil in the pan to heat then wipe away with kitchen paper.

4. Pour in egg whites and tilt pan to spread the mix to make a thin white omelette. Cover and turn off the heat.

5. Leave for a couple of minutes to set. When the omelette is set, remove it onto a chopping board and slice into thin strips and set aside. Now repeat again with the egg yolks.

Prepare other garnish and set aside:
7. Peel carrots and slice
8. Wash spring onions and slice on an angle

Finally, make the dashi soup base.
9. Mix sachets of dashi powder with  water
10. Add the dashi powder and carrots to the water in a pot and bring to the boil. Simmer for 1 minute.

Assemble your bowls:
1. Pour dashi soup over rice cakes
2. Add carrots
3. Add beef bulgolgi
4. Garnish with white omelette strips
5. Garnish with red omelette strips
6. Garnish with spring onions
7. Sprinkle sesames onto bulgolgi

1. Lightly sprinkle the eggplant pieces with salt and set aside while you prepare all the other ingredients. Be careful not to over salt your eggplant

2. Add all the sauce ingredients into a medium bowl. Mix to dissolve the sugar and set aside.

3. Dry eggplant pieces with a paper towel and transfer to a dry plate. Heat oil in a wok and deep fry in batches until just cooked. Drain cooked eggplant pieces onto kitchen paper and set aside.

4. Empty wok of canola oil, leaving about 3T oil for the stir fry.

5. Heat wok on medium-high heat and add garlic and chilli. Sauté until fragrant (about 30 seconds).

6. Add in tofu chips and sauté to coat with the garlic and chilli.

7. Add sauce into the wok and stir to heat through.

8. Add okra and sauté to heat through (about 30-60 seconds).

9. Add in eggplant and basil leaves (I also add in the stems for flavour). Gently toss through to allow the sauce to coat all the vegetables.

10. Remove from heat and serve with steamed rice.