Japaneasy: Classic and Modern Japanese Recipes to (Actually) Cook at Home

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Tempura is one of the greatest ways to cook vegetables in the world, and that goes for pretty much any vegetable. I mean, deep-frying in batter is always a good idea, but I think it's especially nice with fresh veg - the veg itself is essentially steamed, softening but retaining its flavour, with the light crunch of the batter adding the perfect textural complement. You can tempura-fry just about anything, so instead of putting specific vegetables in the recipe, I've just provided a few different types of vegetables and how to best prepare them for the tempura treatment. General Ingredients NOTE! If you're looking in a specialized dictionary or want to see the full results for a specific term, you should input either "japanese" or "english" here. Default value is 500 (milliseconds), which is long enough to not query multiple mirrors and short enough to not notice the delay if you switch over. If you're consistently seeing long load times, try changing the default mirror. With ingredients like tangy miso, savoury shiitake mushrooms and zingy ponzu, to name a few, who needs meat? So if you’re new to veganism, new to Japanese cooking, new to both, or you just want to expand your meat-free repertoire, this is the book for you! Cup the wrapper in your (clean, dry) hand and fold the wrapper over the filling, pressing in the middle to seal.

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Planning a Trip to Japan?

This ramen recipe is from MasterChef champion Tim Anderson. Tim believes cooking Japanese food is a lot easier than people think and he’s written a book, Japaneasy, to prove it! Tim also talks about his time spent living in Japan, how he conquered MasterChef and why it's possible to make the best ever ramen in less than an hour... Fold the sealed side over itself 3-5 times to form an attractive parcel (NOTE: gyoza need not be attractive to be delicious!).

Oil, for deep-frying (about 1.5l/50 fl oz/6. cups, but possibly a little more if you're using a very wide pan). Pour your oil into a big, deep pan - it should be very wide, to accommodate a lot of ingredients, but also deep so the oil doesn't overflow. The oil should be at least 7.5cm (3 in) deep, but it should also come up to no higher than 7.5cm (3 in) below the rim of the pan, to be safe. Set over a medium heat while you make the batter. Oh, and by the way: in Japan it is against the law to enjoy gyoza without beer. That's how well they go together.Fennel: This may seem like an odd choice for tempura, given that fennel's aniseedy flavour isn't usually found in Japanese cuisine, but most of that aroma steams away during frying, so you're left with a sweet, toothsome vegetable with only a subtle scent. Slice them thinly (about 5mm/. in maximum) before frying. If you're not using them immediately, you can keep them wrapped in cling film in the fridge for about 3 days.

Believe it or not, Japanese cuisine, in general, is actually quite vegan-friendly, and many dishes can be made vegan with just a simple substitution or two. You can enjoy the same big, bold, salty-sweet-spicy-rich-umami recipes of modern Japanese soul food without so much as glancing down the meat and dairy aisles. And best of all, it’s super-easy to make! Tomatoes: Maybe this one's obvious, but unless the tomatoes are really firm, they fall apart in the fryer.

Gyoza are fun and easy to make at home, and particularly easy if you can get the wrappers pre-made - they are sold forzen in East Asian supermarkets. Then it's a simple matter of bashing together the filling, assembling and frying. If you can't get the wrappers, it's still not hard, but it will take a little bit more time and effort. Making gyoza is a pleasantly meditative, repetitive task if you make them on your own, but I prefer to make them with a partner. It makes it go faster, and turns it into a fun and sociable experience. At big get-togethers in Japan, it's common to see a group of old ladies sitting around a table, making gyoza and trading gossip. General Ingredients In Vegan JapanEasy, Tim Anderson taps into Japan’s rich culture of cookery that’s already vegan or very nearly vegan, so there are no sad substitutes and zero shortcomings on taste. From classics like Vegetable Tempura, Onigiri, Mushroom Gyoza and Fried Tofu in Dashi, to clever vegan conversions including Cauliflower Katsu Curry, French Onion Ramen and Sichuan-Style Hot and Numbing Tofu with Ancient Grains, you don’t need to be vegan to enjoy these tasty recipes. Add to that some outrageously good drinks and desserts, like the Watermelon Mojito and Soy Sauce Butterscotch Brownies, and you’ll be spoilt for choice! Bell) Peppers: The best peppers for tempura are Padrons, or the similar (but very hard to find) Japanese shishito - just drop them in batter and fry, no need to prep. But ordinary sweet peppers work well, too, cut into chunks or rings. Broccoli and friends: If you're using normal broccoli, break it into florets that are a little bigger than bite-size; if they're too big, they may still be raw and tough in the middle. Or, you can just use tenderstem or purple sprouting broccoli, which are the perfect size and shape as they are. Cauliflower works well, too, and I especially like romanesco.