Japanese Dorayaki

Dorayaki is a traditional Japanese cake with anko sweet beans filling. It's said that dorayaki is named after its shape which resembles dora (gong). It's good to make dorayaki on an electric pan so that cakes turn evenly brown.
Photo Tutorial: How to Make Dorayaki

Ingredients:

3 eggs
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
3 Tbsp water
1 cup all purpose flour, sifted
3/4 lb anko (sweet azuki bean paste)
*vegetable oil for frying

How To Make:

Put eggs and sugar in a bowl and whisk very well. Dissolve baking soda in water. Add the water in the egg mixture. Add sifted flour in the egg mixture gradually. Heat a skillet or hot plate and lightly oil it. Pour a scoop of the batter into the skillet and make a small pancake. (*about 3-4 inches in diameter.) Turn over when bubbles appear on the surface. Repeat this process to make 8-10 pancakes. Cool the pancakes. Make pairs of pancakes and put a scoop of anko sweet beans between them.
*Makes 4 or 5 dorayaki cakes.

Daigakuimo

Daigakuimo (college potato) is a traditional Japanese sweet which is sugar coated deep-fried sweet potato.
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 lb satsumaimo sweet potato, cut into bite-size pieces
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp water
1 tsp sesame seeds
*Vegetable oil for frying

How To Make:

Heat oil in a deep pan and deep fry sweet potatoes at 350 degrees F until cooked through and golden. Drain on paper towels.
Mix water, sugar, and soy sauce in a large skillet.
Put on midium-low heat and simmer until the liquid thickens.
Stop the heat and quickly stir fried sweet potatoes into the sugar sauce.
Sprinkle sesame seeds over the sugar coated sweet potatoes.

Daifuku

Daifuku is a kind of Japanese mochi cakes. Serve daifuku with hot green tea. You can make various daifuku, changing the filling. This is a recipe to make basic daifuku with anko filling.

Prep Time: 2 hours
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes

Ingredients:

1 cup shiratama-ko (glutinous rice flour)
1/4 cup sugar
2/3 cup water
*For filling
2/3 cup water & 1 cup sugar & 1/2 cup dried anko powder, or 1 1/4 cup premade anko
*katakuriko (porato starch) for dusting

How To Make:

Heat 2/3 cup of water and 1/2 cup of sugar in a small pot. Add 1/4 cup of anko powder and stir well. Cool the anko filling. Make 12 small anko balls and set aside. Put water and sugar in a heat-resistant bowl and mix well. Add shiratama-ko flour in the bowl and mix well. Put the bowl in microwave and heat the dough for two minutes. Stir the dough. Heat the dough in microwave until the dough inflates. Stir the mochi quickly. Dust a flat pan with some katakuri-ko starch. Also, dust hands with some katakuri-ko. Remove the hot mochi from the bowl to the pan by hands. Dust hands with more katakuri-ko starch and divide the mochi into 12 pieces by hands. The mochi is hot and sticky, so be careful not to burn your hands. Make 12 flat and round mochi. Put a piece of anko filling on a mochi and wrap the anko by stretching mochi. Rounds the daifuku. Repeat the process to make daifuku cakes.
*Makes 12 daifuku.

Coffee Jelly

A variety of flavored jelly are popular in Japan, and this is a simple jelly made with coffee.
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

2 cups coffee
1 Tbsp gelatin powder
2 Tbsp sugar
*whipped cream for topping

How To Make:

Mix gelatin powder and 4 Tbsp of water in a small cup.
Put coffee, sugar, and the gelatin in a sauce pan.
Stir well on low heat until sugar and gelatin dissolves.
Strain the mixture and pour into serving cups or containers.
Cool them in the refrigerator until set.
Top with some whipped cream before serving.

Azuki Shiratama - Japanese Dessert

Shiratama is a kind of Japanese dumplings. Chilled dumplings are served with sweet azuki beans.

Ingredients:

1 2/3 cup shiratama-ko (glutinous rice flour)
1/2 - 2/3 cup water
1 1/2 cup anko

How To Make:

Put shiratama-ko in a bowl. Add water slowly until the dough becomes as soft as earlobes. Knead the dough. Make small oval-shaped dumplings. Boil water in a large pan and add the dumplings. Boil the dumplings until they float. Remove the dumplings and cool in cold water. Drain the water and serve dumplings in individual plates and put anko (sweet azuki beans) on the top.
*Makes 4 servings

Japanese Anmitsu Dessert

Anmitsu is a traditional Japanese dessert made with kanten (agar agar) jelly, fruits, and anko (sweet azuki bean paste). An indicates sweet azuki bean paste, and mitsu means syrup in Japanese.
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

*For kanten jelly:
1 2/3 cup water
1/2 stick kanten
6 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
*For syrup
1/4 cup water
2/3 cup sugar
2 Tbsp lemon juice
*For toppings
1/3 cup anko
fruits slices, such as peaches or oranges

How To Make:

Soak kanten in water for one hour. Squeeze and tear the kanten into small pieces. Put 1 2/3 cup of water in a medium pan and put on low heat. Add kanten pieces and sugar in the pan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring well. Strain the liquid and pour in a flat container and cool to firm. Mix 1/4 cup of water and 2/3 cup sugar in a sauce pan and heat to dissolve the sugar. Add lemmon juice in the syrup and cool. Cut kanten jelly into small cubes. Serve kanten jelly and fruits into individual bowls. Pour syrup over the ingredients and top with anko.

Anko (tsubu-an)

Anko is sweet azuki bean paste which is often used to make various Japanese sweets. This is a type of anko called tsubu-an. Tsubu-an contains skins of azuki beans.

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 45 minutes

Ingredients:


1/2 lb. or 1 1/3 cup azuki beans
2 cup Japanese Johakuto (white sugar), or 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar *adjust the sweetness to your preference
1 tsp salt

How To Make:

Put lots of water in deep pot. Soak azuki beans in the water overnight. Heat the beans on high heat and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat to medium and simmer beans for about 10 minutes. Drain the beans. Put the azuki beans in the pot again and add about four cups of water. Heat the azuki and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat to low and simmer the azuki beans for about one hour, or until softened. Drain the liquid from the pot. Add sugar and salt in the beans. Stir and simmer beans until thickened. Stop the heat and cool the anko.

Spicy Tuna Roll

It's a sushi roll made with seasoned tuna sashimi.

Ingredients:

4 cups sushi rice
4 sheets nori (dried seaweed)
1 Tbsp white sesame seeds
1/2 lb sushi/sashimi grade tuna (maguro)
1 Tbsp mayonnaise
1/2 tsp togarashi (chile powder) *adjust the amount to your preference.

How To Make:

Chop sashimi/sushi grade tuna and mix with mayonnaise and togarashi. Put a nori sheet on top of a bamboo mat (makisu). Spread sushi rice on top of the nori sheet. Sprinkle sesame seed on top of the sushi rice. Place the tuna mixture lengthwise on the rice. Roll up the bamboo mat, pressing forward to shape the sushi into a cylinder. Press the bamboo mat firmly and remove it from the sushi. Cut the rolled sushi into bite-sized pieces.
Makes 4 rolls

Tuna Salad Roll

It's a sushi roll made with tuna salad. It's good to make your favorite tuna salad and use as the filling.

Ingredients:

4 cups sushi rice
4 sheets of nori (dried seaweed)
1 Tbsp finely chopped onion
2/3 cup canned tuna
1 Tbsp mayonnaise

How To Make:

Mix chopped onion, tuna, and mayonnaise in a bowl, or mak tuna salad as you like. Put a nori sheet on top of a bamboo mat (makisu). Spread sushi rice on top of the nori sheet. Place the tuna salad horizontally on the rice. Roll up the bamboo mat, pressing forward to shape the sushi into a cylinder. Press the bamboo mat firmly and remove it from the sushi. Cut the sushi roll into bite-size pieces.
* If you prefer it to be spicy, add some karashi mustard in the tuna salad.
Makes 4 rolls.

Tekkamaki - Tuna Rolls

Tuna sushi rolls are called tekkamaki in Japanese.

Ingredients:

4 cups sushi rice
4 sheets of nori (dried seaweed), cut in half
4 oz sashimi/sushi-grade tuna

How To Make:

Cut tuna into thin and long sticks. Put a nori sheet on top of a bamboo mat (makisu). Spread the sushi rice on top of the nori sheet. Place tuna horizontally on the rice. Roll up the bamboo mat, pressing forward to shape the sushi into a cylinder. Press the bamboo mat firmly and remove it from the sushi. Cut the rolled sushi into bite-sized pieces.
*Makes 8 rolls

Kappamaki - Cucumber Rolls

Cucumber rolls are called kappamaki in Japan. It's one of the most popular sushi rolls and is easy to make.

Ingredients:

4 sheets of nori (dried seaweed), cut in half
4 cups sushi rice
2 Japanese cucumber, cut into long sticks

How To Make:

Put a half-size nori on top of a bamboo mat (makisu). Spread about a half cup of sushi rice on top of the nori. Place cucumber sticks horizontally on the rice. Roll up the bamboo mat, pressing forward to shape the sushi into a cylinder. Press the bamboo mat firmly with hands. Unwrap the bamboo mat. Cut the sushi roll into bite-size pieces.
Makes 8 rolls

Futomaki - Thick Sushi Roll

Futomaki are thick sushi rolls which includes various fillings. They are also known as fat rolls.

Ingredients:

4 cups sushi rice, prepared
1 Japanese cucumber, sliced lengthwise into quarters
2 eggs
2 tsp sugar
1 ounce kampyo
2/3 cup dashi soup stock
3 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp mirin
4 sheets of nori (dried seaweed)

How To Make:

Wash and soak kampyo in water for an hour before cooking. Cut softened kampyo into about 8-inch-long pieces. Put dashi soup stock, sugar, mirin, and soy sauce in a medium pot. Put it on medium heat and bring to a boil. Add kampyo in the pot and simmer on low heat until the liquid is almost gone. Cool it. Meanwhile, prepare sushi rice. Beat eggs and sugar in a small bowl. Make a rolled omelet and cool. Cut it into long sticks. Put a sheet of nori on a bamboo mat. Spread 1 cup of sushi rice on top of the nori sheet. Place the fillings horizontally on the rice. Roll up the bamboo mat, pressing forward to shape the sushi into a cylinder. Press the bamboo mat firmly and remove it from the sushi. Cut the rolled sushi into bite-size pieces. See how to make a sushi roll.
*Makes 4 rolls

California Roll

California roll might be one of the most popular sushi rolls. Since typical sushi rolls are rolled in nori seaweed, many people tend to have hard time to bite sushi rolls. This is one reason that california rolls are made inside-out, so it's easy to bite.

Ingredients:

4 cups sushi rice
4 sheets of nori (dried seaweed)
1 avocado
3/4 cup crab meat
2 Tbsp mayonnaise
1/2 tsp salt

How To Make:

Peel an avocado and cut it into strips or mash it. Put imitation crab in a bowl and mix with salt and mayonnaise. Cover a bamboo mat with plastic wrap. Put a sheet of dried seaweed on top of the mat. Spread about 1 cup of sushi rice on top of the seaweed and press firmly. Sprinkle sesame seeds over the sushi rice. Turn the sushi layer over so that the seaweed is on top. Place avocado and crab horizontally on the seaweed. Roll the bamboo mat forward, pressing the ingredients inside the cylinder-shaped sushi. Press firmly the bamboo mat with hands, then remove the rolled sushi. Cut the sushi roll into bite-size pieces.
Makes 4 rolls

Chirashizushi - Scattered Sushi

Chirashizushi is known as scattered sushi and is served on plates or bowls with colorful toppings. It's often cooked for celebrating special occations, such as festivals, birthdays, and so on. You can use your favorite sushi toppings. For example, boiled shrimp, salmon roe, squid, and sea urchin are popular ingredients.

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups Japanese rice
(1/4 cup rice vinegar, 2 Tbsp sugar, 1 tsp salt)
3 eggs and 1/2 Tbsp sugar
1 cucumber, julienned
1/2 lb sashimi/sushi-grade tuna slices, marinated in 2 Tbsp of soy sauce and a little bit of wasabi (if you would like)
8 dried shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated in 2 cups of warm water *keep the water for cooking
( 1 Tbsp soy sauce, 1 Tbsp sugar, 1 tsp mirin)
2 oz imitation crab, shredded
2 Tbsp white sesame seeds

How To Make:

Prepare sushi rice. Remove stems from shiitake and slice thinly. Heat 2/3 cup of the water used for rehydrating shiitake in a medium pan. Add shiitake and soy sauce, sugar, and mirin. Simmer shiitake on low heat until the liquid is almost gone. Set aside. Beat eggs in a bowl and add 1/2 Tbsp of sugar. Oil a medium skillet and pour a scoop of egg mixture and make a thin omelette like a crape. Make a few sheets. Cut the omelettes into thin strips. Serve sushi rice on a large plate or individual bowls. Spread simmered shiitake, cucumber, imitation crab meat, and omelettes strips over rice. Place tuna sashimi on top. Sprinkle sesame seeds. Serve pickled ginger on the side.
*Makes 4-6 servings

Inarizushi

Inarizushi is known as brown bag sushi. Sushi rice is packed in seasoned aburaage (fried tofu) pouches. Inarizushi is easy to eat, so it's often put in a bento lunch box.

Ingredients:

*For sushi rice:
1 1/2 cup Japanese rice
1 2/3 cup water
3 Tbsp vinegar
1 1/2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp white sesame seeds
*For cooking aburaage
6 abura-age (deep fried tofu)
1 cup dashi soup stock
2 1/2 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp mirin
2 Tbsp soy sauce

How To Make:

Start cooking rice. Put aburaage into boiling water for a moment to remove the excess oil. Drain and dry with paper towels. Cut the aburaage in halves so that each piece has an open end. Put dashi soup stock, sugar, mirin, and soy sauce in a pan and bring to a boil. Add aburaage in the pan and lower the heat. Put a lid and simmer until the liquid is alomost gone. Stop the heat and let them cool for a while. Mix rice vinegar, sugar, and salt in a sauce pan. Put the pan on low heat and heat until the sugar dissolves. Cool the vinegar mixture. Spread the hot steamed rice into a large plate or a large bowl. Sprinkle vinegar mixture over the rice and fold the rice by shamoji (rice spatula) quickly. Mix sesame seeds in the sushi rice. Wet your hands and make small mounds of sushi rice. Take a piece of aburaage and lightly press to remove the excess liquid. Open the pouch and stuff a mound of sushi rice inside. Fold in the open side to close the pouch.
*Makes 12 pieces