III  　Japanese dishes

1.      Introduction

We want to introduce some dishes that are eaten in Japan. There are many kinds of dishes in Japan, so we'll introduce only a few. But we will feel happy if you come to understand Japanese dishes.

We'll show you “Home cooking”,  “Single-life cooking”, and “Seasonal dishes.”

 First of all, “Home cooking” is what you call the taste of home. Typical home cooking includes curry and niku-jaga, and we get our mother to make these dishes. They have individual family tastes too, and when we eat our family meals, we feel nice.

Next, we want to introduce “Single-life cooking”.  These are dishes that Japanese college students often make.  When they came back their apartment, they feel it troublesome to cook, so they get by without homemade dishes. But they sometimes make some dishes so that they do not become undernourished.

 Lastly, we'll introduce some seasonal dishes. In Japan, people make a lot of dishes that use the vegetables from certain seasons. We want to introduce two of these typical dishes here.

2.      　Introduction of recipes

(1) Home cooking: Curry, Niku-jaga

#Curry is a dish that is loved all over the world .  Of course, it is eaten in Japan, and differs among families.  So I want to introduce just one recipe here.

How to make Curry　

・     Ingredients (for four)

Shin of beef・・・・・300g
Onion・・・・・・・・3
Garlic・・・・・・・・１clove
Salad oil・・・・・・a tablespoon
Curry powder・・・・・half tablespoon
Potato・・・・・・・・two
Carrot・・・・・・・・one
Curry roux

1. Cut the Onions into thin slices.

2. Heat the Salad oil in a pan, add onions, and fry.

3. Add the chopped beef, and stir-fry, add some salt, pepper, and garlic. Then add the water, and mix.

4. Put a lid on the pan, and boil at high heat for 20 minutes until the water is boiling.

5. Add the chopped potato and carrot, and boil once again.

6. Remove the lid when the vegitables become tender, add the curry roux, and boil for about four or five minutes until thick and creamy.

 

#Next, I’d like to tell you how to make Niku-jaga.  This dish is yummy, especially when the potatoes and carrots are cut big, so we do not get tired of their taste.

How to make niku-jaga.

・     Ingredients (for four)

Chopped beef・・・・・200g
Potato・・・・・・・・5
Onion・・・・・・・・2
Carrot・・・・・・・・1/2
Noodles made of devil's toungue・・・・a ball
Soy sauce・・・・・・a tablespoon
Sweet rice wine・・a tablespoon 
Sugar・・・・・・・・half tablespoon
Water・・・・・・・・a cup
Salad oil・・・・・・two tablespoon

1.Peel the potatoes and cut them into bite sizes. Let potatoes soak, then drain them.

2.Chop the onion, cut the Carrot in round slices.

3.Boil the noodles made of devil's toungue for 2〜3 minutes .

4.Put the oil into a pan, add the onion, and fry quickly. After that, add the beef and fry it all again.

5.Add the noodles made of devil's toungue and fry. Add the potatoes and carrots, and mix.

6.Add the water, soy sauce, sweet rice wine. And boil it.

7.Put the pan on, and fry for 4〜5 minutes.

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(2) Single-life cooking: Omlet with Rice, Chinese fried-rice with natto, Nimono, Stir-fried vegetables

Omlet with rice   This dish is popular with young people.

・Ingredients (one serving)　　　　　　・Prepared Ingredients

egg(2)                               Break two eggs into a bowl and beat thoroughly.
chicken(50g)                         Cut chicken into small cubes.
1/2 onion                            Onion and sweet pepper, cut into tiny pieces.
1 sweet pepper
boiled rice(250g)
butter(10g)
ketchup (4 tablespoons)
salt
pepper
salad oil

・Directions

1.  Heat oil and butter in a pan and roast chicken , onion and sweet pepper.

2.  After the chicken is roasted , add the ketchup and boiled rice.

3.  Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour into a bowl.

4.  Heat oil in a　pan and cook the eggs.

5.  Wrap the baked eggs around the rice. Add ketchup to taste.

Chinese fried rice with natto    It is easy to cook, and a heavy dish.

・Ingredients (one serving)　　　　　　・Prepared Ingredients

natto                               　　　　　　　  Carrot and green onion , cut into tiny pieces.
carrot                                   
green onion
boiled rice(250g)
salad oil
soy sauce

・Directions

1.  Heat oil in a pan and fry carrot , green onion and natto.

2.  Add boiled rice and fry more.

3.  Add say sauce to taste.

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Nimono・・・This dish is one of the most homey of Japanese dish.　　　　　　　　　

      Ingredients (1serving)

● 50 grams chicken thigh meat
● 40 grams boiled bamboo shoots
● 10 grams carrot
● 1/4 block devil's toungue
● a Japanese broth, sake, sweet sake, soy sauce…as much as one likes

Process:
�@Cut meat into bite sizes.

Cut bamboo shoots and carrot at random,.

  Cut devil's toungue into bite sizes, and add it to boiling water briefly to remove odor.

�AHeat pan with oil in it, fry the meat.

  Put vegetables and konnyaku in the same pan, fry them.

  Add water to cover all, more or less.　

�BWhen it comes to a boil, add Japanese broth. And skim the surface, reduce heat and add sake and sweet sake.

Continue to boil until soup evaporates to 1/3 of total.

Add soy sauce, boil briefly.


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Stir-fried vegetables…This dish suits an active life. It is very simple.

Ingredients (1serving)

● 3〜4 large pieces of cabbage
● a pack of soy bean sprouts
● a bunch of leeks
*Please use vegetables of the season or your favorite vegetables.
● 30 grams of pork
● salt, pepper…to taste

     Process

�@     Cut meat into bite sizes. Tear cabbage at random and cut leeks. Rince soybean sprouts well.

�A     Heat a pan with oil in it, fry meat. Add all the vegetables and fry until they are soft.

�B     Add salt and pepper to taste, fry them briefly.

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(３)Seasonal dishes: Summer (Thin Japanese noodles), Fall (Taro soup)

�@ Imoni party

Imoni (taro soup) is a Japanese dish that is made for everyone to enfoy together, mainly in winter. It is cooked in the open air by many people, so there is no particular recipe. We first make a fire on a riverbank. And we add taro, devil's toungue, tofu, and carrots, anything we like in a big stewpot, and cook. Generally, we season it with miso, and soy sauce. Yaminabe-is a mixed stewpot made with whatever people bring. An Imoni party is a big event, because a great many people can enjoy it.  It is often held by elementary schools and junior high schools.

�A Soumen

 Cool Soumen-Thin Japanese noodles are very popular in the terribly hot summers of Japan. We are easily able to make it. Somen is boiled, and we just dish it up in a Japanese colander made of bamboo. It is eaten by dipping it in soup. If garnished with ice, it makes for a nice, cool summer dish.

People sometimes lose their appetite in heat, and might lack nourishment. So I want to recommend this dish.

３Conclusion

 Have you come to understand Japanese cooking a little better? These are only examples. I have more recipes I want to introduce. We have pride in traditional cooking. If you are interested in Japanese cooking, I’d be glad if you actually try it. Be sure to challenge yourself, and enjoy!

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