Number of steps:  3 steps
Time taken: 10-15 min

About This Dish:
Mochi, mochi, mochi. My favourite word and food. I whipped this dish up for my father who was craving for an "otsumami" with his sake and beer. In the fridge, I had a potato, so I used that! It turned out to have a great texture, very mochi like. I put in some butter and cheese so the taste is something an adult or child will love. You can make a ton of it and freeze it for future use.

What You Need:
(For 6 mini jaga-mochis)

• 1 medium to large potato
• 2 tbsp of potato starch (I guess corn could work too?)
• Pinch of salt
• 1 tbsp butter (or margarine)
• Cheese (however much you like)

Number of steps:  5 steps
Time taken: 10 min to prepare, 25 min in the oven

About This Dish:
I love pork or chicken katsu but we all know that it can be unhealthy since it's deep deep fried. So since I love the crunchiness of the bread crumbs that is the result of deep frying, is there a way to replicate that? The answer is Yes! I found a bunch of recipes out there which made chicken/pork katsu WITHOUT deep frying. 

We will pop it in the oven instead. Absolutely no oil used in this recipe! You can also use this recipe for chicken or pork katsu. If you are using thicker meat, adjust the time in the oven appropriately.

What You Need:
(4 chicken katsu fillets)

• 4 thin chicken fillets
• Bread crumbs/Panko
• All purpose flour
• 1 egg (Use as much as needed)
• Salt & pepper

Number of steps:  3 steps
Time taken: 10 min
Approx. 120 kcal per serving

About This Dish:
 Though I've been attending school for the last 4 years in the United States, I still have no clue on how to celebrate Thanksgiving...We ended up ordering a "Thanksgiving dinner package for 2" at Whole Foods. Delicious, and it lasted us 2 days. 

With the mountain of sweet potatoes in my fridge, I decided to make this Japanese snack, "Daigaku-imo". Deep fried sweet potato coated with sugar (or honey). Some people eat it as a snack, some eat it as a side dish for dinner. All up to you :) The crunch and the softness which comes after is just something you must try. According to Wikipedia, this dish is called "University-potato" since it was a trending snack near Tokyo University in the Taisho period.


What You Need:
(2 serving, plenty to share between two)

• 1 large sweet potato or 2 small ones
• 1.5 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• Oil for deep frying
• Pinch of sesame seeds

Number of steps:  3 steps
Time taken: 10 min
Approx. 220 kcal per serving

About This Dish:
It's fall in Boston and all I see at supermarkets are pumpkins, sweet potatoes and more potatoes! This recipe uses sweet potato and transforms it into a savoury side dish which will make you crave for Japanese rice. "Kin-pira" is a cooking style which involves sautéing and simmering a vegetable (most commonly lotus root, carrot, tofu or seaweed) with soy sauce and mirin. The potato ends up being slightly crunchy, just hard to resist for another batch!

What You Need:
(2 serving, plenty to share between two)

• 1 large sweet potato (around 200g or 0.4lb)
• 1/2 tbsp sugar
• 1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp sake (or mirin)
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• Sprinkle of sesame seeds

Number of steps:  5 simple steps
Time taken: 3 min to prepare ,marinate for 2 hours or overnight, and 40 min in the oven
Approx. 300 kcal per 6oz (large) drumstick

About This Dish:
I recently bought chicken drumsticks at Trader Joes for $2.50! It came with 5 large drumsticks totaling to 1.88lb. So what did I do with them? I made Japanese style tandoori chicken drumsticks! I can't emphasize enough how EASY this was. It took me 3 minutes to mix the ingredients, I left it to marinate overnight, and then I put it in the oven for 40 minutes while I did some yoga. It came out absolutely DELICIOUS. My boyfriend and I finished ALL drumsticks for lunch. Since I marinated it overnight, I could taste the amazing seasoning even in the center of the drumstick.

What You Need:
(For 5 or 6 large drumsticks, mine were 6oz each)

• 5 or 6 large chicken drumsticks
• 300g (or around 1 cup) of plain yogurt 
• 1/2 tbsp of salt
• 1/2 tbsp of pepper
• 3 tbsp of curry powder
• 1 tbsp of soy sauce
• 3 or 4 tbsp of Japanese sake
• 1 tsp of grated garlic
• 1 tbsp of chili powder or chili 

Number of steps:  10 simple steps
Time taken: 20-30 min 
Approx. 100kcal per patty

About This Dish:
Tofu hamburgs are healthy, filling and are easy to make! Most of all, you can saran wrap each one and store them in the freezer and eat it for lunch and dinner whenever you want. Drizzle some homemade teriyaki sauce on top of these patties and serve with rice and veggies. 

What You Need:
(Makes 7 patties)

• 1/2 lb Ground chicken 
• 1 tofu (I bought the medium firm tofu at Trader Joes)
• 1/2 onion
• 1/2 - 1 tbsp of grated or chopped ginger 
• Salt and pepper to taste
• (optional) Garlic, 1 egg in the mix to hold all the ingredients better (if you want)

Teriyaki sauce

• 2.5 tbsp Japanese soy sauce
• 2 tbsp Japanese sake
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 - 2 tbsp mirin

Number of steps:  9
Time taken: 20-30 min 
Approx. 170kcal per korokke 

About This Dish:
Japanese korokkes are said to have a great influence from French croquettes. French croquettes are known to have cream inside, but original Japanese croquettes have potato and ground beef inside. My first impression was "Wow, it's deep frying stuffed potato and meat, it must be so hard". After trying it out few nights ago, I realized that it was VERY easy to make, even though it involves deep frying. 

Many Japanese families get creative with their korokkes. Though the original korokke is known to be potato with ground beef, some make it with cream + bits of crab, yakisoba, veggies, tofu, cheese, the list goes on. This recipe is the original potato and ground beef filling! Additionally, there are korokke stands in Japan selling these goodies. I used to get 1 korokke after school and eat it in the winter while walking to the station. If serving at home, eat it with rice and cabbage with katsu sauce! Yum! 

What You Need:
(Makes 8 korokkes; suggested 2 korokkes per serving)

• 2 large potatoes
• 100g (1/4 lb) ground beef or less *Keep in mind that the potato is the leading actor here! 
• 1 small onion 
• 1 tbsp of milk
• 1 tbsp of soy sauce
• Pinch of salt and pepper

Batter

• Breadcrumbs/Panko (start off with half a bowl) 
• All purpose flour (start of with half a bowl) 
• 1 egg (add more if you run out)
• Oil (for deep frying)

Number of steps:  6
Time taken: Prep for 5 min, in the oven for 15-20min.
Approx. 350kcal per serving

About This Dish:
One great thing about this dish is that it is mess-free. All the cooking is done in the foil in your oven! All you have to do is throw in the salmon and your favourite veggies and drizzle the heavenly miso-mayo sauce on top. Salmon is affordable in Japan  and is loved by many. Many Japanese people cook salmon using their own fish grill at home but of course that could get boring at times. To be creative and different this method of cooking is used! 

What You Need:
(Makes 2 serving)

• 2 salmon fillets (Mine weighed a total of 0.72lb)
• Mushrooms 
• Veggies (However much you want as well, I recommend onions, asparagus, spinach, spring onions...) 
• 1.5 tbsp Japanese Kewpie Mayo (Available at Shaws, Japanese market, Amazon)
• 2 tsp Japanese Miso (Available at Japanese market, Amazon)
• 2 tsp mirin (Available at Shaws, Japanese market, Amazon)
• Salt and pepper
• (Optional) Japanese sake, butter

Number of steps:  6
Time taken: Approx. 5 min
Approx. 200 kcal per serving

About This Dish:
If you're bored of your regular scrambled eggs, you should definitely try "nira-tama", chives and eggs. Many Japanese moms make this in the morning since it's so easy to make but still so tasty! Goes great with rice (I love rice with natto), Japanese mayo and miso soup! 

What You Need:
(Makes 1 serving)

• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup of raw chives (Honestly, however much you want!) 
• 1/2 - 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp Japanese sake
• (Optional) You can add sugar, mirin, sesame oil etc. Be creative :)

This donburi (rice bowl) was so easy to make I'm not even going to post step by step pictures! I have a bunch of frozen rice in my freezer so I used that which makes the process even quicker! 

Number of steps:  4
Time taken: Approx. 5 - 10 min

What You Need:
(Makes 1 bowl)

• 100g of thin sliced meat (I used beef, just put in as much meat as you like)
• Bowl of rice (I used brown rice)
• 1 egg
• Vegetables (I only used cabbage)
• (sauce) 2 tbsp soy sauce 
• (sauce) 1 tbsp sake or mirin
• (sauce) 1 tbsp sugar
• (optional for the sauce) shredded garlic, shredded onion, sesame oil

Steps:

1. Cook or heat up the rice and put it in a bowl you will be eating from.
2. Heat up a pan on MEDIUM HIGH and place a table spoon of oil. Once the pan and oil is heated, throw in the slices of meat and cook until the colour changes. Then, add the ingredients of the sauce.  Adjust the amount of sauce according to your taste. Mix until the sauce reaches throughout and put it all on top of the rice.
3. Now, using the same pan, fry the egg! Place oil on the pan again, drop the egg, drop a couple of droplets of water onto the egg and put a lid on the pan. Flip the egg once it is fried enough and cook it for 1 minute or so. Place it on top of the meat! 
4. Using the same pan, fry the vegetables! You can even steam your veggies if you are looking for a healthier option. 

Number of steps:  7
Time taken: Approx. 30 - 40 min
Approx. 250kcal per serving (this recipe makes approximately 2 servings)

About This Dish:
Today I was stuck at home because of Sandy the hurricane, so I ended up making this Japanese homemade winter dish! This is also a type of comfort dish where every family has a distinct taste; some families might make it a strong taste using more soy sauce where some might make it more light. It's eaten with rice and miso soup (and other veggies like salad of course). Yes, I guess we love carbs. This plate is more potatoes than anything else so don't kill it with too much meat! 

What You Need:
(Makes 2 servings)

• 1/3 pound of thin sliced beef or pork (I used beef and put of it, around 15 slices maybe?)
• 1 large potato
• 1/2 onion (I used red onion but it's usually regular onions)
• 7 baby carrots 
• 1/2 - 1 pack of shirataki noodles (They sell these at wholefoods or shaws, click here to see what the packaging looks like) 
• 2 cup water
• 1 tbsp Japanese sake
• 1/2 tsp of hondashi 
• 1/2 - 1 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tbsp mirin (adjust to your taste, I ended up putting in 1 tbsp)
• 1 tbsp soy sauce (adjust to your taste, I ended up putting in 1.5 tbsp)

Number of steps:  6
Time taken: Approx. 15 - 20 min
Approx. 30 calories per potsticker (~7-10 potstickers should be 1 serving)

About This Dish:
Originally from China, gyozas are super easy to make and you can get as creative as you want in regards to the ingredients you put in. In Japan, we pan fry potstickers! The majority of Japanese people LOVE gyozas since it goes so well with beer. Of course, kids like it too. It goes so well with white rice! You'll find so many restaurants which specialize in making great gyozas in Japan, but it's a popular meal to make at home too. I've used ground chicken and shrimp to get this amazing chewiness and juiciness :D

What You Need:
(Makes around 30 gyozas)

• 1/4 pound of ground chicken 
• 20 little shrimps (I use the frozen ones)
• Handful of chives (I got mine at Shaws)
• A lot of shredded cabbage (Feel free to put in as much veggies as you want!)
• 1 piece of ginger (I used chopped ginger)
• 1 clove of garlic (I used minced garlic)
• 1 tbsp of soy sauce
• 1 tbsp of sake
• 1 tbsp of sesame oil
• Gyoza wrappers (I buy them at the asian store or Wholefoods)

Number of steps:  6
Time taken: Approx. 10 minutes

About This Dish:
Here is another comfort dish for many Japanese people. Every Japanese family has their own distinct recipe for this dish. Depending on which area the family is originally from this dish may taste very strong, or some families may keep it simple. Either way, I can confidently say that every family cherishes this dish! It's simple to make, but so fulfilling and delicious! This recipe is one which is simple, easy to make and has a strong taste. Feel free to experiment!

What You Need:
(Serves 3-4 people)

• 300-400g or a little less than 1 pound of thin sliced pork (You could also use pork cut into small cubes, it's all your preference. Most families use thin sliced pork)
• 1/2 large onion 
• A tiny bit of all-purpose flour
  

For the sauce

• 1 slice of ginger or 2 tbsp of grated ginger
• 4 tbsp of soy sauce (preferably Japanese soy sauce of course)
• 4 tbsp of Japanese sake or regular white wine
• 2 tbsp of Japanese mirin 

Number of steps:  5
Time taken: Less than 10 minutes
Aprrox. 70-140 kcal per onigiri depending on how large you make it.

About This Dish:
History
Japanese rice balls which are called "onigiris" has been and still is a very popular staple food. Every convenience store has them for $1-$1.50 each while there are more premium onigiri stores which sell it for more than $4 per onigiri. The history of onigiri goes back to the Yayoi period (300BC-300AD)! It became a staple food after the war where a majority of the Japanese population started to eat it as a meal though it was only eaten by warriors before. 

Importance
There are so many ways of making onigiris. Extreme people treat it as a piece of art (for example, caring about the way the rice is cooked, which salt to use and to how the rice it touched) but this recipe is for people who eat onigiris casually. The most important thing to remember when making any type of onigiri is to put love and warmth into it when placing the rice into your hands. Onigiri is a comfort food in Japan; it has a sentimental and nostalgic element to it, even reminding many of their mothers or grandmothers. 

What You Need:
(for 4-5 medium sized onigiris)

• 3 cups of cooked rice (I like using brown rice, but any rice is fine!)
• A couple tea spoons of salmon flakes (you can buy them at a Japanese supermarket or easily make it yourself using this recipe)
• Couple sheets of dry seaweed
• Salt
• (Optional) Sesame 
  
  

Related recipes: Japanese tamagoyaki (sweet omelettes), salmon flakes

Number of steps: 6
Time taken: 30 min

About This Dish:
You love Japanese rice balls (a.k.a. Onigiri) but are tired of going to a Japanese supermarket to buy the delicious salmon flakes...That was my problem. Thankfully, those salmon flakes in the rice balls are super easy to make! You can store them up for up to 2 weeks in the fridge and longer if you freeze them up! Perfect! 

What You Need:

• A little more than 0.5lb of salmon! (I used the frozen salmon sold at Trader Joes)
• Sake (Japanese rice wine) 1 tbsp
• Salt 1/2 - 1 tsp
• (Optional) Roasted sesame 1 tbsp