Japanese hamburger steak, or hambagu (ハンバーグ), is a popular dish served in Japanese western restaurants, and also enjoyed at home, since it’s super easy to make with accessible ingredients.

A blend of ground beef and ground pork is used because the ground pork helps makes it extra juicy. However, you can also use 100% beef if you can’t consume pork. The other ingredients you need to make it are sautéed onions and mushrooms, panko breadcrumbs, and an egg.

I like adding a whole cheese cube inside to bring the dish to another level. When you slice it open, the melty cheese looks and tastes sooo good.

Tips for making the best Japanese hamburger steak:

1. Sauté the onions and mushrooms slowly and then let it cool completely before mixing it with the raw meat. Sautéing the onions and mushrooms will add a nice sweetness to the steak.
2. Rest the patties in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, to help keep its shape and to prevent the fat from melting quickly when it cooks. You can also rest in the fridge overnight, or even freeze them for up to one month. Just remember to defrost first (for frozen ones) and take them out from the fridge right before cooking.
3. Make the red wine sauce using the same pan that you used to cook the steaks, so you will get all the leftover rich greases and juices from the patty which will make your sauce extra delicious.

This dish pairs perfectly with rice, or even pasta/sautéed vegetables. You can even serve this on a bun.

If you do try out this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and/or give it a rating! I’d also love to see your creations so don’t forget to tag me on Instagram!

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Japanese Cheesy Hamburger Steak

A juicy hamburger steak that melts in your mouth. It's savory, tender, filled with a melty cheese filling, and paired with a red wine reduction steak sauce.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Japanese

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 3 hamburger steaks

Author Dearnomdiary

Ingredients

Hamburger Patties

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion (minced)
• 4 button mushrooms (minced)
• Salt & Pepper
• 200 g ground beef
• 100 g ground pork
• ½ tsp salt
• Few cracks of freshly ground black pepper
• ⅓ cup panko breadcrumbs
• 3 tbsp milk
• 1 large egg
• 30 g mozzarella cheese (cut into cubes weighing 10g each)
• ¼ cup red wine

Sauce

• ¼ cup red wine
• 3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 4 tbsp ketchup
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter

Toppings

• Dried parsley
• Smoked paprika

Instructions

Hamburger Patties

• Heat up 1 tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat in a pan. Add in the onion and mushrooms. Season with a little salt and pepper, and cook until the onion is translucent. Place in a bowl and let cool completely.
• In a large bowl, combine together the ground beef, ground pork, salt, black pepper, panko breadcrumbs, milk, egg, and the onion mushroom mixture.
• Form into even patties. Slightly flatten the patty and place a cheese cube inside. Close up the patty by pushing the meat to the top to seal it up. Make sure the cheese is not visible or else it will leak out when cooking. Then, gently shape it to a circular form.
• Rest the patties in the fridge for 30 minutes to help keep its shape and to prevent the fat from melting quickly when it cooks.
• In a pan over medium-high heat, add in the remaining 1 tbsp of olive oil. Once the oil is heated, cook the patties for 3-4 minutes on each side. Then add in the red wine and cover to let it steam for 6-8 minutes. Remove from the pan.

Sauce

• Using the same pan over medium heat, add in the red wine and bring to a simmer. Add in the Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, sugar and mix together. Finish it off by adding butter for a glossy finish, and mix until the butter has melted. Your sauce is ready!

Assembling

• Plate the patties, and pour the sauce over it. Finish off with some dried parsley and paprika. Slice, and enjoy!

This type of gigantic mango mochi actually originated from Cheung Chau, an island southwest of Hong Kong Island. They sell these gigantic mango mochis, which attracts everybody to go to Cheung Chau just to try them. It’s freshly made, and you can pack a box of them back home.

I was trying to recreate the Cheung Chau style mochi – mango mochi that’s the size of your whole hand. It consists of simple ingredients that I’m sure you’ll have in your pantry, or you can easily get it from the grocery store. Did I mention it’s also vegan friendly and gluten free?

Be sure to get the Nam Dok Mai mangoes or Carabao mangoes, because I find these to be tastier and sweeter than regular mangoes. The mango mochi from Cheung Chau also uses this type of juicy mango!

Do I have to steam the mochi?

I find that steaming the mochi produces the best texture and chewiness. You can however, microwave it by microwaving the mochi in 1 minute intervals and stirring between each interval. I usually choose to steam it because I find that microwaving it makes the mochi dry and hard to seal together.

If you do try out this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and/or give it a rating! I’d also love to see your creations so don’t forget to tag me on Instagram!

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Giant Mango Mochi

A whole sweet and juicy mango inside a thin chewy layer of mochi. Also vegan friendly and gluten free!

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine Cantonese, Japanese

Prep Time 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 4 mochi

Author Dearnomdiary

Ingredients

Mochi

• 90 g glutinous rice powder
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 2 tbsp icing sugar
• 150 ml coconut milk
• 90 ml water
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil

Assembling

• Vegetable oil, for brushing
• ¼ cup glutinous rice powder
• 2 large Nam Dok Mai mangoes or Carabao mangoes

Instructions

• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the glutinous rice powder, cornstarch, and icing sugar. Then add in the rest of the wet ingredients and whisk until no lumps remain.
• Brush a little vegetable oil on the bottom of the baking tray (I’m using a 9×9 inch tray).
• Sieve the mixture and cover with foil.
• Cover and steam over high heat for 8-10 minutes (it should feel firm and lightly springy to the touch, and not stick to your hand). Let cool for a bit (I usually wait until it’s warm enough to handle so that the mochi is still slightly sticky). Then, divide into 4 even squares.

  Alternatively, you can microwave it for 1 minute in 3 intervals, stirring after each time.
• Meanwhile, stir fry 1/4 cup of glutinous rice powder in a pan over low heat until it’s heated. Set aside to cool.
• Slice and scoop out the mangoes.
• Sprinkle some toasted glutinous rice powder onto your work surface (I like doing it on a large piece of plastic wrap to prevent the mochi from sticking).
• Place a piece of mochi onto the powder, followed by half of a whole mango. Fold the corners together and pinch to seal shut. Dust with extra toasted powder. Slice in half (or eat as a whole) and enjoy!

I never quite understood why mochi is so overpriced. Yes, it’s chewy, and has a fluffy rice cake texture, and is a nice sweet treat, and can be addictive, but did you know it’s actually super easy to make?

This is very similar to the Japanese Daifuku, where both have a chewy and sticky outer layer, and stuffed with a filling. In today’s recipe, I created a filling that contains of matcha cream and fresh strawberries. You can also customize the filling with any other fillings that you like. You can use other fruits, anko red bean paste, or even ice cream.

To make it vegan:

You can also make this vegan by substituting the whipping cream with canned coconut cream or canned coconut milk that has been refrigerated overnight (just scoop out the cream layer and leave out the liquid). Whisk it by hand or beat it with an electric hand held mixer, and you’ll have cream just like whipping cream.

The expenses for this mochi came out to be way cheaper than what you would normally pay, and the best part is I can have as much as I want.

If you do try out this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and/or give it a rating! I’d also love to see your creations so don’t forget to tag me on Instagram!

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Matcha Strawberry Mochi

Fluffy, chewy, rice-cake texture matcha mochi, wrapped around a filling filled with matcha cream and fresh strawberries.

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine Japanese

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 4 mochi

Author Dearnomdiary

Ingredients

Filling

• 40 ml whipping cream (sub for coconut cream or refrigerated canned coconut milk for vegan)
• 1 tbsp sugar
• ½ tsp matcha powder
• Chopped fresh strawberries

Mochi

• 100 g glutinous rice flour , plus more for toasting
• 50 g sugar
• ½ tsp matcha powder
• 200 ml water

Instructions

Filling

• In a mixing bowl, beat the whipping cream, sugar, and matcha powder together using a whisk or electric hand held mixer until stiff peaks.
• Fold in chopped fresh strawberries.
• Scoop out small balls and place in the freezer until they harden.

Mochi

• In a pan over low heat, toast some glutinous rice flour until it is hot. Set aside to cool completely.
• In a microwavable bowl, whisk together all the ingredients until smooth and no lumps remain.
• Cover and microwave on high for 1 min, then remove and stir.
• Repeat this process for another minute in the microwave. Remove and stir. It should start to become sticky after the second round.
• Repeat for a third time, for another min in the microwave again. Remove and stir. By this third round, it should become more of a mochi texture. Repeat the above step until it becomes a mochi texture (smooth, and not extremely sticky, yet not too dry).
• Sprinkle on some toasted glutinous rice flour on your work surface and form the mochi into a log. Divide the mochi into even pieces.
• Dust your hands with toasted glutinous flour, and wrap the filling balls in each mochi, pinching all sides to seal tightly.
• Let the mochi sit in room temperature for a few mins (to let the filling defrost). Sift on extra matcha powder on top. When the mochi is ready, enjoy!

Yes, I’m back with another cold noodle recipe. When I think of cold noodles, soba is the top thing on my list. I mean, how can it not be? It’s light, refreshing, and SUPER easy and quick to make. It’s also considered healthy because it’s gluten free as it’s made out of buckwheat flour, full of healthy proteins, and helps balance your blood sugar. So many good benefits, wow.

I wanted to upgrade this meal by adding something delicate, because just plain soba noodles are so boring. I need some sort of protein to go with it too. I have a lot of frying mix, so I decided to deep fry my vegetables and shrimps to make tempura. Best decision I’ve ever made.

Remember to keep the tempura batter COLD so that your tempura becomes crispy. Note: the tempura crisps up when they start to cool after they’re removed from the oil.

I made my own tempura dipping sauce (tentsuyu) for this and used it for dipping in the soba noodles as well (because I felt lazy). Remember to just dip in the noodles BRIEFLY because the sauce is salty, so don’t be dipping in the noodles for a long time. Alternatively, you can also purchase tentsuyu at any Asian grocery store in replace of the homemade dipping sauce (I also do that sometimes when I feel even more lazy).

Winter is for tempura udon, and summer is for zaru soba with tempura (aka tenzaru). A delicate meal enjoyed at home.

If you do try out this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and/or give it a rating! I’d also love to see your creations so don’t forget to tag me on Instagram!

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Zaru Soba with Crispy Tempura

Light and refreshing cold soba noodles with crispy tempura.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Japanese

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 2 people

Author Dearnomdiary

Ingredients

Tempura Coating

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 tsp kosher salt

Tempura Batter

• 1½ cup frying mix
• 1 cup cold water
• A few ice cubes

Tempura

• Neutral oil for frying
• Kabocha squash (thickness of 0.5 cm)
• Sweet potato (thickness of 0.5 cm)
• Shrimps (peeled and deveined, leave the tail on)

Assembling

• 2 servings of soba noodles
• Nori strips
• Tempura
• Soba & Tempura Dipping Sauce (Tentsuyu) (recipe here)
• 2 tbsp finely chopped green onion
• 2 tbsp daikon (grated)
• Wasabi

Instructions

Tempura Coating

• Combine the ingredients together in a wide dish.

Tempura Batter

• Whisk in the cold water (cold makes the tempura crispier) into the frying mix until it has a smooth consistency. Add in the ice cubes and keep the batter COLD so that the tempura becomes extra crispy.

Tempura

• Prepare the tempura by slicing the vegetables. For the shrimp, make tiny scores on the bottom of the shrimp, and also on one of the sides. Make sure to not cut too deep. Gently pull it apart to make the shrimp straight. Repeat for the remaining shrimp.
• In a medium-sized pot, heat up the neutral oil for frying until it reaches to 350ºF (180ºC).
• Start off with the vegetables first. Coat the vegetables with the flour coating, and then dust off excess flour. Dip into the wet tempura batter. Deep fry for 2-3 minutes, until golden brown. Do not overcrowd the pot. Transfer to a wired rack or a plate lined with paper towel to drain excess oil.
• For the shrimp: Coat the shrimp with the flour coating, and then dust off excess flour. Dip into the wet tempura batter. Grab the shrimp by the tail with chopsticks or heat proof tongs, and gently place into the heated oil, while making a swirling motion (this makes the shrimp straight). Deep fry for 2 minutes, until golden brown. Do not overcrowd the pot. Transfer to a wired rack or a plate lined with paper towel to drain excess oil.

Assembling

• Cook the soba noodles according to package instructions. Drain and rinse under cold water with your hands to get rid of the excess starch. Sieve and place on serving plates/bowls. Place the nori strips on top.
• Dipping Sauce: Reserve half for soba noodles and the other half for the tempura.

  For the one for soba: add in the green onion, grated daikon, and wasabi (adjust to your preference) and mix together.
• Dip the soba noodles in the sauce briefly and slurp! Dip the tempura in the other half of the tentsuyu and enjoy!

Notes

You can use the tempura dipping sauce (Tentsuyu) for both the soba noodles and tempura, OR you can use it for just tempura, and buy store bought tsuyu for the soba.

What are sushi tacos?

Instead of regular tortilla taco shells, sushi tacos use nori (seaweed) as the shell instead. Then, it’s filled with sushi rice, and any toppings you desire.

I first came across sushi tacos about two years ago, in a Japanese fusion restaurant in Toronto. At the time, I was like, “what on earth are sushi tacos?” I had never seen or tasted sushi tacos before, but I was drawn to how they looked like. They looked super crispy and were filled with salmon sashimi, drizzled with spicy mayo, and slightly torched. That was when the sushi taco craze began. Everyone wanted sushi tacos, and it was all over social media. Two years later, I decided to make my own, and they taste amazing as they look.

It’s important to use fresh sashimi-grade salmon here, in order to make it safe for raw consumption. I usually go to this sushi shop that sells sashimi-grade products, or H Mart. You can also use any other toppings you like, it doesn’t have to be salmon! Some ideas are sashimi-grade tuna, canned tuna, shrimp, grilled meats, etc. You can customize this however you like!

For the nori taco shells, I just cut the nori seaweed into circular shapes myself. Quickly dip them in a COLD tempura batter, and fry them for 1-2 minutes until golden. I find that shaping them into taco shells when they’re in the oil is much more easier because when I took them out of the oil, they wouldn’t hold their taco shell shape (since they harden as they’re being cooled). They also become crispier as they cool, so place them on a rack after frying.

Who knew you could make something fancy at home? I also bet that it costs way less compared to what you get out there.

If you do try out this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and/or give it a rating! I’d also love to see your creations so don’t forget to tag me on Instagram!

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Spicy Salmon Sushi Tacos

Crispy nori taco shells filled with sushi rice, seaweed salad, spicy salmon, and topped with tobiko (flying fish roe).

Course Main Course, Snack

Cuisine Fusion, Japanese

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Servings 4 sushi tacos

Author Dearnomdiary

Ingredients

Sushi Rice

• 1 cup sushi rice
• 1 cup water
• 1 piece 2×2 inches kombu (dried kelp)
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp sugar
• ½ tsp salt

Spicy Salmon

• 200 g sashimi-grade salmon (cut into 1/2 inch cubes)
• 1 stalk green onion (finely chopped)
• 1-2 tbsp Chinsu hot sauce (add more/less depending on your preferred spiciness)
• 3 tbsp Japanese mayo
• 1 tsp lemon juice

Batter

• 125 g tempura flour
• 185 ml cold water
• A few ice cubes

Assembling

• Neutral oil (for frying)
• 4 sheets nori seaweed (cut into circular shapes)
• Sushi Rice
• Seaweed salad
• Spicy Salmon
• Tobiko (flying fish roe)

Instructions

Sushi Rice

• Wash and rinse the rice for a few times until the water is almost clear. Drain and sieve any excess water.
• Add the rice to the rice cooker or pot and pour in the water (the rice to water ratio should be 1:1). Place the kombu on top of the rice and let the rice soak in the water for 30 minutes. Then, start cooking.
• In a small bowl, mix the rice vinegar, sugar, and salt together. Set aside.
• When the rice is ready, wet your paddle so that it doesn’t stick to the rice. Pour the sushi vinegar over the rice and mix using the paddle. Cover the rice with a damp towel until it comes to room temperature.

Spicy Salmon

• In a large bowl, mix together all the ingredients for the marinade, except for the salmon and green onion. Add in the salmon and green onion and mix everything together.

Batter

• Mix together all the ingredients.

Assembling

• In a large pot/wok, add in the oil. Heat it up until it reaches a temperature of 320°F/160°C.
• Batter one side of each nori sheet and gently drop it in the hot oil one by one. Fry for 1-2 minutes and flip to fry the other side for 30 seconds. Fry until crispy and golden, and use chopsticks (or tongs) to fold into taco shells (while in the oil). Remove from oil and place on a rack. Repeat for the rest.
• In a nori taco shell, add the seasoned rice, followed by seaweed salad, spicy salmon, and tobiko. Enjoy!

I love making ramen eggs, because they’re so flavourful and I can always add them to a bowl of noodles, rice, or have it for breakfast/snack/on the go. You marinate the eggs overnight (or 2 days for more flavour), and easily grab it out from the fridge whenever you’re craving for them. Remember to use cold eggs straight out of the refrigerator, or else your eggs will be overcooked very easily!

The idea for ramen egg onigiri came from a small onigiri vendor I saw in Japan. I saw there were large eggs wrapped inside rice and nori, and when I took a closer look and bite, they were actually ramen eggs with a jammy yolk. It was surprisingly so delicious, and at that moment, I knew that this could be something I can easily make myself.

You can pack this for lunch, for on the go, or even for a picnic. Oh, they’re perfect for picnics. Something that looks relatively difficult is actually so simple to make. Make this to amaze your co-workers/friends/family/EVERYONE!

If you do try out this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and/or give it a rating! I’d also love to see your creations so don’t forget to tag me on Instagram!

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Ramen Egg Onigiri

Soft boiled eggs with jammy yolks marinated in an umami sweet sauce, wrapped inside flavourful sushi rice and roasted nori.

Course Breakfast, Main Course, Snack

Cuisine Japanese

Prep Time 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 6 Onigiri

Author Dearnomdiary

Ingredients

Ramen Eggs

• 6 cold eggs
• Water
• 1-2 tbsp white vinegar
• ½ tsp salt

Ramen Eggs Marinade

• 80 ml soy sauce
• 80 ml mirin
• 40 ml water
• 40 ml sake
• 1½ tsp sugar

Rice

• 2 cups sushi rice
• 2 cups water

Ramen Egg Onigiri

• Cooked sushi rice
• 3 tbsp furikake (add more depending on your preference)
• 1 bowl of water + ½ tbsp salt (for wetting hands)
• 1-2 tbsp Japanese mayo (for each onigiri)
• Ramen Egg
• 6 sheets of nori

Instructions

Ramen Eggs Marinade

• In a saucepan, combine all the ingredients together and bring to a boil. Let cool completely.

Ramen Eggs

• Add the cold eggs, vinegar, and salt into a saucepan of water. Gently rotate the eggs around with chopsticks to ensure the yolk stays in the centre. Start timing when it comes to a boil. Lower the heat to maintain a gentle boil.

  3-4 minutes for jammy yolks

  6-7 minutes for half boiled eggs

  10 minutes for hard boiled eggs
• Immediately place in an ice bath until completely cool.
• Peel the shells off and place the eggs in a large plastic bag or container. Pour in the marinade and ensure the eggs are submerged in the marinade. Marinate overnight, or even for 2 days for more flavour. Enjoy the eggs within 3-4 days if your eggs are soft boiled, or up to 1 week if they’re hard boiled.

Rice

• Cook the sushi rice and water in a rice cooker or pot. Let cool to room temperature.

Ramen Egg Onigiri

• Mix the furikake with the cooked sushi rice. Add more furikake depending on your preference. Set aside.
• Wet your hands with water and dip your fingers in salt (to prevent the rice from sticking). Grab the rice into a ball with your hands and place onto a large piece of plastic wrap. Flatten with your hands. Add mayo in the centre, followed by a ramen egg. Wrap everything together into a ball to secure it tightly.
• Place the rice ball onto a piece of nori and wrap all four sides into the centre. Shape the onigiri into a ball.
• Slice in half and enjoy!

A few months ago, I finally tried Coco Ichibanya in Tokyo for the very first time and I fell in love. You’re able to fully customize your meal, and it’s also relatively cheap. I ordered a beef curry and was able to customize the spiciness level, how much rice I wanted, etc. The deep flavours of the curry had such an umami taste, I still find it super memorable to this day – which is why I had to create it again, based off of memory.

This dish looks like it has a lot of steps, but it’s actually super easy to make. We first make the curry using a pre-made Japanese curry sauce (yes, the pre-made Japanese curry is always unbeatable), and then make the grilled black pepper beef. You can also make the curry beforehand and store it in the fridge to let the curry flavours deepen even more. The pre-made curry block that I’m using is the Java Curry (medium hot).

It’s hard to replace the Japanese curry blocks because they make the curry full of umami flavours, and shortens the length of the cooking process. How can you say no to that? I always keep a couple of these in my pantry because it’s just so convenient and you can customize it however you’d like.

We put the cooked rice on the bottom of the baking dish (Staub’s 10.5” x 7.5” ceramic baking dish that’s oven and broiler safe up to 572F) – black pepper beef – curry sauce – topped with lots and lots of mozzarella cheese like there’s no tomorrow. We then repeat this process to make the whole dish even more flavourful and tastier. The dish is complete when the cheese bubbles and melts. Broil for a few minutes for that extra pretty look.

If you do try out this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and/or give it a rating! I’d also love to see your creations so don’t forget to tag me on Instagram!

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Cheesy Japanese Beef Curry Rice

The curry is loaded with umami flavours, and then poured on top of grilled black pepper beef, and topped with lots and lots of cheese.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Japanese

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Author Dearnomdiary

Ingredients

Curry

• 2 onions (sliced thinly)
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 garlic cloves (minced)
• 2 carrots (diced)
• 1 cup low sodium beef stock
• 1 cup water
• 1 block Japanese curry block (4 pieces)
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp ketchup
• 1 tbsp bulldog sauce

Black Pepper Beef

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 400 g thinly sliced beef (eg. ribeye, skirt steak, hotpot beef)
• 1 tbsp black pepper
• 2 tsp mirin

Assembling

• 4 servings cooked rice
• Shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

Curry

• Caramelize the onions – in a large pot over medium-high heat, add in 2 tbsp butter. Once it has melted, add in the sliced onions. Stir to cook the onions evenly (add more oil if the onions start burning or sticking). Continue to stir fry until onions become golden, about 10-15 minutes.
• Add in garlic and carrots. Stir everything together for a minute.
• Add in the beef stock and water. Once it comes to a boil, add in the curry blocks. Mix to combine. Add in the soy sauce, ketchup, and bulldog sauce. Cover and turn the heat to low to let it simmer for 10 minutes.
• Turn the heat off and finish with the remaining 1 tbsp of butter to make the sauce smooth and glossy. Cover with the lid to let it rest (you can also make this the day before and refrigerate overnight for the flavours to deepen).

Black Pepper Beef

• In a pan over medium-high heat, add in the oil. Once the oil has heated, add in the beef. Once it starts browning, add in the black pepper, and mirin. Quickly stir fry. Do not overcook.

Assembling

• Preheat the oven to 425°F.
• Add the rice to a large baking dish. Layer half of the beef on top. Spoon half of the curry sauce over the beef and spread it evenly. Sprinkle on the cheese. Repeat this process again. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, until the cheese bubbles and melts. Remove from the oven and mix everything together. Serve and enjoy!

Last year, I posted a recipe of my favourite way to make corn – Roasted Street Style Corn. This time, I decided to add a Japanese kick to it by adding shichimi togarashi, which is Japanese 7 spice. It’s spicy, tangy sweetness of citrus, and has umami flavours due to the nori seaweed. I love using shichimi togarashi on everything, simply sprinkle it on top of dishes such as udon, ramen, or even mix it with rice! The possibilities are endless.

A mixture of Japanese and Mexican flavours. Look at that sweet juicy corn.

It’s super easy. We first spread butter on the corn and then roast it in the oven (or on the grill if you’d like). Then, we cover it in a creamy and zesty Japanese style mayo, and then top it off with shichimi togarashi and parmesan.

Look at that beautiful corn. Serve this at your next potluck or summer barbecues!

For this dish, I’m using Staub’s 10.5” x 7.5” ceramic baking dish that’s oven and broiler safe up to 572F. Perfect for cooking, and presenting on the table!

If you do try out this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and/or give it a rating! I’d also love to see your creations so don’t forget to tag me on Instagram!

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Japanese Elote (corn on the cob)

Roasted sweet and juicy corn covered in a creamy and zesty Japanese style mayo, and then topped with shichimi togarashi and parmesan.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Fusion, Japanese, Western

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Author Dearnomdiary

Ingredients

• 4 ears fresh corn, halved (husked and cleaned)
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter (melted)
• ½ cup Kewpie mayo
• Few cracks of black pepper
• 2 tsp lime juice
• 1 tbsp finely chopped cilantro
• Shichimi Togarashi (Japanese 7 spice)
• ½ cup parmesan cheese

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• Brush the melted butter evenly on each corn. Wrap in foil and bake in the oven for 35 to 40 minutes, while turning halfway through. Once it’s ready, let it cool for a bit (I usually wait until it’s a little warmer than room temperature).

  Alternatively, you can grill the corn on the BBQ.
• Meanwhile, mix the mayo, black pepper, lime juice, and cilantro in a bowl until it’s well combined. Brush on the cooked corn evenly.
• Sprinkle shichimi togarashi (Japanese 7 spice) on each corn (add more if you enjoy more of a kick).
• Spoon parmesan on each corn while shaking off the excess. Enjoy!

The weather is getting warmer and warmer, and I’m so excited because I have so many summer recipes to share with y’all. This is a super easy homemade meal that’s full of protein, and with Japanese inspired flavours. I’ve been making this all the time recently, because all the ingredients are easily accessible, and there’s not much cooking involved (except for the rice and edamame part). Super easy to come together.

Make sure to use sashimi-grade salmon. I purchased mine from a Japanese fish market that sells sashimi-grade products. You may also sometimes find it in a high-end grocery store.

For the creamy crab, only three ingredients are required: imitation crab sticks, Japanese mayo, and smoked paprika.

The creamy togarashi sauce is a blend of Japanese spices that’s slightly spicy, but has a toasty and umami flavour. I wanted to create a sauce that poke bowl restaurants would usually serve in their poke bowls, and thus, this creamy sauce came to life. You can also use this sauce for other foods such as sushi, or as a dipping sauce.

Mix it altogether and enjoy! This will be your go-to meal this summer all the time.

If you do try out this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and/or give it a rating! I’d also love to see your creations so don’t forget to tag me on Instagram!

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The Easiest Salmon & Crab Poke Bowl

Soy salmon sashimi + creamy crab + delicious toppings, finished off with a drizzle of creamy togarashi sauce.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Japanese

Prep Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 2 people

Author Dearnomdiary

Ingredients

Soy Salmon Sashimi

• ½ lb sashimi-grade salmon (cut into 1/2 inch cubes)
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp mirin
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• ¼ tsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
• 1 cup diced cucumber

Creamy Crab

• 4 imitation crab sticks
• 3-4 tbsp Kewpie mayo
• ¼ tsp smoked paprika

Creamy Togarashi Sauce

• 2 tsp togarashi (Japanese 7 spice)
• ½ cup Kewpie mayo
• 2 tsp sriracha
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp lemon juice

To Serve + Toppings

• 2 servings cooked sushi rice
• Soy Salmon Sashimi
• Creamy Crab
• 1 cup cooked edamame (unshelled)
• 1 large avocado (diced)
• 2 tbsp Tobiko (flying fish roe)
• Seaweed strips
• Creamy Togarashi Sauce

Instructions

Soy Salmon Sashimi

• In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients together except for the salmon and cucumber. Add in the salmon and marinate for 5-10 minutes. Then, add in the diced cucumber.

Creamy Crab

• Shred the crab sticks and place into a bowl. Cut into smaller pieces. Add the mayo and smoked paprika and mix.

Creamy Togarashi Sauce

• Combine together all the ingredients until creamy.

To Serve + Toppings

• Add the cooked rice to each bowl and top it off with all the toppings. Drizzle generously with the creamy togarashi sauce. Mix and enjoy!

I love Japanese-style pastas. Well, I love pasta in general, but when you add some Asian flair into it, the whole dish becomes like a whole new world, which is very intriguing.

This red carbonara has the same concept as the traditional carbonara, by tossing it in a parmigiano reggiano egg mixture. The key ingredient to making it red is to add crushed tomatoes. Now I did add some heavy cream into this dish (I know some of you may be thinking: “that’s not carbonara if you add heavy cream!”). Well, if adding a little heavy cream will give the dish a better texture and become creamier, of course I’m going to add it in. In the end, it still tastes amazing, and isn’t that what makes you want to eat it?

I HIGHLY recommend adding that onsen egg on top. The whites in an onsen egg are soft and silky, while the yolk comes out custardy. Once you mix that with the creamy pasta and take a bite, I’m sure you’ll be thanking me for giving out this recommendation. TIP: use COLD eggs taken immediately out of the refrigerator when making onsen eggs, because the temperature of the eggs and water is very important, or else you may have either an uncooked egg, or an overcooked egg.

If you do try out this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and/or give it a rating! I’d also love to see your creations so don’t forget to tag me on Instagram!

Print

Creamy RED Carbonara

Carbonara, but mix in some Japanese fusion into it. Super creamy red carbonara mixed with a silky and custardy onsen egg.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Fusion, Japanese, Western

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 2 people

Author Dearnomdiary

Ingredients

Onsen Eggs

• 2 large COLD eggs
• 1 litre boiling water
• 200 ml cold water

Red Carbonara

• 2 large eggs
• ½ tsp salt
• Few cracks of black pepper
• ¼ cup grated parmigiano reggiano , plus more for topping
• 2 servings of spaghetti
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 50 g bacon (sliced into small pieces)
• 3 garlic cloves (minced)
• 1 tbsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 4 button mushrooms (sliced)
• Splash of white wine
• 200 ml crushed tomatoes
• ⅓ cup heavy cream
• 2 onsen eggs
• Fresh parsley (finely chopped)

Instructions

Onsen Egg

• Add the water to a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Once it boils, remove the saucepan away from the heat, and add in the cold water. Take out the eggs from the refrigerator and lightly submerge into the water. Add in the eggs and cover with the lid. Set timer for 18 minutes.
• After 18 minutes, remove the eggs from the water and set aside in a bowl for 5 minutes.
• Crack the egg into a small bowl and it’s ready!

Red Carbonara

• In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, salt, pepper, and parmigiano reggiano. Set aside.
• Cook spaghetti according to package instructions.
• In a large skillet/frying pan over medium-high heat, add in the olive oil. Once the oil shimmers, add in the bacon, garlic, red pepper flakes, and smoked paprika. Cook until garlic becomes fragrant. Add in the mushrooms, white wine, and mix until the wine has evaporated. Pour in the crushed tomatoes and heavy cream and keep on stirring until it comes to a simmer. Turn the heat down to low, and mix in the cooked spaghetti with the sauce. 
• Then, remove from heat and add in the parmigiano reggiano egg mixture. Use tongs to give everything a good mix until it becomes creamy and well combined. Plate and top with more parmigiano reggiano and fresh parsley. Mix with the onsen egg and enjoy!