If you’ve never had this in a cha chaan teng (Hong Kong style café), you’ve been missing out your whole life. I first had this in a Hong Kong style café many years ago and I was blown away. It was SO CRISPY, and full of flavours and spices.

This is not your average fried chicken. It’s first marinated in a variety of spices and seasonings, then deep fried until golden brown. It ends up being super juicy and has the perfect crunch. Fried to perfection, literally.

Well, I did mention in the recipe that you should marinate it for at least 4 hours, but I highly recommend marinating it overnight for more flavour. I always like marinating my meats overnight in the fridge because I would rather the meats have more flavour, than lacking flavour.

After frying, I like topping it off with some pepper salt, to enhance the flavours even more. It just blends in with the chicken SO WELL, so I highly recommend you trying it too. You can get pepper salt from any Chinese grocery store.

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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Perfect Fried Chicken Leg (HK Style)

The perfect crispy fried chicken leg, with the ultimate crunch – Hong Kong café style.

Course Main Course, Snack

Cuisine Cantonese

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 2 people

Author Dearnomdiary

Ingredients

Marinade

• 2 large chicken legs
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground white pepper
• 2 tbsp Chinese five spice
• 1 tsp sugar
• ½ cup all purpose flour
• ½ cup cornstarch
• 1 large egg

Frying + Assembling

• Neutral oil (for frying)
• Pepper salt

Instructions

• Marinate the chicken legs in the marinade ingredients in a large bowl for at least 4 hours, or overnight in the fridge for more flavour.
• Remove the chicken legs to room temperature for 20 minutes before frying.
• In a large pot/wok, add in the oil. Heat it up until it reaches a temperature of 311°F/155°C.
• Fry the chicken legs for 3 minutes on each side (skin side down first), flip and fry until both sides are golden brown and the chicken is cooked through. Remove and set aside.
• Sprinkle on pepper salt as much as you desire. Enjoy!

The first thought that I had when I saw this finished product, I was like, “is this Chinese Burger King?” Well, that’s because it does kind of look like it right? However, no, they don’t sell this in Chinese Burger King, but I do serve it in my kitchen.

The idea of using a pineapple bun instead of using the original Portuguese buns all came from when I went to this cha chaan teng in Macau, and they served their pork chop buns in a pineapple bun.

It was my first time trying this variation and I was blown away. The saltiness from the perfectly pan fried pork chops blended so well with the slightly sweet pineapple buns. After that, I couldn’t go back – I would choose having pork chops in a pineapple bun over the regular Portuguese buns.

I made my own pineapple buns (just because I’m little miss extra and like making stuff from scratch), but of course, you can always use store bought pineapple buns too.

Caramelized onions are a staple topping for this bun. Some places in Macau use raw onions, while some don’t add onions at all. I find that caramelized onions makes the bun have more flavour, and it also makes it look more presentable.

For the pork chops, I suggest getting boneless pork chops or pork loin.

Remember to marinate the pork chops for at least 4 hours, or overnight for more flavour. Now I know it may be hard to find Chinese rose wine and you may be wondering if you could skip it. I know, I get it, not everywhere has it. However, I promise you, if you are able to get your hands on it, USE IT. It makes the marinade and the pork chops so fragrant and elevates the taste. You can also use it for many other Chinese dishes. I get my Chinese rose wine from any Chinese grocery store.

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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Macau Style Pork Chop Pineapple Bun

Juicy pan fried pork chops with caramelized onions, served in a bakery classic – the pineapple bun (slightly sweet with a crispy crust).

Course Main Course, Snack

Cuisine Cantonese, Fusion

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 2 people

Author Dearnomdiary

Ingredients

Marinade

• 4 boneless pork chops or pork loin
• 2 egg whites
• ¼ tsp ground white pepper
• ½ tbsp rice wine
• ½ tbsp Chinese rose wine
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 2 tbsp all purpose flour
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil

Caramelized Onions

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion (sliced thinly)
• ¼ cup water
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp ketchup
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Assembling

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil (for cooking)
• 4 marinated pork chops (from above)
• 2 pineapple buns (halved)
• Kewpie mayo
• Kale
• 2 slices American cheese
• Pepper salt powder

Instructions

Marinade

• Tenderize the pork chops by pounding them to a thickness of 1/4-1/2 inch.
• Mix the marinade ingredients together in a large bowl and add in the pork chops. Mix, and marinate for at least 4 hours in the refrigerator, or overnight for more flavour.

Caramelized Onions

• In a large skillet/frying pan over medium-high heat with heated oil, add in the onions and sauté for 5 minutes.
• Add in water to get rid of the brown bits stuck on the bottom.
• Once the water has mostly evaporated, add in the rest of the ingredients and keep on stirring every few minutes, until the onions are golden brown and caramelized. Set aside.

Assembling

• Take the pork chops out of the fridge to room temperature for 20 minutes before cooking.
• In a large skillet over medium-high heat with heated oil, pan fry the pork chops (2 minutes on each side, or until it’s golden brown and reaches an internal temperature of 150°F). Keep pressing the pork chops down to prevent it from curling up when cooking.
• Sprinkle on pepper salt powder on each pork chop.
• Spread Kewpie mayo on each half of the pineapple bun.
• Assemble the bun in this order: bottom bun, kale, 1 pork chop, American cheese, caramelized onions, 1 pork chop, and cover with the top half of the bun. Repeat for the rest. Serve and enjoy!

Kkanpunggi (깐풍기) is a Korean Chinese dish, but it has been modified with Korean ingredients to suit the tastes of Koreans. This dish is always on the menu if you visit a Korean Chinese restaurant. I love getting a big plate of Kkanpunggi to share with friends while we each order our own dishes (I usually get jajangmyeon with this). Now, I’m helping you save $30 and provided you an easy way to make this at home.

Kkanpunggi is usually coated in potato starch before frying. I decided to use tapioca starch today, because it makes the chicken even more crispy, just like my Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken recipe.

We are also going to fry the chicken two times, to make it even crispier.

The final step is to make a super simple sweet and spicy garlicky sauce. Bloom the aromatics and bring to a boil. Toss the chicken to coat in the sauce and you’re done.

Note: the chicken will be less crispy as it cools down, so I would highly recommend eating it hot for the best texture.

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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Kkanpunggi (Korean Spicy Garlic Fried Chicken)

Spicy garlic fried chicken tossed in a sweet and spicy garlicky sauce.

Course Main Course, Snack

Cuisine Fusion, Korean

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Author Dearnomdiary

Ingredients

Marinade

• 1 lb boneless chicken thigh (cut in small bite size pieces)
• 2 tsp light soy sauce
• Few cracks of ground black pepper
• 1 large egg

Sauce

• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 2 tbsp sugar or rice/corn syrup
• 2 tbsp mirin
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp water

Frying + Assembling

• 1 cup tapioca starch
• Frying oil, plus more for stir fry
• 6 garlic cloves (minced)
• ¼ onion (diced)
• ¼ red bell pepper (finely diced)
• 1 jalapeño (seeded and finely diced)
• Toasted sesame seeds

Instructions

Marinade

• Marinate the chicken with all the marinade ingredients for 30 minutes.

Sauce

• Meanwhile, mix together all the sauce ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

Frying + Assembling

• Coat each chicken piece in tapioca starch.
• In a deep wok/pan over medium-high heat, heat up the neutral oil until it reaches 350°F/180°C.
• Fry the chicken for 5 minutes, or until golden brown and the chicken is cooked through. Remove, and deep fry for a second time for an extra 2 to 3 minutes. This makes it even crispier! Remove and place the chicken on a wire rack.
• Using a clean wok, heat up 1 tbsp of neutral oil. Bloom the garlic and onion and then add in the diced red bell pepper and jalapeño. Quickly stir fry. Pour in the sauce mixture and bring to a boil. Keep stirring until the sauce thickens.
• Add in the fried chicken and toss to let the sauce coat.
• Plate and top with toasted sesame seeds. Enjoy!

This is a super easy fried chicken recipe that you can make at home with easily accessible ingredients (and probably ingredients that you would already find in your house). I would say that it’s a mixture of both Korean and Chinese style fried chicken (due to the ingredients and techniques used); nevertheless, it’s still so so good.

I used chicken thigh here, because they have a more intense and rich flavour, compared to chicken breast, due to it’s higher fat content. You may be here thinking: I don’t want to consume so many calories and fats. Well, you’re eating frying chicken anyways, so there’s honestly not much of a huge difference. Chicken thighs become more tender the longer they cook, whereas chicken breast would produce more of a drier texture. This makes the chicken thighs juicier and more flavourful.

We first fry the chicken thighs until they become golden brown. Then, we make a super easy honey garlic sauce with A LOT of garlic. The more garlic the better right?

Making the sauce tips:

Cook the sauce over low-medium heat and keep a close eye on it, because it may get burnt easily. You would have to keep stirring the mixture to prevent it from burning/sticking to the wok. The sauce should have a slightly thick consistency, like pure honey.

I honestly could not stop eating this.

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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Honey Garlic Chicken Bites

Fried chicken pieces tossed in a sweet and savoury honey garlic sauce, and when I mean garlicky – I mean A LOT of garlic.

Course Main Course, Snack

Cuisine Chinese, Fusion, Korean, Western

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 2 people

Author Dearnomdiary

Ingredients

Marinade

• 1 lb chicken thigh
• 10 g fresh ginger slices
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• Few cracks of black pepper

Coating

• ½ cup all purpose flour
• ½ cup cornstarch

Assembling + Sauce

• Neutral oil (for frying)
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 15 garlic cloves (minced)
• ½ tbsp soy sauce
• 3 tbsp honey

Instructions

Marinade

• In a large bowl, marinate the chicken with all the marinade ingredients for 30 minutes.

Coating + Assembling + Sauce

• Mix together the coating ingredients in a wide dish/bowl.
• Coat each chicken piece with the coating mixture.
• In a large pot/wok, add in the oil. Heat it up until it reaches a temperature of 350°F/180°C.
• Fry the chicken for 5 minutes, or until both sides are golden brown and the chicken is cooked through. Remove and set aside.
• In a clean wok over low-medium heat, melt the butter. Add in the garlic, soy sauce, and honey and mix to create a sauce. Add back in the fried chicken and toss with the sauce. Serve and enjoy!

You may think Oreo corn dogs are so weird, yes, I thought it was weird too; but when I tried it for the first time, it was mind blowing let me tell you. The first time I tried Oreo corn dogs was at a place called Arirang Hotdog. I was a bit skeptical to try it at first, but it seemed so unique and interesting. When I took a bite, it was surprisingly very good. That sweet and savoury combination was working wonders, and I was amazed at how good it tasted. So much better than fried Oreos.

Tips:

1. Make sure the dough rises for one hour until it doubles in size – very important or else it will be hard to coat the skewers in the batter!
2. I opted to use wooden chopsticks (the ones that you would usually get for your takeout utensils). I find that those have a much stronger hold than regular skewers, and they don’t break as easily.
3. I’m using Oreo O’s here and I crushed it into smaller pieces for it to stick to the dough better. I tried this recipe using uncrushed Oreo O’s and it kept falling off of the dough and also when it was being fried (a huge mess and it drove me nuts), so learn from my mistakes.
4. After rolling the corn dog in Oreo O’s and panko, press it down on the corn dog with your hands to ensure they won’t fall off!
5. Keep a very close eye when frying these, because I find that the Oreo O’s can get burnt very easily.

Last but not least, drizzle a good amount of condensed milk on top, and it will taste so so good.

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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Oreo Corn Dogs

It's crunchy, sweet and savoury, and drizzled with condensed milk.

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine Fusion, Korean, Western

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Resting Time 1 hour hour

Servings 3 corn dogs

Author Dearnomdiary

Ingredients

Dough

• 1 tsp instant dry yeast
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 135 ml lukewarm whole milk
• 120 g all purpose flour
• ¼ tsp kosher salt

Corn Dogs

• 3 hot dogs
• 2 cups Oreo O’s
• ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
• Condensed milk

Instructions

Dough

• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the yeast, sugar and warm milk. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes for the yeast to melt and appear bubbly (activation). 
• Add in the flour and salt to the mixture and use a wooden spoon to stir to combine (make sure there are no dry lumps remaining). Cover with plastic wrap or a wet cloth and let it rest for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

Corn Dogs

• In a saucepan of boiling water, blanch the hot dogs for 1 minute to remove the oil and saltiness. Remove and let cool.
• Crush the Oreo O’s into smaller pieces (I am using a rolling pin here). Pour into a tray or a large flat dish.
• Let’s prepare the skewers. I am using wooden takeout chopsticks because they have a much stronger hold than regular skewers. Skewer on the hot dogs.
• Prepare two more baking trays or flat dishes. Pour the panko breadcrumbs onto one tray, and the dough onto the second tray.
• Roll the dogs on the dough, and with slightly wet hands, remove the excess dough off the dogs. Then, roll the dogs in the crushed Oreo O’s. Then, use your hands to wrap around the corn dog while pressing down the Oreo O’s on the corn dog to ensure they don’t fall off.
• Roll in the panko breadcrumbs evenly and sprinkle some on any holes that you see.
• In a large pot/wok, add in the oil. Once the oil temperature has reached 170°C/335°F, fry the dogs for a few minutes and roll it around to cook evenly, until golden and crispy. Remove, and place on a wire rack.
• Drizzle on some condensed milk 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!

Prawn toast – a classic takeout and dim sum item (but unfortunately not many dim sum restaurants serve this nowadays). It’s a fusion dish that originated from Hong Kong that was influenced by both Chinese and Western cuisine.

For the shrimp paste, I like keeping a few chunks in there for a better texture. The shrimp paste is springy and chewy (remember to hit that shrimp paste against the bowl to achieve the perfect texture!) and there’s a nutty aroma from the sesame seeds. It’s then deep fried for the ultimate crispy exterior, yet also having a soft interior from the shrimp. It’s one of my favourite snacks, and it’s incredibly easy to make at home – it tastes just like the takeout version, but BETTER.

Keep a close eye when frying, because it becomes golden brown really quickly! You don’t want to over cook this.

You can also make this in the air fryer, or a convection oven.

For the sauce, it’s just 2 ingredients – Japanese mayo + sambal or sriracha. Dip the toast into the sauce and enjoy!

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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Prawn Toast

A super flavourful shrimp paste that’s springy and chewy, covered with sesame seeds, then spread onto bread, and deep fried for the ultimate crunch.

Course Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine Cantonese, Fusion

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 8 triangular prawn toasts

Author Dearnomdiary

Ingredients

Shrimp Paste

• 250 g fresh prawns
• 1 egg white
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp white pepper
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• Few cracks of black pepper
• ½ tsp sesame oil
• 2 stalks scallion (finely chopped)

Toast

• 2 pieces of bread
• White sesame seeds

Sauce

• 2 tbsp Japanese mayo
• 2 tsp sambal or sriracha

Instructions

Shrimp Paste

• Mince the fresh prawns into a paste. I like having some chunks in there for a better texture.
• In a large bowl, add in the shrimp paste, and the rest of the ingredients. Mix until everything is well combined. Hit the mixture against the bowl for a few times for the perfect springy chewy texture.

Assembling

• Divide the shrimp paste mixture on the bread.
• Place each piece of bread (shrimp paste side facing down) onto a dish filled with sesame seeds, ensuring the sesame seeds stick to the shrimp paste. 
• Traditional deep fry method: Fry in neutral oil that’s been heated up to 325°F (162°C) for about 1-2 minutes on each side, or until golden brown.

  For air fryer method: spray the outer sides of the bread with oil and air fry at 375°F (190°C) for 6-9 minutes.

  For oven method: bake at 400°F (200°C) for 10-14 minutes.
• Mix the sauce ingredients together.
• Slice and enjoy it with the sauce!

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!