Ochazuke is a simple rice dish usually eaten after a main meal or as a small snack to keep you going between meals. As the name suggests, the dish consists of o’cha (Japanese Tea) poured over rice. Common toppings include: Nori, Salmon, Umeboshi, Mentaiko, Wasabi and Furikake (What’s Furikake?). Instant Ochazuke is commonly one of these flavours and will include Furikake.

The picture above is instant salmon ochazuke with extra salt salmon flakes.

How do you eat Ochazuke?

Click here for the original Subuta recipe

It’s very nice, and handly comes in packet form, which no doubt can be bought at your local Asian supermarket. Or for those living in Japan, the supermarket and conbini. Below is the packet we usually buy, though, you may have other options. Enjoy!

For more information on Mentaiko click here.

Ingredients

• 4 Chilli Peppers
• 4 Large Cloves of Garlic
• 2 tbsp minced Ginger
• 2 medium sized Carrots
• 2 medium sized Potatoes
• 2 Chicken Breasts
• a handful of  Japanese leaks (small spring onions)
• 1 tbsp Toban Jian
• 1 tbsp Oyster Sauce
• 1/2 a cup of Japanese Chicken Stock (ingredient link to follow)
• 3 tbsp of Sesame Oil
• 1 tbsp Chinese Black Vinegar (optional)
• 1 tbsp Soy Sauce
• 1 tbsp Cooking Sake (dry cherry is an alternative)
• 1 tsp of Cornflour
• 2 tsp of Chilli Powder
• 1 tsp of brown sugar

Preperation

1. Peel the potatoes and slice the bottom off each, making it flat and easy to cut. Cut the potatoes into thin strips (about 5mm), then put into salt water.
2. Mix 1 tbsp of soy sauce,  sesame oil,  sake and black vinegar with 1 tsp of brown sugar, cornflour and 2 tsp of chilli powder  in a cup.
3. Thinly cut the chicken horizontally rather than straight down, then mix with the marinade, leaving in the fridge for about an hour.
4. Now to prepare the rest of the ingredients: Crush the 4 cloves of garlic under a knife and then coarsly chop. Grate the ginger. De-sead and chop the chilli peppers. Thinly slice the carrots and finely chop the mini leak.

Method

1. Bring a pan of water to the boil and add the potatoes. Cover and leave for 4 – 5mins, then remove from the heat.
2. At a medium temperature heat 2 tbsp of seasame oil in a wok or frying pan. Add the carrot, garlic and ginger, fry for a few minutes.
3. Add 1 tbsp of toban jian, mix well and then stir in the chicken. Fry until the chicken begins to change colour.
4. Add 1 tbsp of oyster sauce, a cup of chicken stock, stir and then cover, leaving for a few minutes.
5. Remove the lid and carefully add the potatoes (making sure to drain any water whilst doing so) and the chilli peppers. Once again cover the pan and leave for 4 – 5 minutes (the steam will help to cook the potatoes, so make sure not to stir them into the sauce, they need to stay at the top of the dish).
6. Remove from the heat, plate up, and add a handful of the chopped leak.
7. Enjoy by itself or with rice.

Future Alterations

This was the first time to cook this dish, I think I managed to re-create the flavour of the original dish pretty well (Kumiko also gave it the thumbs up, having previously not been keen on the original). In future I may add  some turmeric to the potatoes. I’m also wondering if the potatoes may be better deep fried to begin with (it might help to hold them together). Also the black vinegar, it’s a new ingredient we’ve recently added to the cupboard so we are playing around with it, it might not be necessary for this dish.

Ingredients

• A hand full of kaffir leaves
• One lemon grass root
• 2 tbsp oil (for frying)
• 2 Cloves of garlic
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp Green Curry paste (I use the mae ploy brand)
• 1 – 2 tbsp of oyster sauce
• 1 aubergine
• 1 Chicken Thigh
• 1 can of coconut milk
• 1 chilli pepper (Ths is optional, I often leave it out, as I wear contact lens!)
• Japanese chicken stock (ingredient link to follow)
• 1/2 red pepper
• 3 tbsp nampla
• 1/2 a limes juice
• a handful of cashew nuts
• a handful of coriander

Method

1. Heat the oil in a pan.
2. Crush the garlic and cut roughly. Finely chop the lemongrass at a 45 degree angle. Add to the pan, along with the Kaffir leaves and cashew nuts (wash, if salted). Stir for about 1 minute making sure not to burn the garlic or lemongrass.
3. Add 1 tbsp of green curry paste (buy thai paste, avoid any supermarket own brands) and 2 tbsps of brown sugar. Mix well with the hot oil, reducing the thickness. Add a little coconut milk once the oil begins to dry out.
4. Add the chopped chicken thigh (chicken breast if you prefer) to the green paste mixture and quickly fry it for a minute, stiring all the time, then add a few thinly sliced pieces of red pepper, again stir for roughly a minute, add a little coconut milk if needs be.
5. Add two tbsp of oyster sauce (this gives it a stronger flavour), add roughly half a can of coconut milk and 150ml of chicken stock. Gently bring to the boil.
6. Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the skinned and chopped aubergine, half a limes juice and 3 tbsp of nampla.
7. Cover and leave to simmer for 3 – 4 minutes.
8. Remove from the heat and add the coriander. Cover again, and leave to stand for 5 minutes.
9. Serve with rice. Enjoy!

.