Japanese Menu: Miso Soup, Curry Chicken Katsu and Azuki Bean Taiyaki

Ingredients

• 200 g All-purpose wheat flour (Sift with the baking powder)
• 5 g Baking powder (About 1 teaspoon)
• 30 g Sugar
• 2 g Salt (A pinch)
• 2 units Egg (One for the taiyaki batter, one for the chicken katsu)
• 150 ml Milk (Whole or semi‑skimmed milk)
• 10 g Dried wakame (Rehydrate 5 min in cold water)
• 200 g Firm tofu (Cut into 2 cm cubes)
• 10 g Dashi powder (One packet, dissolved in 1 L boiling water)
• 30 g White miso (About 2 tablespoons, add off the heat)
• 100 g Carrot (Cut into 1 cm pieces)
• 150 g Potato (Cut into 1 cm cubes)
• 50 g Onion (Finely sliced)
• 30 ml Vegetable oil (For sautéing and frying)
• 100 g Ready‑made Japanese curry (One block, dissolve in the broth)
• 400 g Chicken breasts (2 pieces, lightly flattened)
• 30 g Flour (for coating) (Coat the chicken pieces)
• 50 g Panko breadcrumbs (For an ultra‑crunchy coating)
• 100 g Azuki paste (sweet red beans) (For the taiyaki filling)
• 10 g Scallion (or green onion) (Chopped, to garnish the soup)

Instructions

1. Prepare the taiyaki batter

   Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl. Add the sugar and salt, mix. Crack an egg, incorporate the milk, then add the dry mixture. Whisk until a smooth batter forms. Refrigerate while you prepare the rest.

   Time: PT10M

2. Rehydrate the wakame

   Place the dried wakame in a bowl of cold water for 5 minutes, then drain.

   Time: PT5M

3. Cut the tofu

   Drain the tofu and cut into roughly 2 cm cubes.

   Time: PT5M

4. Prepare the miso broth

   Bring 1 L of water to a boil, add the dashi powder, stir. Pour a ladle of broth into a bowl, dissolve the white miso off the heat, then return to the pot.

   Time: PT5M

   Temperature: 100°C

5. Cook the wakame and tofu

   Add the rehydrated wakame and tofu cubes to the broth, simmer for 5 minutes.

   Time: PT5M

   Temperature: 90°C

6. Prepare the curry vegetables

   Peel and cut the carrot, potato and onion into about 1 cm dice.

   Time: PT5M

7. Sauté the vegetables

   In a saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil, add the vegetables and sauté for 5 minutes over medium heat.

   Time: PT5M

   Temperature: 180°C

8. Cook the vegetable curry

   Add 400 ml water, bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in the Japanese curry block, mix until fully dissolved and thickened.

   Time: PT20M

   Temperature: 95°C

9. Prepare the chicken katsu

   Flatten the chicken breasts, lightly salt them, coat in flour, dip in beaten egg, then coat with panko breadcrumbs.

   Time: PT5M

10. Fry the chicken katsu

    Heat 30 ml oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook each side of the chicken for 4 minutes, until golden and crispy. Drain on paper towels.

    Time: PT8M

    Temperature: 170°C

11. Prepare the azuki paste

    Mash the azuki paste with a potato masher, gently heat for 4 minutes over low heat to make it more pliable.

    Time: PT4M

    Temperature: 80°C

12. Cook the taiyaki

    Heat the greased taiyaki mold over low heat. Pour 2 tablespoons of batter into each cavity, add a teaspoon of azuki paste, cover with another tablespoon of batter. Close the mold, cook 3 minutes, flip, cook an additional 1.5 minutes, then remove the taiyaki.

    Time: PT5M

    Temperature: 150°C

13. Plating

    Pour the miso soup into bowls, sprinkle with chopped scallion. On a plate, place cooked Japanese short‑grain rice, add a ladle of vegetable curry, lay sliced chicken katsu on top. Arrange the taiyaki on a dessert plate.

    Time: PT5M

Nutrition Facts

Calories

620

Protein

30 g

Carbohydrates

80 g

Fat

20 g

Fiber

5 g

Ingredient Substitutions

• Instead of All-purpose wheat flour: rice flour (for gluten‑free version)
• Instead of Baking powder: baking soda + vinegar
• Instead of Sugar: honey (reduce the amount slightly)
• Instead of Egg: flax egg (for vegetarian version)
• Instead of Milk: almond milk (for lactose‑free version)
• Instead of Dried wakame: nori seaweed in small strips
• Instead of Firm tofu: tempeh
• Instead of Dashi powder: homemade fish broth
• Instead of White miso: red miso (stronger flavor)
• Instead of Potato: sweet potato
• Instead of Onion: shallot
• Instead of Vegetable oil: sunflower oil, peanut oil
• Instead of Ready‑made Japanese curry: homemade curry paste
• Instead of Chicken breasts: turkey cutlet
• Instead of Flour (for coating): rice flour (gluten‑free)
• Instead of Panko breadcrumbs: regular breadcrumbs
• Instead of Azuki paste (sweet red beans): black bean paste
• Instead of Scallion (or green onion): parsley

Equipment Needed

• Mixing bowl
• Sieve
• Whisk
• Medium saucepan
• Ladle
• Serving bowl
• Taiyaki mold (double‑cavity pan)
• Spatula
• Chef's knife
• Cutting board
• Colander (optional)
• Cooking plate or frying pan
• Paper towel (optional)

Critical Steps — Do Not Skip

• Properly rehydrate the wakame
• Dissolve the miso off the heat to preserve its aromas
• Coat the chicken with flour, egg and panko in that order
• Cook the chicken over medium heat to achieve a crispy coating without burning
• Seal the taiyaki properly so the azuki paste does not overflow

Chef Tips from the Video

• Use panko breadcrumbs for an airy crispness.
• Add a small pinch of sugar to the miso broth to balance the salt from the wakame.
• For a more authentic flavor, replace dashi powder with kombu and dried bonito.

Troubleshooting

Storage

Refrigerator: Miso soup and vegetable curry: 3 days. Chicken katsu: 2 days. Taiyaki: 1 day (store separately).

Freezer: Vegetable curry and chicken katsu can be frozen for 1 month. Taiyaki freezes for 2 months, thaw before reheating.

Room temperature: Not recommended to leave dishes at room temperature for more than 2 hours.

Make-Ahead Tips

• Prepare the dashi broth and keep it refrigerated; it lasts 3 days.
• The vegetable curry can be made the day before and gently reheated.
• The taiyaki batter can rest in the fridge for up to 2 hours before cooking.