Haru Maki: Spring Rolls with a Japanese Accent

Haru Maki from Kitaro

Spring rolls are the sort of dish that seems to be intrinsic to the cuisines of several Asian nations.  Chinese traders over the span of centuries took them to their ports of call.  The locals liked them so much that numerous variations have been built on the basic theme of meat and veg wrapped in rice paper.

Vietnam has its goi cuon, those refreshing summer rolls stuffed with chopped bean vermicelli.  A similar dish, albeit deep-fried, is served in neighboring Thailand.  Singapore has its popiah and the Philippines has both lumpiang gulay (a deep-fried roll filled with a savory mix of mung bean sprouts, slivered green beans, and tofu) and lumpiang ubod (similar to popiah but filled with slivered hearts-of-palm), as well as the meat-filled lumpiang Shanghai.

The Japanese, however, do not seem to have jumped onto the spring roll bandwagon.  Indeed, whenever we speak of Japanese maki, we automatically think of the nori-wrapped rice roll stuffed with raw fish.  This is why I was surprised to encounter haru maki over at Kitaro quite recently.

Haru maki – literally spring [haru] roll in Japanese – can be found on Kitaro’s appetizer menu and is actually worth trying though it does seem incongruous on the sampler of goodies.  These rolls are filled with what appears to be a dry-ish sukiyaki mix: wood-ear mushrooms, bits of shiitake and beef, bean vermicelli, carrots, bits of shrimp, and nori. The appearance of the fried rolls may make you think that these will probably taste like an ersatz version of goi cuon, but when the hint of soy and seaweed hits you, you just know you’re in for an unusual treat.

These are great as an appetizer, particularly when dipped in the chili-spiked soy dip that goes on the side.  It’s also good as a main course; just get a bowl of miso soup and another of rice and you’re all set. 

Torikatsu Kare-don: A Different Approach to Curry Rice

You all know that I’ve been a sucker for Japanese-style curry for the longest time; it’s a dish that I prepare at home quite often.  Strangely enough, though, it’s something I don’t usually order at Japanese restaurants.  I am not sure why this is so, but whenever I do order Japanese curry outside the house, it’s always a toss-up between the curry rice at JiPan or the torikatsu kare-don over at Bento Box shown here.

The torikatsu kare-don is a literal translation of its Japanese name: a breaded and deep-fried chicken cutlet (a thigh fillet in this case) on top of a bowl of fluffy white rice; a sweetish brown curry sauce is poured on top with extra sauce on the side.

If you’re a fan of Thai-style sweet chili sauce or even the sweetish tang of Mang Tomas’s Sarsa ng Litson (commercially available bottled liver sauce for lechon), the sweet curry at Bento Box will suit your tastebuds just fine.  While it does have the usual nuances intrinsic to Japanese curry – hints of cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, and nutmeg – it has a sweetish counterpoint that helps it go down with rice – and a lot of rice, if I may add!  I have an inkling that the sweetness comes from a blend of apples, honey (or possibly brown sugar), and carrots.

The chicken cutlet comes beautifully crisp and is certainly not greasy.  The crunch is a pleasant contrast to the softness of the rice and the gooey texture of the sauce.  At Bento Box, this dish comes garnished with crisp takuan (sweet pickled daikon radish) which adds an element of tart-ish sharpness to one’s meal.

Quick Post: Unagi in a Box

Unagi bento

Unagi kabayaki – Japanese-style grilled eel – is one of my all-time favorite dishes and one that I consider a real treat whenever I feel really good about something.  There’s just something about this sweetly savory, rather smoky bit of seafood, this meltingly tender morsel, that conjures up good vibes for me.

Quite recently, I made a pretty good meal of a beautifully cooked eel fillet served up with a number of other Oriental goodies over at Sushi-ya.  This particular o-bento consisted of a goodly portion of grilled eel, some agedashi dofu, Sushi-ya’s yummy California maki (the only California maki I actually enjoy), rice, coleslaw, and miso soup.  Definitely satisfying; definitely a celebratory treat. 

On Love and Katsudon

Katsudon, that surprisingly simple donburi where a breaded pork cutlet sits atop a bowl of rice, was made romantic when Japanese author Banana Yoshimoto used it as a focal element in her award-winning novella Kitchen. 

In the story, the heroine – Mikage Sakurai – chances upon a beautifully-done katsudon at a small restaurant.  The dish is so good that she impulsively decides to share it with her friend – possibly her lover – Yuichi Tanabe who has fled to Izu in deepest mourning.  As she hands the katsudon to Yuichi and watches him eat, Mikage realizes that their relationship has reached the point where it permanently changes from mere friendship to a full-blown romance.

In my personal opinion, I can’t think of any literary moment that is as sweet.  Then again, I’m a foodie and I believe romance should be accompanied by a good square meal!

I was re-reading Kitchen for the nth time recently and was toying with the idea of actually preparing a katsudon for the wonderful Mr. W.  Of course, as usual, we all know what a major coward I am in the love department, but I still think it’s worth a shot at doing.

The following recipe is adapted from the one posted by About.com’s Japanese food expert Setsuko Yoshizuka.  It has, of course, been tweaked based on what I had available in my kitchen the first time I attempted this recipe.

Katsudon
For the tonkatsu:

• 4 pork cutlets, each pounded to about 1/2 an inch thick
• flour
• 1 egg, beaten
• panko [Japanese breadcrumbs]
• oil for deep frying
• salt and pepper

For the sauce:

• 1 white onion, peeled and sliced
• 1 sachet dashi-no-moto [instant dashi stock], dissolved in 1-1/4 cups hot water
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons mirin or sweet Chinese cooking wine
• 1 tablespoon granulated white sugar
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 4 cups cooked rice

Season cutlets with salt and pepper; allow to marinate for about 10 – 20 minutes.  Dredge each cutlet in flour, dip in the beaten egg, and roll in the panko till well covered.  Deep-fry till golden brown.  Set aside.

Over medium heat, combine the dissolved dashi-no-moto with the soy sauce, cooking wine, and sugar in a saucepan.  Allow to simmer for a couple of minutes.  Slice the fried cutlets and add to the sauce; bring to a boil.  Add the four beaten eggs, spreading them evenly over the cutlets.  Lower the heat and cover for a minute or so.  Turn off the heat.

Place the rice in four deep bowls.  Divide the tonkatsu mixture evenly over the rice. 

Serves 4.

Now, if you’re not exactly confident about your skills in the kitchen, you could always do what Mikage did in the story and just buy a katsudon from a reputable Japanese restaurant.  (The one pictured here is from Teriyaki Boy; always a nice choice!  )  After all, it’s the thought that counts.

However, I am of the opinion that nothing says “I love you” more passionately than fixing your beloved a good meal.  Then again, that’s just me. 

Shoyu Ramen for Breakfast

Long-time readers of this blog know this: I’m the sort of person who will eat a bowl of ramen for breakfast.  I actually crave for the stuff in pretty much the same way other people yearn for a cholesterol-raising platter of tapa (fried smoked beef) and sinangag (garlic-infused fried rice) or a savory bowl of congee or even a full English.  There is just something so comforting about a bowl of noodles in broth that helps me face up to the challenges of the day.  (Actually, I also crave for Spam; but that’s a story for another day…)

So, I guess it was a lucky break when a recent supermarket jaunt put a pack of Nissin’s Shoyu Ramen in my larder.

Shoyu – soy sauce – is one of the four major broth bases used for cooking classic Japanese ramen.  The other three are shio (salt), miso (fermented soybean paste), and tonkotsu (pork bone – also known as “the rejuvenator” because of its high collagen content).  But I seriously prefer shoyu best as it is very flavorful and it isn’t so salty. 

However, making your ramen from scratch is a tedious process and going to an actual ramen shop at five-thirty in the morning isn’t exactly the most brilliant of ideas.  So, while it doesn’t exactly have the same oomph as a bowl of soup done by a professional cook, instant ramen isn’t so bad.  Indeed, all I need to do is toss in some diced leftover tonkatsu and poach an egg in the broth as it boils.  Top your bowl off with the shredded nori that comes in the packet and you’re all set. 

It’s a fine way to start your day.