Crunchy Karaage (fried Chicken), Potato Salad, Seaweed Soup

Hi, I made Karaage which is quite popular food in Japan. My mom also used to make it at home often:) Karaage, pasta and salad is the best combination ! It remind me my favourite bento (lunch box) store in Japan as well that I used to go buying lunch box there:) called Hokka hokka tei. Anyway, let’s make karaage that is crispy outside and juicy inside!

Ingredients / 2 Servings

(KARAAGE) - 450g chicken thighs (the thickness was 1 inch) - 2 tbsp soy sauce - 2 tbsp sake - 1 clove grated garlic - 1 piece grated ginger ( 20g ) - 1.5 tsp sesame oil - 1 beaten egg - 3 tbsp flour - 3 tbsp potato starch

(POTATO SALAD) - 1 piece mashed potato (270g) - 1L boiled egg - 1 sliced baby cucumber - 1/4 sliced onion - Salt and pepper - 1/2 tsp Vinegar (I used balsamic) - mayonnaise ( I used Japanese quipped mayo) - 3 sliced ham - A little soy sauce

(SEAWEED SOUP) - A handful of seaweed - A handful of green onion - 130g tofu - 1.5 tsp sesame oil - 500 ml water - 1 tsp soy sauce - 1.5 tsp katsuo dashi (powder)

(PASTA) - 80g pasta - parsley for topping - Salt and pepper

1. [ Marinate chicken ]

Cut the chicken into 2 inch rough size. (Try not to cut smaller and karaage will be juicy inside). Season with salt and pepper. Add grated garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sake and sesame oil. Mix together and rub. Let them 1 hour.(after 30min, take them out from the fridge)

Boil potato at medium heat until it’s pierced with a chopstick.(cook about 30 min) Meanwhile, cut cucumbers, onion and ham. Add salt to cucumbers and onion. Then, massage well. after that, let them.(It’s gonna be water come out and become crunchy texture)

cut lemon, mini tomato and parsley

Peal the skins of potato and mash them. Add boiled egg and a little vinegar. Let them to cool down.

Cut green onion and tofu. Soak the seaweed in water. Put sesame oil into fry pan and fry the seaweed and green onion. Add water, soy sauce, katsuo powder and tofu.

Soup is done!

Squeeze excess water of the cucumbers and the onion. Then, mix with the mashed potato. Add ham, a little soy sauce, salt and pepper, mayonnaise. Mix well.
Potato salad is done!

Bring boiled pasta and add salt and pepper, parsley. Paste is done!

Throw away the excess liquid of chicken marinade and add egg. Coat chicken with flour and potato starch.

Heat the oil to 340F. ( Dip the chopsticks. When you see the bubbles come out, ready to go.) Gently drop the chicken and cook for about 5 min. Try not to touch first 1 min. Then check the color and turn over them. ☆After that, take chicken out of the oil one by one for a few second. So the karaage will be cool down once. It provides double fry effect which is crispy and crunchy fried! Turn the heat up to 350F last 1 min until it’s nicely golden brown. Karaage is done!

That’s nice taste with mayonnaise and soy sauce! Nice flavor of ginger and garlic. Reason why I put pasta underneath Karaage is nicely absorbed the oil from Karaage.

Thank you see ya!