Miso soup
Miso is a fermented food mainly made from soybeans, rich in protein and minerals, promoting digestive health. It’s a traditional health food enjoyed daily in Japanese cuisine. You can find it at supermarkets for around 500 to 1000 yen per kilogram in the seasoning section.
Let’s use whatever leftovers we have in the refrigerator today.
Using the Dashi we prepared earlier, measure out 800ml. Slice the onion.
Add the dried Wakame and chopped Shimeji mushrooms to the Dashi and simmer on low heat for 10 minutes.
Dissolve the Miso paste. Do you know how to dissolve miso paste? Prepare a ladle or a small sieve. Place the specified amount of Miso paste in it. Dip the ladle into the pot, and using chopsticks, swirl and mix the miso paste in the warm soup until fully dissolved. Ensure there are no lumps remaining.
How does it look? With a rich Dashi base, even simple miso soup becomes delicious! In addition to onion, you can add tofu, potatoes, Japanese mustard spinach(komatsuna), or any other vegetables you like to it.
Let’s have a taste! “Mmm, delicious,” says the instructor,Kaoru Fujiwara.
Sometimes, making Dashi can be cumbersome. In those cases, we resort to using powder such as Dashi no moto. It’s convenient as the powder dissolves into a soup stock.
Atsuyaki tamago
Next, let’s try makingAtsuyaki tamago (Japanese rolled omelette).
It is made with eggs, dashi, and a hint of seasoning. It’s very simple, yet the flavor of the dashi is crucial..Let’s give it a try.
For Atsuyaki Tamago(for 4 persons)
Eggs:2
Dashi:2 Tbsps(tablespoon)
Sugar:1 Tbsp
Salt:1/4 Tbsp
Prepare a Tamagoyaki pan, which costs around 1000 to 2000 yen and has a square shape.
First, crack the eggs into a bowl and beat them. Then, add the seasoning.
Add oil to the pan, ensuring it coats all sides. Remove any excess oil.Wait the pan becomes hot enough.Drop few drops of eggs mixtures to check sizzing sounds.
Spread 1/4 portion of the egg mixture into the pan evenly.When the egg mixture strats bubbling,break bubbles with chopsticks.
When the egg mixture becomes half-cooked,roll it from back to front using chopsticks or a fry turner.
After making a roll, slide it to back and spread oil onto the space of the pan.
Pour another 1/3portion of the egg mixture and spread even under the cooked eff roll and bake.
Once again when half cooked,roll it all from back to front and repeat this process until you use up the egg mixture.
I recommend this video as it’s also easy to understand.
Sweet Atsuyakitamago is good for Bento Boxes.
By the way, there’s a similar dish called Dashimakitamago which is less sweet and uses more dashi soup, resulting in high moisture content. It is popular in the Kansai region( western area of Japan), while Atsuyaki tamago is more common in Kanto(eastern area of Japan).
Making Dashimaki tamago is more challenging than Atsuyaki tamago and considered a hurdle even for Japanese people.
How was that? Once you’ve mastered the basic method of making Dashi, you can explore various applications. So, give it a try!
