Cabbage with Bonito Flakes (Okaka-ae)
キャベツのおかか和え · Kyabetsu no Okaka-ae
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
Okaka-ae is a classic Japanese side dish in which boiled vegetables are tossed with katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) and a little soy sauce. The bonito flakes bring a gentle, savory umami and soak up the soy sauce, so a small amount of seasoning goes a long way and the dish stays mild for young children. Boiled cabbage turns soft and sweet, which makes this an easy way to get vegetables onto a preschooler's plate, and it comes together in just a few minutes.
Wheat-free, but uses soy sauce (made with wheat). Japanese school-lunch allergy menus usually allow it, so check with your doctor. How to read the labels
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Ingredients
Amounts for 1 child (1 serving). An adult counts as 2 servings.
One serving here is 1.5× the portion served to a child in a Japanese preschool, sized for Western appetites. An adult counts as two servings. Tap an ingredient to check it off.
Ingredients
- 72 gcabbage
- 12 gcarrot
Seasonings
- 2 gsoy sauce
- 1 gkatsuobushi (dried bonito flakes)Paper-thin shavings of dried, smoked skipjack tuna that add a savory, smoky depth as a topping or stock base. Substitute: A pinch of dashi powder, or omit.
About the Japanese ingredients in this recipe
- katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) (かつお削り節)
- Paper-thin shavings of dried, smoked skipjack tuna that add a savory, smoky depth as a topping or stock base. Substitute: A pinch of dashi powder, or omit.
Directions
- 1
Cut the cabbage into short rectangular strips and the carrot into short, thin matchsticks, then boil each separately. Rinse under cold running water to cool.
- 2
Squeeze the vegetables from step 1 to drain off the water, then toss with the bonito flakes and soy sauce.
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 25.5 kcal | 51 kcal | 25.5 kcal |
| Protein | 2 g | 3.9 g | 2 g |
| Fat | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g |
| Carbohydrates | 4.9 g | 9.9 g | 4.9 g |
| Fiber | 1.7 g | 3.3 g | 1.7 g |
| Salt equivalent | 0.3 g | 0.6 g | 0.3 g |
| Calcium | 33 mg | 66 mg | 33 mg |
| Iron | 0.3 mg | 0.6 mg | 0.3 mg |
| Potassium | 189 mg | 378 mg | 189 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Fiber | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | Potassium | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 25.5 kcal | 2 g | 0 g | 4.9 g | 1.7 g | 0.3 g | 33 mg | 0.3 mg | 189 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 51 kcal | 3.9 g | 0 g | 9.9 g | 3.3 g | 0.6 g | 66 mg | 0.6 mg | 378 mg |
Values are per serving (1.5× the Japanese preschool portion); an adult serving is double. They were calculated by a licensed Japanese nutritionist using the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan. "Salt equivalent" is sodium × 2.54, the standard Japanese measure. Allergen flags cover egg, milk and wheat only and come from the nutritionist's records. Soy sauce and miso are made with wheat but are usually allowed on Japanese wheat-free school menus, so check with your doctor.
