Chikuwa Isobe-age (Fish Cake Tempura with Aonori)
ちくわの磯辺揚げ · Chikuwa no Isobeage
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
Isobe-age is chikuwa (a tube-shaped grilled fish cake) dipped in a thin batter flecked with aonori seaweed and fried until puffed and crisp. "Isobe" refers to the seashore, a nod to the seaweed that gives the coating its color and gentle savory aroma. It is a classic in Japanese school lunches and bento boxes, and children love it because the pieces are small and easy to hold, the batter is light and crunchy, and the chikuwa inside stays soft and mildly sweet. Cutting each tube into six pieces keeps every bite toddler-sized.
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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
- 45 gchikuwa (grilled fish cake tube)A mild, slightly chewy tube-shaped fish cake made from white fish paste grilled around a stick. Substitute: Imitation crab sticks or other mild fish cake (kamaboko); check the label, as fish cakes often contain egg white and wheat.
Seasonings
- 9 gegg
- 6.8 gflour
- 0.3 gaonori (green seaweed flakes)Fine, fragrant flakes of dried green seaweed sprinkled over dishes like okonomiyaki and yakisoba. Substitute: Crumbled nori sheets, or omit.
- 7.5 mlwater
- 9 gvegetable oil
About the Japanese ingredients in this recipe
- chikuwa (grilled fish cake tube) (焼き竹輪)
- A mild, slightly chewy tube-shaped fish cake made from white fish paste grilled around a stick. Substitute: Imitation crab sticks or other mild fish cake (kamaboko); check the label, as fish cakes often contain egg white and wheat.
- aonori (green seaweed flakes) (あおのり)
- Fine, fragrant flakes of dried green seaweed sprinkled over dishes like okonomiyaki and yakisoba. Substitute: Crumbled nori sheets, or omit.
Directions
- 1
Slice each chikuwa in half lengthwise, then cut crosswise into thirds so that each tube gives 6 pieces.
- 2
Beat the egg in a bowl, then add the flour, aonori and water and mix briefly until just combined.
- 3
Add the chikuwa from step 1 to the batter in step 2 and toss to coat. Deep-fry in oil at 170°C (340°F) for about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, and lift the pieces out once the chikuwa puffs up.
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 165 kcal | 330 kcal | 165 kcal |
| Protein | 7.8 g | 15.6 g | 7.8 g |
| Fat | 10.2 g | 20.4 g | 10.2 g |
| Carbohydrates | 11.3 g | 22.5 g | 11.3 g |
| Fiber | 0.3 g | 0.6 g | 0.3 g |
| Salt equivalent | 1.2 g | 2.4 g | 1.2 g |
| Calcium | 30 mg | 60 mg | 30 mg |
| Iron | 0.6 mg | 1.2 mg | 0.6 mg |
| Potassium | 52.5 mg | 105 mg | 52.5 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Fiber | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | Potassium | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 165 kcal | 7.8 g | 10.2 g | 11.3 g | 0.3 g | 1.2 g | 30 mg | 0.6 mg | 52.5 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 330 kcal | 15.6 g | 20.4 g | 22.5 g | 0.6 g | 2.4 g | 60 mg | 1.2 mg | 105 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.
Ingredients in this recipe
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