Chikuzenni (Simmered Chicken and Root Vegetables)
筑前煮 · Chikuzenni
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
Chikuzenni is one of Japan's best-loved home-style simmered dishes: chicken and root vegetables are first stir-fried in a little oil, then simmered in a lightly sweet dashi and soy broth until everything is tender and glossy. It takes its name from Chikuzen, the old name for the northern part of Fukuoka Prefecture, where it is also known as game-ni, and it is a fixture on New Year's tables across the country. In the preschool kitchen we cut everything small and keep the seasoning mild, so even little ones can manage the lotus root and gobo, and the frozen green peas stirred in at the end add a pop of color that helps kids clean their plates.
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
- 16.5 gcarrot
- 13.5 glotus root (renkon)A crisp, mildly sweet root vegetable with a lacy pattern of holes when sliced, sold fresh in Asian markets or frozen/vacuum-packed. Substitute: Water chestnuts or jicama for crunch, or thinly sliced potato.
- 12 ggobo (burdock root)A long, slender, earthy-tasting root vegetable with a pleasant crunch, usually scraped rather than peeled. Substitute: Parsnip or carrot.
- 19.5 gchicken thigh
- 10.5 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.
- 10.5 gshirataki (konjac noodles)Translucent, chewy, very low-calorie noodles made from konjac yam, sold in water-filled packs. Substitute: Glass noodles, or omit.
- 3.3 gfrozen green peas
Seasonings
- 1.5 gvegetable oil
- 75 gdashi stockJapanese soup stock, usually made from kombu (dried kelp) and/or bonito flakes; the base of most Japanese soups and simmered dishes. Substitute: Instant dashi granules dissolved in water, or a mild unsalted chicken or vegetable stock.
- 1 gsugar
- 0.8 gmirinMirin is a sweet Japanese rice seasoning that adds gentle sweetness and a glossy finish. Hon-mirin (true mirin) contains about 14% alcohol; "mirin-style seasoning" has little or no alcohol. Some alcohol can remain after short cooking. If you prefer no alcohol for children, use the substitute. Substitute: For each tablespoon of mirin, use 1 tablespoon water plus 1 to 2 teaspoons sugar.
- 1.2 gsoy sauce
- 0.2 gsalt
About the Japanese ingredients in this recipe
- lotus root (renkon) (れんこん)
- A crisp, mildly sweet root vegetable with a lacy pattern of holes when sliced, sold fresh in Asian markets or frozen/vacuum-packed. Substitute: Water chestnuts or jicama for crunch, or thinly sliced potato.
- gobo (burdock root) (ごぼう)
- A long, slender, earthy-tasting root vegetable with a pleasant crunch, usually scraped rather than peeled. Substitute: Parsnip or carrot.
- 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.
- shirataki (konjac noodles) (糸こんにゃく)
- Translucent, chewy, very low-calorie noodles made from konjac yam, sold in water-filled packs. Substitute: Glass noodles, or omit.
- dashi stock (だし汁)
- Japanese soup stock, usually made from kombu (dried kelp) and/or bonito flakes; the base of most Japanese soups and simmered dishes. Substitute: Instant dashi granules dissolved in water, or a mild unsalted chicken or vegetable stock.
- mirin (みりん)
- Mirin is a sweet Japanese rice seasoning that adds gentle sweetness and a glossy finish. Hon-mirin (true mirin) contains about 14% alcohol; "mirin-style seasoning" has little or no alcohol. Some alcohol can remain after short cooking. If you prefer no alcohol for children, use the substitute. Substitute: For each tablespoon of mirin, use 1 tablespoon water plus 1 to 2 teaspoons sugar.
Directions
Video is in Japanese and may show a different version of this dish (other ingredients or steps). Follow the ingredients and steps on this page, especially when cooking for allergies.
- 1
Cut the carrot into small irregular chunks (rangiri), slice the lotus root into quarter-rounds, and halve the gobo lengthwise, then slice it thinly on the diagonal.
- 2
Cut the chicken into 1 cm cubes and slice the chikuwa into half-moons. Cut the shirataki into 1 cm lengths and boil briefly to remove any odor.
- 3
Briefly boil the green peas.
- 4
Heat the oil in a pot, add the vegetables from step 1 and stir-fry. Add the chicken, chikuwa and shirataki from step 2 and stir-fry.
- 5
Add the dashi stock, sugar and mirin and simmer until the vegetables are tender.
- 6
Add the soy sauce and salt and simmer a little longer. To finish, stir in the green peas.
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 81 kcal | 162 kcal | 81 kcal |
| Protein | 6.3 g | 12.6 g | 6.3 g |
| Fat | 2.6 g | 5.1 g | 2.6 g |
| Carbohydrates | 9.5 g | 18.9 g | 9.5 g |
| Fiber | 2.1 g | 4.2 g | 2.1 g |
| Salt equivalent | 0.8 g | 1.5 g | 0.8 g |
| Calcium | 28.5 mg | 57 mg | 28.5 mg |
| Iron | 0.3 mg | 0.6 mg | 0.3 mg |
| Potassium | 280.5 mg | 561 mg | 280.5 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Fiber | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | Potassium | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 81 kcal | 6.3 g | 2.6 g | 9.5 g | 2.1 g | 0.8 g | 28.5 mg | 0.3 mg | 280.5 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 162 kcal | 12.6 g | 5.1 g | 18.9 g | 4.2 g | 1.5 g | 57 mg | 0.6 mg | 561 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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