Fu Paste (Wheat Gluten Puree)
麩のペースト · Fu no Pēsuto
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
Fu is a traditional Japanese ingredient made from wheat gluten, sold as light, dried cakes that turn soft and spongy the moment they soak up liquid. In this recipe the fu is rehydrated in kombu dashi and blended until completely smooth, giving a gentle, savory paste that the very youngest children can manage with no chewing at all. Because fu has almost no flavor of its own, it takes on the taste of the stock, so a good kelp dashi is what makes this simple dish satisfying. It is a quiet, comforting way to give little ones a soft source of plant protein alongside the rest of their meal.
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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
- 1.5 gfu (dried wheat gluten cakes)Light, airy dried cakes made from wheat gluten that soak up broth like little sponges in soups. Substitute: Small cubes of bread or plain croutons, or omit.
Seasonings
- 30 gkombu dashi (kelp stock)A light, savory stock made by steeping dried kombu kelp in water. Substitute: Light vegetable stock, or water with a small pinch of dashi powder.
- to tastepotato starch (katakuriko)Japanese potato starch used for thickening sauces and coating fried foods. Substitute: Cornstarch: start with the same amount and add a little more if it is still thin. It thickens a little less than potato starch and needs a couple of minutes at a gentle bubble to reach full thickness.
About the Japanese ingredients in this recipe
- fu (dried wheat gluten cakes) (麩)
- Light, airy dried cakes made from wheat gluten that soak up broth like little sponges in soups. Substitute: Small cubes of bread or plain croutons, or omit.
- kombu dashi (kelp stock) (だし汁，昆布)
- A light, savory stock made by steeping dried kombu kelp in water. Substitute: Light vegetable stock, or water with a small pinch of dashi powder.
- potato starch (katakuriko) (かたくり粉)
- Japanese potato starch used for thickening sauces and coating fried foods. Substitute: Cornstarch: start with the same amount and add a little more if it is still thin. It thickens a little less than potato starch and needs a couple of minutes at a gentle bubble to reach full thickness. Read the guide: Katakuriko (Japanese Potato Starch) and What to Use Instead → Guide: japanese-school-lunch.com/articles/katakuriko-potato-starch/
Directions
- 1
Soak the fu in the dashi until softened, then blend it in a blender until smooth.
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 7.5 kcal | 15 kcal | 7.5 kcal |
| Protein | 0.5 g | 0.9 g | 0.5 g |
| Fat | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g |
| Carbohydrates | 1 g | 2.1 g | 1 g |
| Fiber | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g |
| Salt equivalent | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g |
| Calcium | 1.5 mg | 3 mg | 1.5 mg |
| Iron | 0 mg | 0 mg | 0 mg |
| Potassium | 43.5 mg | 87 mg | 43.5 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Fiber | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | Potassium | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 7.5 kcal | 0.5 g | 0 g | 1 g | 0 g | 0 g | 1.5 mg | 0 mg | 43.5 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 15 kcal | 0.9 g | 0 g | 2.1 g | 0 g | 0 g | 3 mg | 0 mg | 87 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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