Natto and Chirimen Jako Tempura
納豆とじゃこの天ぷら · Natto to Jako no Tempura
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
These little fritters take natto (fermented soybeans), chirimen jako (dried baby sardines) and a handful of vegetables and bind them in a light, fluffy batter that puffs up in the hot oil. Frying softens natto's strong smell and stickiness, so even children who turn their noses up at it plain will happily crunch through these, while the jako adds a gentle savory note and a boost of calcium. Scooped into the oil with a spoon, they come out as bite-sized nuggets that are easy for small hands to pick up.
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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
- 12 gnatto (fermented soybeans)Sticky fermented soybeans with a strong savory flavor, sold in small packs (often frozen) at Japanese grocers. Substitute: No close substitute; look for it in the frozen section of an Asian grocer.
- 10.5 ggarlic chives (nira)Flat-leaved chives with a mild garlic flavor, sold in bunches at Asian markets. Substitute: Scallion greens with a little minced garlic.
- 15 gcarrot
- 15 gonion
- 4.1 gchirimen jako (dried baby sardines)Tiny boiled and dried baby sardines, salty and rich in calcium, sprinkled over rice or mixed into vegetables. Substitute: No close substitute - look for it at a Japanese or Asian grocery, or leave it out and add a little flaked canned sardine.
- 11.6 gflour
- 18 gegg
Seasonings
- 0.3 gsoy sauce
- 0.3 gbaking powder
- 2.8 gwhite sesame seeds
- 0.2 gsalt
- 9 gvegetable oil
About the Japanese ingredients in this recipe
- natto (fermented soybeans) (納豆)
- Sticky fermented soybeans with a strong savory flavor, sold in small packs (often frozen) at Japanese grocers. Substitute: No close substitute; look for it in the frozen section of an Asian grocer.
- garlic chives (nira) (にら)
- Flat-leaved chives with a mild garlic flavor, sold in bunches at Asian markets. Substitute: Scallion greens with a little minced garlic.
- chirimen jako (dried baby sardines) (じゃこ)
- Tiny boiled and dried baby sardines, salty and rich in calcium, sprinkled over rice or mixed into vegetables. Substitute: No close substitute - look for it at a Japanese or Asian grocery, or leave it out and add a little flaked canned sardine.
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 garlic chives and carrot into fine matchsticks about 2 cm long. Halve the onion and cut it into thin slices, so the slices are half the usual length.
- 2
Season the natto with the soy sauce, then combine it with the chirimen jako.
- 3
Crack and beat the egg, mix in the flour, baking powder, sesame seeds and salt, then add the natto mixture from step 2 and stir to combine.
- 4
If the batter is stiff, add a little water to adjust the consistency. It should be thick enough to fall slowly when dropped from above.
- 5
Pour the oil into a pot and heat it to 170°C (340°F). Scoop up the batter with a spoon, drop it into the oil and fry until done.
Note: Pour a little oil into a small container and rest the spoon in it before scooping the batter - the batter will slide off the spoon much more easily.
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 205.5 kcal | 411 kcal | 205.5 kcal |
| Protein | 7.8 g | 15.6 g | 7.8 g |
| Fat | 14 g | 27.9 g | 14 g |
| Carbohydrates | 13.4 g | 26.7 g | 13.4 g |
| Salt equivalent | 0.6 g | 1.2 g | 0.6 g |
| Calcium | 94.5 mg | 189 mg | 94.5 mg |
| Iron | 1.2 mg | 2.4 mg | 1.2 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 205.5 kcal | 7.8 g | 14 g | 13.4 g | 0.6 g | 94.5 mg | 1.2 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 411 kcal | 15.6 g | 27.9 g | 26.7 g | 1.2 g | 189 mg | 2.4 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.
