Natto and Shirasu Tempura
納豆としらすの天ぷら（卵なし） · Natto to Shirasu no Tempura
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
These little fritters are a kakiage-style tempura: natto, shirasu (tiny dried sardines), garlic chives, carrot and onion, bound in a batter and spooned straight into the oil. Frying softens natto's strong smell and stickiness, so even children who turn their noses up at it on rice tend to enjoy it this way, crisp on the outside with a savory, slightly salty bite from the shirasu. The batter uses soy milk and a little baking powder instead of egg, which keeps it light and airy while staying egg-free.
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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
- 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
- 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.
- 4.1 gshirasu (dried baby sardines)Tiny, lightly salted and dried whole baby sardines that add gentle saltiness and calcium. Substitute: A small amount of flaked canned sardines, or omit.
Seasonings
- 0.3 gsoy sauce
- 11.6 gflour
- 0.8 gbaking powder
- 18 gsweetened soy milk (Japanese chosei tonyu)Japanese 'prepared' soy milk that is lightly sweetened and flavored to taste milder than plain soy milk. Substitute: Regular (original, lightly sweetened) soy milk from the supermarket.
- 2.8 gwhite sesame seeds
- 0.2 gsalt
- 9 gvegetable oil
About the Japanese ingredients in this recipe
- 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.
- 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.
- shirasu (dried baby sardines) (しらす干し)
- Tiny, lightly salted and dried whole baby sardines that add gentle saltiness and calcium. Substitute: A small amount of flaked canned sardines, or omit.
- sweetened soy milk (Japanese chosei tonyu) (調製豆乳)
- Japanese 'prepared' soy milk that is lightly sweetened and flavored to taste milder than plain soy milk. Substitute: Regular (original, lightly sweetened) soy milk from the supermarket.
Directions
- 1
Cut the garlic chives into 2 cm lengths, cut the carrot into short matchsticks, and cut the onion into thin slices, then cut the slices in half so they are half the usual length.
- 2
Put the natto in a bowl, add the soy sauce and mix to season it. Add the vegetables from step 1 and the shirasu and mix together.
- 3
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, soy milk, white sesame seeds and salt and mix lightly, just until combined.
- 4
Add the natto mixture from step 2 to the batter from step 3 and fold together lightly. (Because natto is sticky, the batter will be thick and heavy - that is fine.)
- 5
Heat the oil to 170°C (340°F), scoop up the batter with a spoon, drop it into the oil and fry. (Pour a little oil into a small container and rest the spoon in it before scooping - the batter will slide off the spoon more easily.)
If you overmix in steps 3 and 4, gluten develops and the fritters will not fry up crisp, so make a point of mixing lightly.
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 187.5 kcal | 375 kcal | 187.5 kcal |
| Protein | 5.6 g | 11.1 g | 5.6 g |
| Fat | 12.6 g | 25.2 g | 12.6 g |
| Carbohydrates | 14.9 g | 29.7 g | 14.9 g |
| Fiber | 3 g | 6 g | 3 g |
| Salt equivalent | 0.5 g | 0.9 g | 0.5 g |
| Calcium | 96 mg | 192 mg | 96 mg |
| Iron | 0.9 mg | 1.8 mg | 0.9 mg |
| Potassium | 297 mg | 594 mg | 297 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Fiber | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | Potassium | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 187.5 kcal | 5.6 g | 12.6 g | 14.9 g | 3 g | 0.5 g | 96 mg | 0.9 mg | 297 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 375 kcal | 11.1 g | 25.2 g | 29.7 g | 6 g | 0.9 g | 192 mg | 1.8 mg | 594 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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