Soybean Kakiage (Mixed Tempura Fritters)
大豆のかき揚げ · Daizu no Kakiage
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
Kakiage is a style of tempura in which small pieces of vegetables or other ingredients are bound together with batter and fried in little clusters. In this version, boiled soybeans and ground chicken join thin strips of gobo (burdock root) and carrot, so every bite is crunchy on the outside and savory within. Soybeans on their own can be a hard sell for small children, but tucked into a golden fritter they disappear happily, and the gentle seasoning of soy sauce and sake means the fritters taste good with no dipping sauce at all.
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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
- 9 ggobo (burdock root)A long, slender, earthy-tasting root vegetable with a pleasant crunch, usually scraped rather than peeled. Substitute: Parsnip or carrot.
- 13.5 gcarrot
- 21 gboiled soybeans (canned or vacuum-packed)Plain cooked whole soybeans sold in cans or pouches, ready to use. Substitute: Canned chickpeas or white beans.
- 33 gground chicken
- 8.3 gegg
- 3.3 gflour
Seasonings
- 0.2 gsalt
- 1.4 gsoy sauce
- 1.4 gsakeSake (Japanese rice wine) is used in small amounts to soften the smell of fish and meat and add depth. Japanese "cooking sake" often contains added salt. Some alcohol can remain after short cooking. If you prefer no alcohol for children, use the substitute. Substitute: The same amount of water (the taste will be a little simpler), or dry white wine.
- 9 gvegetable oil
About the Japanese ingredients in this recipe
- 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.
- boiled soybeans (canned or vacuum-packed) (大豆水煮)
- Plain cooked whole soybeans sold in cans or pouches, ready to use. Substitute: Canned chickpeas or white beans.
- sake (酒)
- Sake (Japanese rice wine) is used in small amounts to soften the smell of fish and meat and add depth. Japanese "cooking sake" often contains added salt. Some alcohol can remain after short cooking. If you prefer no alcohol for children, use the substitute. Substitute: The same amount of water (the taste will be a little simpler), or dry white wine.
Directions
- 1
Cut the gobo and carrot into thin matchsticks about 4 cm long. Soak the gobo in water for about 5 minutes, then drain well.
- 2
Combine the soybeans, ground chicken, salt, soy sauce, sake and the vegetables from step 1, and mix well.
- 3
Stir the beaten egg and flour together with chopsticks, then add the mixture from step 2 and fold it in lightly, without overmixing.
- 4
Heat the oil to 170°C (340°F). Scoop the batter into the oil a spoonful at a time and fry for about 5 minutes, turning the fritters over partway through. (Tip: dip the spoon in the hot oil before scooping up the batter and the batter will slide off the spoon much more easily.)
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 207 kcal | 414 kcal | 207 kcal |
| Protein | 10.5 g | 21 g | 10.5 g |
| Fat | 16 g | 32.1 g | 16 g |
| Carbohydrates | 5.6 g | 11.1 g | 5.6 g |
| Salt equivalent | 0.5 g | 0.9 g | 0.5 g |
| Calcium | 31.5 mg | 63 mg | 31.5 mg |
| Iron | 1 mg | 2.1 mg | 1 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 207 kcal | 10.5 g | 16 g | 5.6 g | 0.5 g | 31.5 mg | 1 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 414 kcal | 21 g | 32.1 g | 11.1 g | 0.9 g | 63 mg | 2.1 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.
