Soybean Menchi Katsu (Breaded Pork Patties)
大豆のメンチカツ（卵乳なし） · Daizu no Menchi Katsu
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
Menchi katsu is a classic of Japanese yoshoku (Western-style) cooking: a seasoned ground-meat patty that is breaded in panko and deep-fried until crisp and golden. In this preschool version, coarsely chopped soybeans are folded into the pork, which adds protein and fiber and gives the patties a gentle, slightly nutty bite that children barely notice under the crunchy coating. Instead of the usual egg wash, a simple flour-and-water batter holds the panko in place, and soy milk stands in for milk, so the dish is made without egg or milk.
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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
- 13.5 gboiled soybeans (canned or vacuum-packed)Plain cooked whole soybeans sold in cans or pouches, ready to use. Substitute: Canned chickpeas or white beans.
- 27 gground pork
- 33 gonion
Seasonings
- 1.5 goil (for stir-frying)
- 6 gpanko (for the mixture)
- 4.9 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.
- 0.3 gsalt
- 8.3 gflour
- 12 gwater
- 7.5 gpanko (for coating)
- 9 goil (for deep-frying)
About the Japanese ingredients in this recipe
- 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.
- 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
Coarsely chop the soybeans (or mash them). Finely chop the onion. Heat the oil in a frying pan and sauté the onion.
- 2
Add the soybeans and sautéed onion, the panko (for the mixture), soy milk, and salt to the ground pork, and mix well until the mixture becomes sticky.
- 3
Mix the flour and water together to make a batter.
- 4
Shape the meat mixture into balls, dip them in the batter and then coat with panko, and deep-fry in oil at 170°C (340°F).
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 261 kcal | 522 kcal | 261 kcal |
| Protein | 9.9 g | 19.8 g | 9.9 g |
| Fat | 17.4 g | 34.8 g | 17.4 g |
| Carbohydrates | 19.7 g | 39.3 g | 19.7 g |
| Fiber | 2.7 g | 5.4 g | 2.7 g |
| Salt equivalent | 0.6 g | 1.2 g | 0.6 g |
| Calcium | 24 mg | 48 mg | 24 mg |
| Iron | 0.9 mg | 1.8 mg | 0.9 mg |
| Potassium | 238.5 mg | 477 mg | 238.5 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Fiber | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | Potassium | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 261 kcal | 9.9 g | 17.4 g | 19.7 g | 2.7 g | 0.6 g | 24 mg | 0.9 mg | 238.5 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 522 kcal | 19.8 g | 34.8 g | 39.3 g | 5.4 g | 1.2 g | 48 mg | 1.8 mg | 477 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.
