Kakiage: Simply delicious

This is a very useful recipe when the only things you can find in your refrigerator are onion and carrots. Kakiage is very simple, but it can make a proper main course.

We can use almost any other ingredients in kakiage, as long as you use sliced onion and the other ingredients are chopped into small pieces. They can be anything from okra, French beans, broccoli, tofu, courgette, conch, white fillet fish, chicken, ginger or aubergine. It is also a perfect recipe for vegans.

I usually add some small shrimp in my kakiage. It just makes it a little bit more grand. My husband and I totally adore kakiage. It is a perfect snack as well as main course. Usually, it is served with soy sauce, mayonnaise or salt. I mix soy sauce, mayonnaise and tiny bits of lime juice for a dip. Then all you need is a hot bowl of rice and you are in heaven. Kakiage tastes very delicious cold as well.

Cooking time: 10 minutes Serves two persons

Ingredients

2 medium onions

1 medium carrot

1/2 cup small shrimp

2 stalks spring onion

2 cups flour

1 cup of ice cold water

Salt and pepper

Cooking oil

1tbs soy sauce (Kikkoman brand recommended)

1tbs mayonnaise

1/2tsp fresh lime juice

Cooking Instructions

Peel and slice all onions

Peel carrot and cut it into small pieces. Finely cut spring onion.

Clean shrimp and remove shells. Cut them into smaller pieces if necessary.

Mix them with flour, ice-cold water, pinch of salt and pepper. You do not have to beat the mix until the flour has no lumps. Kakiage actually does better with a bit of lump just like tempura.

Heat oil in a frying pan and add mixture one tablespoon at a time for each. Kakiage is fried just like fritters (stamp and go).

Mix soy sauce, mayonnaise and lime juice for dip.

Itadakimasu!

Ai Irisawa-Coney managed a Japanese restaurant in Soho, London. She is also a founder of Epiphany Media Solutions www.facebook.com/epiphanymediaja and ACI Consultancy www.aci-consultancy.com