If you’re looking for a taste of culture. Consider these easy child-friendly Japanese recipes to share with your family.
It’s difficult to get our kids to eat the simplest of dishes, even on the best days, but these dishes look really yummy and I can’t wait to try them out with our kids very soon.
Thanks for the great article, Trevor.
Enjoy.
– Will
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Easy Child-Friendly Japanese Recipes
Konnichiwa!
It’s an uphill struggle to make kids eat right when they dash between different activities throughout their day. The constant battle of feeding them the right food, full of nutrition, and appetizing to the eyes, is fought across many dining tables.
This stress of encouraging kids to eat the right kind of food can be dealt with by introducing them to new and exciting recipes and dishes.
What better way to do this than to place a little bit of Japan on their plates.
Here are some simple Japanese recipes you can prepare for the kids, while enjoying thinking session with too:
- Dorayaki
What Is It?
A popular Japanese dessert, shaped in the form of a sandwiched pancake and filled with a red bean paste.
Ingredients required:
- Eggs
- Sugar
- Honey
- All-purpose flour
- Milk
- Baking soda
- Anko (Sweet red-bean paste)
Recipe:
- Combine all-purpose flour with baking soda in a bowl.
- In another bowl, whisk together eggs, honey, and sugar.
- Add milk to the egg mixture while continuously stirring it.
- Add the combination of flour and baking soda to the egg and milk concoction.
- Whisk all the ingredients together until thoroughly combined, without any lumps.
- Heat up a non-stick pan and oil the surface of the pan.
- While turning the heat to a medium-low flame, pour the batter on the pan.
- The batter must be poured in the shape of small pancakes. Cook at least two at once.
- When the edges and the surface of the pancake begin to dry up, along with the formation of air bubbles, flip the pancake.
- Cook the other side for a minute, or until cooked.
- Make a sandwich out of the cooked pancakes by placing a copious amount of anko in-between them.
- Gently squeeze the cake, and pinch the edges to seal it.
- Enjoy your freshly made, yummy dorayaki with some piping hot tea or a glass of milk!
- Onigiri
What Is It?
Japanese rice balls stuffed with varied goodness.
Ingredients required:
- Any choice of filling such as pickled plum, fish flakes, canned tuna, and more.
- Nori seaweed
- Dark black sesame seeds
Recipe:
- Using a general-purpose rice cooker, make Japanese style sushi rice.
- Cover the rice with a cloth to stop it from drying out.
- Dampen your hands with salted water.
- Take a handful of rice and make a flat sphere out of it.
- Push a hole into the center of the rice ball.
- Take a pinch of the desired filling and stuff it inside the hole.
- Cover the rice ball completely using a little more of the rice.
- Using your hands, make a pyramid shape out of the rice ball.
- Hold the onigiri using a piece of the nori seaweed.
- Dip the top edge of the onigiri in a bowl of some dark black sesame seeds to get a toasted flavor.
- Enjoy them as a quick and easy snack.
- Gyoza
What Is It?
Inspired from China, they are half-moon shaped, deep-fried dumplings.
Ingredients required:
- Ground meat
- Chopped onion
- Chopped garlic
- Finely diced Chinese cabbage.
- Sesame oil
- Soy sauce
- Pepper
- Gyoza wrappers
Recommended Tool: 7-piece Dumpling Maker Set
Recipe:
- In a large bowl, add the meat and the chopped vegetables together.
- Add sesame oil, soy sauce, and crushed pepper.
- Mix the ingredients together into a fine, smooth texture.
- Take the gyoza wrappers and place a spoonful of the meat filling in the center.
- Moisten the edges of the wrapper with water.
- Fold the wrapper into a semi-circle.
- Pinch and seal the wrapper while gathering the front side.
- In a frying pan, heat some cooking oil.
- Place the gyozas on the pan.
- Cook on high heat till the surface becomes brown.
- Add water into the pan and cover it.
- Put the flame on medium-high, and steam the gyozas until cooked.
- Uncover the pan and put the flame on high heat.
- Cook until the water is evaporated and the gyozas become crisp and crunchy.
- Serve hot alongside a dipping sauce.
Conclusion
Even after a series of trials, there’s no guarantee that you will be successful at making your kids eat food they don’t want to.
It is important to get them excited about the meals they’d be popping into their mouths. Introduce them to these yummy dishes and keep their taste buds tickled.