4 Tasty Japanese Savory dishes you can make using Coffee

Although the name of the recipe is Salad chicken, it actually does not contain any vegetables. Japanese Salad Chicken is a very healthy recipe made with chicken breast meat. It is low in calories, easy to make, and is mess-free. Using coffee in this recipe adds a nice brown tint to the outer layer of the chicken meat and deepens its taste and flavor. Try this recipe with Sumiyaki charcoal roasted coffee to add a nice smoky flavor to the meat if you want the best results.

Ingredients

• Chicken breast fillet 300g
• Chicken stock 1 Tsp/ half a cube
• Sugar ½ Tsp
• Salt ¼ Tsp
• Sake/Rice wine (can be substituted with mirin) 1 Tbsp
• Instant coffee 1 Tbsp

Preparation

1. Remove the skin from the meat and tenderize the meat by poking holes all over using a fork.
2. In a Zip-lock bag, add all the ingredients and the chicken meat, close the seal, and massage nicely from outside so that all the ingredients are mixed and the meat is marinated in the mixture.
3. When closing the Zip-lock bag, try to remove as much air as possible, then leave it to marinate in the fridge overnight.
4. Boil water in a large pot; when the water is boiling, add the chicken while still in the bag, and simmer for 3 minutes.
5. Cover the pot with a lid, turn off the heat, and let it stand for 30-40 minutes.
6. When it cools down, take it out, and slice the meat like ham, and serve.
7. You can even shred the meat or cut them into cubes and add to your salad as toppings or use them in your sandwiches.

Coffee Gyoza – Japanese dumplings with a hint of coffee

Crispy on the outside, meaty and packed full of flavors on the inside, Japanese gyoza dumplings are a real treat for your taste buds. Here we added coffee to the meat filling inside, and my oh my! If not for this recipe, I would have never known that soy sauce, meat, and coffee could go so well together. The slight bitterness of the coffee balances the oil and fats, and before I knew it, I had finished eating a whole batch of dumplings by myself!

Ingredients

• Minced pork 150g
• Soy sauce 1 Tbsp
• Chicken stock 1 Tbsp
• Instant coffee 2 Tbsp
• ½ of a long leek (chopped)
• Sesame oil 1 Tsp
• Salt to taste
• Gyoza wrappers 24 sheets

For topping (If you have)

• Fresh coriander leaves
• Red bell pepper

Preparation

1. Combine minced pork meat, soy sauce, chicken stock powder, and instant coffee powder and knead well until everything is mixed well together.
2. Add leek, sesame oil, and salt. Then knead everything well again.
3. Wrap a spoonful of the filling in Gyoza wrappers. It can be tricky to get the hang of folding the gyoza wrappers, but once you have become familiar with it, you can do it while having a friendly chat with your friends and family members.
4. In a frying pan, heat some frying oil to 180°C and then fry the dumplings.
5. This is optional but if you have, fry some bell peppers and then add on top of the dumplings and garnish with coriander.
6. To make the dipping sauce, mix some chili or sesame oil, soy sauce, and vinegar.

Coffee Croquettes – Deep-fried yet healthy, guaranteed to impress your guests

The word croquette might make you think it is a complicated French culinary technique; however, it is a pretty simple recipe that is widely popular in Japan both at home and in restaurants. Usually, Japanese croquette is made using potatoes, but in our version, we will use Okara (soy pulp) and sweet potatoes instead to make it diet-friendly. In addition, the slight bitterness of coffee creates a delicious balance when combined with sweet potatoes.

Ingredients

• Okara 150g (Okara is soy pulp, and if you can not find this, you can substitute with mashed tofu)
• Instant Coffee
• Butter 15g
• One medium-sized yellow onion (chopped)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Sweet potatoes 400g (peeled, boiled, then mashed)
• Minced meat (pork/beef/mixed) 200g
• Flour as needed
• 3 Eggs
• Frying Oil

Preparation

1. Put Okara (soy pulp), 2Tbsp instant coffee, chopped onions, and butter in a frying pan and fry until the Okara is fluffy, dry, and toasty.
2. Heat the butter on a frying pan and then fry the onions until they are golden brown. Then add the Okara mixture to it.
3. Take this mixture into a bowl and when it has slightly cooled down, add the mashed sweet potatoes. Mix well and add eggs until the mixture reaches your desired consistency.
4. Make 12 round balls using this mixture.
5. Apply flour and then eggs to the balls and fry them.

Coffee Okonomiyaki – Japanese style savory pancake with coffee

Okonomiyaki is a Japanese street food classic. Served piping hot, it is saucy, full of different textures, and packed with flavors. Okonomiyaki is also a perfect way for using up all the left-over vegetables in your fridge that are too good to be thrown away. Adding coffee to the okonomiyaki was a massive success as it adds layers of flavors to the batter and takes this popular Japanese comfort food to a whole new level.

Ingredients

• All-purpose flour 200g
• Water 150ml
• Salt to taste
• Instant coffee 1 Tbsp
• Oil appropriate amount for frying
• Cabbage (1/4^th of cabbage thinly sliced)
• Thinly sliced pork belly 200g
• Two eggs
• Toppings – Sauces (anything you like mayonnaise, ketchup, soy sauce, okonomiyaki sauce, etc.), powdered dry seaweed, bonito flakes, etc.

Preparation

1. Mix the flour, water, salt, and coffee in a big bowl.
2. Add the cabbage and mix lightly.
3. Heat oil on a frying pan and then add the okonomiyaki batter to the pan.
4. Add the pork belly and the eggs (lightly whisked).
5. Fry until the cabbages are slightly cooked, and the batter starts to become fluffy.
6. Flip the okonomiyaki and fry the other side.
7. Add your favorite toppings and sauces and serve!