Takana chahan is a type of recipes that proves how a lot taste just some substances can ship. This Japanese fried rice is made with chopped pickled mustard greens, day-old rice, and a handful of pantry staples. It’s savory, barely tangy and just a bit spicy when made with the karashi model of takana.
This recipe has roots in Kyushu, the southern island of Japan the place my mother is from. Takana is a staple ingredient there, typically served alongside ramen, tucked inside onigiri, or stirred into fried rice like this. Rising up, this was a type of fast meals that appeared on our desk at any time when there was leftover rice within the fridge.
A fast meal that tastes such as you tried a lot more durable. What I like about takana chahan is how briskly it comes collectively. The pickled greens convey a lot taste that you simply barely want any further seasoning. In lower than ten minutes, you’ve received a bowl of fried rice that’s savory, fragrant and extremely satisfying.
What’s Takana Chahan?
Takana chahan (高菜チャーハン) is Japanese fried rice made with takana, a kind of pickled mustard inexperienced that’s more and more common the additional south you go in Japan. Takana has a vivid, salty taste with a slight tang from the pickling course of. Some varieties even have a delicate warmth (piripiri or pirikara) that provides just a little kick to the dish. When stir-fried with rice, the greens infuse each chew with their savory taste. Whereas eggs are sometimes added to Japanese fried rice, takana chahan is usually made with out them, permitting the flavour of the pickled greens to take middle stage.
Takana greens are often salted after which fermented, which imparts a deeply tangy taste that’s nearly fizzy. Relying on the model, takana can vary from gentle and salty to mildly spicy. It may be eaten on it’s personal with a bowl of steamed Japanese rice – or integrated into cooked dishes. You’ll often discover takana offered in small vacuum-sealed packages at Japanese grocery shops.
Substances for Takana Chahan
Pickled takana (mustard greens). The star of the dish. Finely chopping the greens helps distribute their taste evenly all through the fried rice.
Sesame oil. I exploit this to stir fry the takana shortly earlier than assembling the fried rice. Toasted sesame oil provides a nutty aroma that pairs nicely with the pickled greens.
Impartial oil. Used for stir-frying the rice at excessive warmth. I exploit vegetable oil or grapeseed oil for his or her naturally low smoke factors.
Cooked Japanese rice. Leftover rice works greatest for fried rice as a result of the grains are firmer, drier and separate simply when stir-fried.
Soy sauce. Only a small quantity of shoyu enhances the savory taste with out overpowering the dish with an excessive amount of salt.
Inexperienced onions. Recent and barely sharp, they brighten up the completed fried rice.
Black pepper. A bit pepper provides heat and balances to the dish.
Ingredient Variations
- Floor white pepper or ichimi (Japanese floor pink pepper) as a substitute of the black pepper. White pepper is scorching, musky and sharp. Ichimi is vivid, smoky and mildly fruity.
- Jasmine rice as a substitute of Japanese rice. Whereas I favor the shut, agency texture of Japanese rice, Jasmine rice is a stable possibility too.
- Gluten-free: swap the common soy sauce out and use liquid aminos or tamari as a substitute.
How To Make Takana Chahan
- Put together the takana. Finely chop the pickled greens and stir fry shortly in sesame oil – then put aside.
- Stir fry the rice till the grains are separated and scorching all through. Then stir within the takana and soy sauce and blend nicely.
- Serve scorching, topped with chopped inexperienced onions and floor black pepper.
Cooking Ideas
Use day outdated rice. Freshly cooked rice has an excessive amount of moisture and may be too mushy and sticky. Rice that’s been refrigerated in a single day fries significantly better.
Use larger warmth to stir fry the rice. A scorching wok or skillet helps the rice fry. A cooler pan will primarily steam the rice.
Break up the rice earlier than cooking. If the rice is clumped collectively, gently break it aside together with your palms earlier than including it to the pan.
Use medium warmth when stir frying the takana in sesame oil. That is for 2 causes. First, the pickled takana tends to pop and leap round in a screaming scorching pan and might get messy. Second, sesame oil has a reasonably low smoke level and tastes bitter when burned.
Optionally available Additions
This model retains issues easy and is closest to the model I grew up consuming, however there are many methods to customise takana chahan.
- Scrambled egg
Many variations embody egg. Merely scramble it within the pan and fold it into the rice as soon as set. - Fried egg
When my husband makes this, he prepares the fried rice precisely as written however tops it with a fried egg with a runny yolk. - Garlic or chili oil
A clove of minced garlic stir-fried with the rice provides further aroma. Crispy chili oil delivers reasonable spice and the flavour of fried shallots. - Make takana omurice
Omurice is fried rice topped with a omelette and ketchup. It’s a very talked-about dishes served in Japanese houses and household type eating places and cafes.
What to Serve With Takana Chahan
At house, I prefer to serve takana chahan the way in which you would possibly discover it alongside small plates at an izakaya. It makes an excellent centerpiece for an off-the-cuff meal, particularly when paired with just a few easy Japanese sides similar to this edamame dish, and a chilly glass of lemon bitter.
A crisp sesame cucumber salad provides a refreshing crunch that balances the savory fried rice completely. A bowl of miso soup is at all times a comforting addition, and it turns the meal into one thing that feels just a little extra full.
Did you do this recipe? Are there modifications you made that you simply wish to share? Share your suggestions and proposals within the feedback part under!
Takana Chahan (Mustard Inexperienced Fried Rice)
Japanese fried rice with tangy, savory pickled mustard greens. Takana chahan is traditional Kyushu consolation meals that proves you may get pleasure from massive flavors with just some substances.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook dinner Time: 6 minutes
- Whole Time: 11 minutes
- Yield: 4 sides 1x
- Class: Rice
- Technique: Pan frying
- Delicacies: Japanese
- Weight loss program: Vegan
- Slice the takana. If the takana you’ve got is in massive chunks or in full leaves, finely chop it.
- Fry the takana. Add the toasted sesame oil to a wok or deep skillet over medium warmth. When the oil is scorching, swirl it round to evenly coat the floor of the wok and add the takana. Stir fry for two minutes. Flip the warmth off and switch the takana to a plate. Put aside.
- Cook dinner the rice. Utilizing the identical wok or deep skillet, add the vegetable oil and switch the warmth to medium excessive. Swirl the oil to coat the floor of the wok and add the rice. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes, till the rice has separated and is mushy.
- Add the seasoning. Add the takana and soy sauce. Stir fry to mix all the substances nicely.
- Serve. Flip the warmth off and switch the fried rice to a serving bowl or plate. Season with just a little floor black pepper, high with chopped inexperienced onions and serve scorching.
Diet
- Serving Measurement: 1 serving
- Energy: 250
- Sugar: 0.5g
- Sodium: 77mg
- Fats: 7.2g
- Saturated Fats: 3.3g
- Unsaturated Fats: 1.6g
- Trans Fats: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 41g
- Fiber: 0.7g
- Protein: 4.2g
- Ldl cholesterol: 0mg
Continuously Requested Questions
Sure, however the rice must be cooled first so the grains agency up. Unfold freshly cooked rice on a sheet pan and put it within the fridge, uncovered, for an hour so it dries out a bit.
Some varieties are gentle to medium spicy whereas others aren’t. Examine the package deal labeling when you favor a milder taste. That mentioned, even the spicy variations aren’t going to blow your hair again.
This recipe is already vegetarian. In actual fact, it’s vegan.
Takana is often accessible at Japanese grocery shops and a few Asian markets.