Japanese

If you're looking for something piquant for a starter or cocktail platter, these tempura prawns with lime and chilli sauce are perfect.

We've used snapper here but any white fish is delicious when dressed with traditional Japanese flavours. The result is a fresh, healthy and light meal. Both black and white sesame seeds are used in Japanese cooking; white sesame seeds have a nutty flavour, while black sesame seeds taste more bitter.

This piquant mayonnaise can be served with any fish, hot or cold. A cooling cucumber salad would be a good accompaniment. Note

These make a delicious and fresh addition to any share plate that everyone will love. Lobster or prawn meat can be substituted for the crab, if desired.

You can use either astringent or non-astringent persimmons in this recipe. If you use the astringent variety, it is best to scrape away the flesh from the skin when eating. Use a zester to make the lime rind strips. If you don’t have one, finely grate the rind instead. There are two types of persimmons […]

This creamy, flavoursome dish makes a lovely light lunch or side dish.

This recipe works equally well cooked as 40 mini pancakes as cocktail food, or as 6 pancakes as starters.

If you fancy a cleansing broth, look no further than this ginger and vegetable soba soup. Soba is a Japanese noodle, similar in appearance to spaghetti, made from buckwheat.

Sashimi salmon may be used instead of tuna. Note

Serve these popular Japanese dumplings piping-hot with combined soy sauce and chilli oil, or with rice vinegar.

Bring this staple vegetable to life with our sweet and salty soy pumpkin recipe. You could add a teaspoon of freshly grated ginger to the dish if you like.

Chinese cooking wine (chinese rice wine or hao hsing) is available from selected supermarkets and Asian food shops; use sherry if you can’t find it. Somen noodles are the thinnest variety of Japanese noodle, similar to vermicelli. It is available at selected supermarkets and Japanese food shops. Note

In Japan, sukiyaki is traditionally shared at the table from the pan in which it was cooked, making it a great dish for a fun dinner party. Diners use their chopsticks to dip the piping hot ingredients into their individual bowls of egg.

Like a huge, plate sized piece of sushi, this free-form sushi makes a great share plate for a casual dinner party.

Simple, savoury and delicious, clear soup with prawns and spinach is quick to throw together and leaves you feeling nourished, which makes it perfect for a mid-week dinner.

You need to soak 12 bamboo skewers in cold water for at least an hour before use to prevent them from splintering or burning during cooking. Note

A very quick and easy Japanese teriyaki chicken with noodles from the shopping bag to your dinner table in 20 minutes. Vary the chilli to suit your spice threshold. Leave it out all together, if you like.

Reheat soup in a microwave oven on HIGH (100%) for about 1½ minutes, stirring halfway through heating. Note

The salad and dressing can be prepared ahead and refrigerated separately. Combine just before serving Note

A sweet and sticky Japanese teriyaki pork stir-fry from Australian Women's Weekly.

Potatoes need not be boring any longer. Prepare this recipe for crisp, light, flavoursome potatoes to share as a starter or enjoy all to yourself as a side dish.

Kalonji are also known as Nigella seeds, which taste like someone combined onions, black pepper and oregano.

Impress your friends with sushi made completely from scratch. Use a whole range of fillings like salmon, tuna and even beef, for a fun and satisfying party food.

Incredibly fresh, light and full of flavour, this salad makes for a very special weekend lunch dish.

Turn your regular fish-n-chips a little Japanese with this crispy tempura version. We used perch fillets for this recipe, but any firm white fish fillet, such as bream, blue-eye or ling, can be used. Make sure your soda is nice and cold, this will guarantee a crispy tempura.

Bamboo mats are available at Japanese supermarkets and selected Asian supermarkets. Not suitable to freeze. Not suitable to microwave. Note

Exquisite Japanese teriyaki pork with wasabi dressing served with a colourful salad.

Japanese-style chicken and egg on rice is a savoury and satisfying dinner.

For variations on the filling, use a combination of smoked salmon (or crab meat or prawns) with cucumber, avocado and pickled vegetables. Sushi seasoning is a mixture of rice vinegar, sugar and salt; it is available in bottles from Asian food stores and the Asian food section of supermarkets.

This tart, citrus-based sauce is one of the mainstays of Japanese cuisine. It is usually made with a citrus fruit called yuzu, which is not easy to obtain outside Asia. It is a perfect accompaniment to char-grilled sliced beef, steamed fish, tofu and asian greens.

Any type of sashimi-quality white fish can be used for this recipe; we used kingfish. Note

Quick, easy and delicious Japanese stir-fried pork and rice noodles will surely satisfy all of the family. Sprinkle some freshly chopped chilli if you like some heat.

Marinated in Japanese flavours, this deep-fried snapper is crisp on the outside and flaky on the inside.

Tuna is best cooked rare as it tends to dry out when overcooked. You could also use salmon or swordfish for this recipe. Note

This is a simple Japanese dipping sauce recipe that is versatile and delicious.

Chicken stock can be substituted for dashi. You can add 100g tofu or 150g minced pork or chicken for a more substantial soup. Note

This delicious sushi salad not only looks beautiful, it also allows you to enjoy the freshness and taste of sushi without the bother involved in assembling this traditional Japanese delicacy.

Rolls can be made a day ahead; keep, covered with a damp paper towel, in the refrigerator. Note

This delicious pork and vegetable soup is packed full of goodness and beautiful Japanese flavours that will leave you wanting more. The tender meat and noodles work perfectly together in this healthy Winter dish.

Nothing says decadence quite like a platter of fresh oysters. Drizzle them with these three fresh, fragrant and delicious Asian inspired dressings and watch them disappear.

For rice vinegared water, add 1 tablespoon rice vinegar to medium bowl of water. Note

Tempura batter is so light and crisp; this Japanese cuisine is perfect for getting that delectable crunch to your veggies.

Sashimi-grade fish must be impeccably fresh and prepared using extremely strict standards of hygiene as the fish is to be eaten raw.

For a sophisticated Japanese entrée, try this sashimi dish served with fiery daikon, toasted nori and black sesame.

Spice up a platter of plump oysters with cucumber and piquant mirin dressing.

These flavours are very unique and not for the faint hearted, however for something new and adventurous this recipe might just fit the bill. It is well worth trying.

makes 48 per mini maki 0.2g fat; 94kJ (22 cal) CHICKEN TERIYAKI VARIATION You can make another easy mini maki by replacing the tuna and cucumber with 2 chicken tenderloins (150g) that have been marinated for 1 hour in 2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce, then cooked through and sliced thinly. Follow the method above to step […]

The flavours of this sticky duck are spectacular and team perfectly with the refreshing cabbage and radish salad.

This salad is at its best served straight after cooking the prawns. Note

Fermenting soybeans with salt and a particular fungus knows as kōji results in this traditional Japanese soup known as miso. It provides a base with an incredible depth of flavour for soups such as this one.

Soba are Japanese buckwheat noodles and are great served hot or cold. They are available in selected supermarkets and Asian grocery stores. Note

Not suitable to freeze or microwave. Note

To remove seeds from pomegranate, cut in half crossways. Hold one half over a bowl, firmly tap on the skin with a wooden spoon or rolling pin, the seeds should fall out into the bowl. Any sashimi quality fish will work well. Note

A healthy and delicious Japanese starter or side dish of teriyaki snow peas and snap peas.

You could use rump or sirloin steak instead of the beef eye fillet. Note

Japanese flavours permeate this dish, from the soy mirin dressing to the crispy nori shreds on top of the grilled tuna.

A divine starter for a celebratory dinner, these teriyaki salmon skewers with cucumber salad are exquisite. You can alternate salmon chunks with prawns if you like.

This delicious Japanese inspired miso broth is beautiful enjoyed with fresh salmon sashimi and light soba noodles.

Always use clean oil for deep-frying; keep it at a constant temperature during cooking. The optimum temperature for vegetables is about 170°C (150°C fan-forced), and is slightly higher for seafood. Japanese seven-spice mix has a hot kick; its ingredients vary according to region. It is available from Asian supermarkets. Note

These individual Japanese hotpots are brimming with flavour and comfort.

Wonton cups can be prepared a day ahead and stored in an airtight container. You need 3 x 12-hole (1-tablespoon/20ml) mini muffin pans. If you only have one pan, that is fine, just cook the wonton cases in batches. You could also serve the tuna tartare in a bowl with a pile of home-cooked prawn […]

Wiping the knife with a damp cloth will make cutting the sushi roll easier. You need a sushi or bamboo mat, available from Asian food stores and most supermarkets for this recipe. Nori is a type of dried seaweed used in Japanese cooking as a flavouring, garnish or for sushi. It is sold in thin […]

This elegant Japanese delicacy, like any seafood, is best with the freshest fish.

This classic Japanese miso soup combines silken tofu with prawns for a light, soothing meal that can be enjoyed all year long.

Bright, crunchy and very tasty, soba salad with seaweed, ginger and vegetables is a highly nutritious meal. The contrast between the snap of the veges and the bite of the soba noodles is fabulous.

Dashi is the basic stock used in nearly every Japanese dish, from a spoonful or two in dipping sauces to greater amounts in the broths of one-pan dishes, such as the udon noodle soup we've made here.

The secrets of making perfect tempura are: use the freshest vegetables you can find; make sure both the vegetables and the batter are really cold (this prevents the batter from soaking up too much oil); maintain a constant temperature by only frying a few pieces at a time; make the batter just before required; finally, don't over mix the batter - lumpy is good.

Wasabi mayonnaise is a cinch to make and is also great in cooked tuna sushi and California rolls.

These tasty Japanese chicken yakitori skewers are delicious enjoyed on their own or as part of a big Asian dinner spread.

This simple platter of chilled soba noodles with dipping sauce, spring onions, nori and wasabi is a complete taste sensation.

Three of the finest fish on the market served up as carpaccio, tuna, kingfish and salmon each come with their own dressing to maximise the taste sensations of this dish.

One of the most popular Japanese grilled meat dishes, teriyaki is so easy to prepare at home. Here, we accompany it with fresh baby corn, broccoli and trimmed sugar snap peas. Serve with a bowl of steamed rice.

A quick and easy stir-fry that gets a lift from the addition of teriyaki sauce.

Gyoza are Japanese dumplings, usually pork but sometimes vegetable, that are steamed and then fried, before being dunked in sauce, in this case our delicious soy vinegar sauce.

Light, fresh and tasty, these beautiful ocean trout sashimi rolls are the perfect finger food to pass around at your next party.

To prevent them from drying out, keep finished ura-maki wrapped in plastic, uncut, until ready to serve. Goes well with sesame dipping sauce, and oysters osaka. Note

Be careful when working with silken tofu as it is very soft and breaks easily. Use a mix of basil and mint leaves if you cannot find japanese mint. Note

Ready-made seasoned bean-curd skins and seasoned gourd (kampyo) strips are available from Asian specialist grocery stores. For rice vinegared water, add 1 tablespoon rice vinegar to medium bowl of cold water. Note

Bonito is an oily fish which, when dried and flaked, is widely used in the Japanese kitchen. You could serve the beans with Japanese mustard instead of the bonito and use dry white wine instead of sake. Note

Use a vegetable peeler to cut the cucumber into ribbons. If taking the salad to work for lunch, keep the dressing separate until ready to serve. Note

You could use beef sirloin or rib eye (scotch fillet) instead of the rump steak. Sukiyaki beef is available fresh and frozen from Asian grocery stores and selected supermarkets. A traditional sukiyaki pan is available from Japanese stores. Note

Shichimi togarashi (also known as seven-spice mix or seven-spice blend) is a Japanese spice blend. It is available from specialist spice shops and Asian grocery stores Note

A Western-influenced Japanese rice dish with prawn and fish in a creamy sauce.

The crunchy sesame seed crust on the tuna gives a nutty aroma while leaving the tuna rare. Note