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Chikuwa and Green Pepper Kinpira
Serves 2 · About 10 min
Chikuwa fish cake and green peppers stir-fried in sesame oil and glazed sweet-salty with soy sauce and mirin. One pan, 10 minutes. It’s tasty even cold, so it’s perfect for filling gaps in a bento.
① Cut the peppers and chikuwa→② Stir-fry in sesame oil→③ Coat with soy sauce and mirin
What to buy
Fish cakes
Vegetables
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🍱 What makes this good for a bento
A side dish that fills the gaps in a bento in 10 minutes on a busy morning.
- No raw meat or fish: chikuwa is already cooked, so there’s no need to keep washing the board and your hands
- Cook off the liquid: the sauce is cooked until no liquid is left. In the bento, nothing leaks onto the rice or other dishes
- Tasty even cold: the sesame oil and sweet-savory seasoning stay good when cold
- Color: the green of the pepper brightens up the bento
- Packing it: close the lid only after it has cooled completely. Trapped steam makes food spoil faster
How to make it
1
Cut the peppers and chikuwa
- Cut the peppers in half lengthwise, remove the seeds and stems, and cut lengthwise into 5 mm strips
- Cut the chikuwa in half lengthwise, then slice diagonally 5 mm wide
- In a small bowl, mix 1 tsp soy sauce and 2 tsp mirin (the sauce)
How to tell it's doneEverything is cut and the sauce is mixed.
2
Stir-fry in sesame oil
- Heat 2 tsp sesame oil in a frying pan over medium, add the peppers and stir-fry for 2 minutes
- Add the chikuwa and stir-fry 1 minute more
How to tell it's doneThe peppers are a little soft and bright green. The chikuwa is heated through.
3
Coat with soy sauce and mirin
- Pour the sauce around the pan and stir-fry with a spatula until the liquid is gone
- Turn off the heat, sprinkle with 1 tsp white sesame seeds and mix
- Taste it. If it’s bland, add 1/2 tsp soy sauce and mix
ReadyNo liquid is left in the pan, and the peppers and chikuwa are glossy with the sauce.
Be carefulFor a bento, close the lid only after it has cooled completely (trapped steam makes food spoil faster).
📚 Learn more about this dish
🥬 Ingredient guide
🔪 Cutting & cooking tips
If it didn't work out
It tastes blandWhen you taste in step 3, add soy sauce 1/2 tsp at a time.
It’s wateryThe heat was turned off before the liquid was gone in step 3. Next time, keep going until no liquid is left.
The peppers went limpThey were stir-fried too long in step 2. Next time, give the peppers just 2 minutes.
The peppers taste bitterCut them lengthwise in step 1. Cutting across brings out more bitterness.
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