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One of the best culinary experiences you can have is teppanyaki. You can taste a lot of different flavours from one hot plate. Even if you can’t visit a teppanyaki restaurant, there are a lot of teppanyaki recipes you can try at home.
Is your mouth watering yet? If you are interested to know and try some delicious teppanyaki dishes, keep reading below.
The Art of Teppanyaki
Teppanyaki is one of the many treasures of Japanese cooking. This is more than just a style of cooking; it is an experience. It is known as a way of cooking or grilling your food on a flat iron surface. In teppanyaki, the flavours are enhanced and not covered. This style of cooking is known for being light on the seasoning. Anyone who loves food is sure to enjoy the teppanyaki experience.
The artistry of teppanyaki doesn’t just come in the flavour of the food; it includes most of the cooking process, from the sautéing and flipping of the food to the clangs and pangs the tools make. The whole teppanyaki experience is a symphony of different artistic approaches. That is why it appeals to all of your senses. If something can do that in just one sitting, then no doubt that teppanyaki is special.
Simple Teppanyaki Recipes
Teppanyaki is best experienced at a restaurant, but no one ever said you shouldn’t try it home. There are lots of teppanyaki dishes you can try at home. Once you’ve tasted something as good as teppanyaki, you are sure to want some more. But not everyone has time to visit a teppanyaki restaurant. That is why their best option is to recreate these recipes at home. If you want to try out teppanyaki at home, here are some simple recipes you should start with:
1. Fried Rice
A staple in Asian cuisine is rice. Ask any Asian you know, and they will tell you that every meal needs rice. But to take things up a notch, you can try making fried rice. All you need is pre-cooked rice, eggs, vegetables, a little seasoning, and you are good to go. This dish may sound simple, but anyone who’s tried it will never forget how it tastes.
2. Okonomiyaki
Who doesn’t love pancakes? But if you want to make it extra special, you can try making okonomiyaki. This is a savoury pancake made with cabbage, batter, and your choice of toppings. The beauty of okonomiyaki is that you can make it however you want. There is no absolute formula when making okonomiyaki. Take it from its name “okonomi”, which translates as “to one’s liking”.
3. Yaki Udon
You never thought you could make noodles on a grill, did you? Well, on a flat grill, you can. In Japanese cooking, one popular noodle dish that’s served in most casual spots is the yaki udon. This stir-fried noodle dish is characterised by thick noodles mixed with vegetables and different proteins. It also uses a sauce that mainly consists of soy sauce and mirin.
4. Meat
Here’s the thing about teppanyaki cooking, it’s a technique that’s suitable for different ingredients. When you have a flat grill, you can cook any meat you like in teppanyaki style. The common choices of protein are beef, pork, and chicken. But you don’t have to stop there. You can also have lobsters, fish, lamb, and other meats.
Things You’ll Need
Now that you know what kind of teppanyaki dishes you can make, it’s time to start cooking. But before you get on with that, you must also make sure you have the right equipment. The right tools can help you stay true to the teppanyaki experience. So just as you put on your chef’s hat, see to it that your kitchen is complete with all these things:
1. Griddle
The teppanyaki cooking style is derived from “teppan”, meaning iron plate and “yaki”, meaning grilled or pan-fried. The best way to recreate this is with a griddle. The flat and wide surface of a griddle is perfect for cooking different dishes at a time. You can also opt for an electric hot plate that you can set in the middle of your dining table.
2. Spatulas
One thing that makes the teppanyaki experience fun and exciting is the tossing around of the ingredients and banging of the spatulas. Now, no one is expecting you to throw around your tools at home. But you will need the spatulas to flip and stir your ingredients. And you may need more than one spatula to mix the ingredients together thoroughly.
3. Sharp Knife
Teppanyaki dishes require a lot of mixing and stirring. But you can’t do that if your ingredients aren’t chopped finely. That is why you need a really sharp knife to cut them up. You will also be dealing with big chunks of meat, and it’ll be hard to eat them if they are too big. Your knife should also come with a chopping board, so you have a place to cut your food up.
4. Tongs
Even in cooking, safety should always be a priority. And you will be dealing with a hot griddle. To make sure you don’t burn your hands when picking up your food, always have a pair of tongs on the side. This will give you a much easier time picking up and distributing your food to your family and friends.
5. Chopsticks
To really feel the Japanese eating experience, you should also prepare chopsticks for everyone. This will help complete the teppanyaki vibe at home. Using chopsticks won’t be too hard since you will be picking up bite-sized pieces. If your peers do have a hard time with chopsticks, having forks and knives is also acceptable.
The Best Teppanyaki Experience
Teppanyaki is more than just a cooking technique; it is an experience. It can pique at all your senses. That is why the best way to experience these teppanyaki recipes is to visit a teppanyaki restaurant. And if you ever find yourself in Surfer’s Paradise, Gold Coast, you should visit Asami. For more details and reservations, you can give us a call on (07) 5504 6158.
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