Fu no Karashi-ae (Wheat Gluten with Mustard Miso)
Quick answer
- Total time
- 75 min
- Level
- Easy
- Servings
- 10 servings
- Ingredients
- 7
About this dish
Fu no karashi-ae is a Buddhist vegetarian dish from the Reihoku area of Fukui.
Read more
Rehydrated square fu and salt-rubbed cucumber are dressed with vinegar, miso, sugar, and pungent Japanese mustard. Fu is not bran; it is a light, porous food made from wheat gluten, and once squeezed it readily absorbs the mustard vinegar miso. The dish has long been served at Hoonko, the major annual Jodo Shinshu observance, as well as funerals and memorial services, where fu and miso provide useful protein without meat or fish. Blooming the mustard before mixing preserves its sharp aroma, while a 30-minute rest leaves the cucumber crisp and the fu thoroughly seasoned.
Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Season
Slice the cucumbers into 3 mm rounds, rub lightly with a pinch of salt, rest 10 minutes, and squeeze firmly dry.
- 2Prep
Soak the dried fu in cold water until soft through the center, press firmly between both hands to remove water, and cut each piece into quarters.
- 3Step
Add 2 teaspoons hot water to the mustard powder and grind until sharply aromatic.
Invert the mortar and leave 30 minutes to retain the aroma.
- 4Season
Work the miso until smooth, mix in vinegar and sugar until dissolved, then add the bloomed mustard to make the dressing.
- 5Finish
Toss cucumber and fu evenly with the dressing and refrigerate 30 minutes.
Mix gently once more and divide among ten plates.
Practical Cooking Checks
The cues that matter most while cooking.
- Key technique
- Rehydrated square fu absorbs the mustard miso dressing.
- Finish cue
- Soak the dried fu in cold water until soft through the center, press firmly between both hands to remove water, and cut each piece into quarters.
- Storage and reheating
- Toss cucumber and fu evenly with the dressing and refrigerate 30 minutes.
Cooking decision evidence
Calculated Charim data and applicable official food safety guidance.
This recipe
75min, 7 ingredients
Category median
22min, 7 ingredients
Based on 261 recipes
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