Jelly Fry (Okara and Potato Fritters)
Quick answer
- Total time
- 65 min
- Level
- Medium
- Servings
- 20 servings
- Ingredients
- 11
About this dish
Jelly fry is a snack from Gyoda in Saitama, made by kneading okara with skin-steamed potato, carrot, onion, flour, and egg.
Read more
The mixture is shaped like an oval coin and fried directly without breadcrumbs. Jelly does not refer to dessert: the name is thought to have evolved from zeni fry, or coin fry, after its koban-like shape. A Gyoda teahouse owner who had served in the Russo-Japanese War is said to have adapted it from a vegetable bun of northeastern China, and it was common by the late Meiji period. The hot fritters are briefly dipped in a six-to-four blend of Worcestershire and chuno sauces.
Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Prep
Wash 300g potatoes with their skins on and steam for 20 to 25 minutes.
When a skewer passes easily through the centers, peel them while hot and mash until no lumps remain.
- 2Step
Finely mince 60g carrot and 70g onion to pieces no larger than 3mm.
Put 340g fresh okara in a large bowl and press and fold it with the palm for 3 minutes to remove large air pockets.
- 3Season
Add the mashed potato, minced carrot and onion, 40g flour, 1 egg, 3g salt, and 1g pepper to the okara.
Knead for 3 to 4 minutes until no dry flour remains and a squeezed portion holds without cracking.
- 4Prep
Divide the mixture into 20 portions of about 43g.
Press out air between the palms and shape each into a flat oval coin about 7cm long, 4cm wide, and 1.5cm thick, smoothing any cracks at the edges.
- 5Heat
Heat 1000ml frying oil to 160°C in a deep heavy pot.
Add 4 pieces at a time without letting them touch and fry for 4 to 5 minutes, turning once, until both sides are golden.
- 6Heat
Split open one fritter from the first batch and confirm the center is hot with no wet egg-and-flour paste.
Drain fully cooked jelly fries on a rack for only 30 seconds, and return the oil to 160°C before each remaining batch.
- 7Finish
Mix 60ml Worcestershire sauce and 40ml chuno sauce in a wide bowl for a six-to-four blend.
Dip each freshly fried jelly fry for 2 seconds per side, place on a rack for 30 seconds, and serve warm.
Practical Cooking Checks
The cues that matter most while cooking.
- Key technique
- Okara and steamed potato shaped without breadcrumbs
- Finish cue
- Add 4 pieces at a time without letting them touch and fry for 4 to 5 minutes, turning once, until both sides are golden.
Cooking decision evidence
Calculated Charim data and applicable official food safety guidance.
This recipe
65min, 11 ingredients
Category median
30min, 8 ingredients
Based on 162 recipes
Use-up ingredient planner
Turn these ingredients into two more meals
The overlap excludes basic seasonings. Open the next recipe and your selected dishes will stay with you.
Japanese Korokke (Crispy Panko Potato and Beef Croquette)
potatoes, wheat flour
Loco Moco Rice Bowl (Hawaiian Beef Patty Gravy Rice Bowl)
wheat flour, egg
Cornish Pasty (British Hand Pie with Beef and Root Vegetables)
potatoes, wheat flour