Karanamasu (Sardine and Okara Vinegar Salad)

Name: Karanamasu (Sardine and Okara Vinegar Salad)
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: fried tofu pouch 1 sheet; soy sauce 1 tsp; sugar for fried tofu 1 tsp; cleaned sardine fillets 160 g; salt for curing 2 tsp; cucumber 0.5 piece; carrot 25 g; Japanese leek 0.5 stalk; okara soybean pulp 250 g; peanut powder 25 g; yuzu peel 5 g; miso 40 g; rice vinegar 50 ml; sugar for dressing 100 g

Quick answer

Total time: 45 min
Level: Medium
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients: 14

About this dish

Okara (soy pulp) is dry-toasted until crumbly, then mixed with vinegar-cured sardine, salted cucumber and carrot, and sweet simmered fried tofu, all held together by a thick peanut and miso dressing.

The dish comes from the Boso coast of Chiba, and each portion is squeezed by hand into a small rice-bale shape. Store-bought okara added straight from the pack carries too much water and turns the mix soggy, which is why it is toasted first. The salted vegetables and the vinegar-rinsed sardine also need to be well drained, or the shaped bales slump. Toasty okara, salty fish, sweet vinegared miso and yuzu peel land in a single bite.

Ingredients

servings

IngredientAmount

fried tofu pouch1 sheet

cleaned sardine fillets

cucumber½ piece

Japanese leek½ stalk

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Instructions

6 steps

1

Coat the sardines evenly with half of the curing salt and leave until firm.

Rinse them with about 1 tablespoon of the measured vinegar, pat dry, and chop finely.
2

Pour hot water over the fried tofu to remove excess oil and cut it small.

Simmer with the soy sauce and tofu sugar over low heat for about 3 minutes, until nearly dry.
3

Slice the cucumber thinly, julienne the carrot, and mince the leek.

Sprinkle the remaining salt over the cucumber and carrot, leave until softened, then squeeze them very dry.
4

Dry-roast the okara for about 5 minutes, breaking up lumps and removing excess moisture, then cool completely.

Mix the peanut powder, miso, remaining vinegar, and dressing sugar until the sugar dissolves.
5

Add the cooled okara, sardine, fried tofu, cucumber, carrot, and leek to the peanut miso dressing.

Mix until moist enough to hold together but with no liquid pooling.
6

Shred the yuzu peel and fold it in.

Divide into four portions and press each firmly into a small rice-bale shape before plating.