Konetsuke (Rice and Flour Griddle Cakes)

Quick answer

Total time: 30 min
Level: Easy
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients: 6

About this dish

Konetsuke is a Nagano griddle cake from the Hokushin and Toshin areas, developed as a practical way to use leftover cooked rice.

The rice is kneaded firmly with wheat flour and optional chopped green shiso, shaped into thick rounds or ovals, and browned on both sides in a lightly oiled pan. The cooked cakes are then coated in a simmering soy sauce and sugar glaze. Once used to stretch scarce rice and supplement a staple meal, konetsuke is now commonly eaten as a filling snack throughout the year.

Ingredients (4 servings)

Ingredient	Amount	Unit
leftover cooked rice	300	g
all-purpose flour	120	g
green shiso leaves	5	sheet
sugar	2	tbsp
soy sauce	2	tbsp
cooking oil	1	tbsp

Instructions

Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.

6 steps

1

Prep

Wash and dry the shiso leaves, then chop them very finely.

If the rice is cold and firm, loosen only the largest clumps by hand.
2

Prep

Put the rice, flour, and chopped shiso in a large bowl.

Knead for about 5 minutes, crushing the grains, until the flour is evenly distributed and the mixture holds together when pressed.
3

Prep

Roll the dough into a thick log and cut it into 1.5 cm slices.

Press each piece into a thick round or oval cake about 7 cm wide.
4

Control

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-low heat.

Cook the cakes for about 4 minutes per side, until both surfaces are golden and the centers are hot.
5

Control

Stir the sugar and soy sauce in a small pan over low heat.

When the sugar dissolves and small bubbles appear at the edge, add the cooked cakes.
6

Finish

Turn each cake once to coat both sides and remove from the heat within 1 minute.

Serve when the surfaces are glossy and only a thin layer of glaze remains.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: Leftover rice and flour are kneaded into one cohesive dough.
Finish cue: Serve when the surfaces are glossy and only a thin layer of glaze remains.