Japanese Chicken Kinpira (鶏きんぴら)

This simple, lighting-fast Japanese dish teeters on the boundary of stir-fry and salad. A great packed lunch contender.

Known as ‘tori kinpura’, this quick Japanese dish is often made with lotus root or burdock stems, but nowadays carrots are more popular for their vivacious colour. You could combine some parsnips in the mix which can assimilate the earthy taste of burdock root quite well. This dish works great with rice and goes great in a bento box lunch as it doesn’t go soggy. Feel free to make it meat free if you prefer, it’s more often eaten meat-free actually and the carrots alone will be able to hold fort! Let’s go!

INGREDIENTS (serves 2x)

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

• 150g chicken/beef, minced or finely chopped

• 200g carrots, sliced into julienne

• 1/4 tsp dried chilli flakes

• 1/4 tsp black pepper

• 1 tsp sugar

• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce

• 1 tsp rice vinegar

• 1 tablespoon mirin - optional

• 1 tablespoon cooking sake/white wine - optional

• 1/4 tsp toasted sesame oil

• 1 tablespoon toasted white/black sesame seeds

WALKTHROUGH

1. First, slice the carrots into julienne. You may slice them by hand, by slicing the carrot on harsh diagonals then slicing them into matchsticks. Alternatively, you may use a julienne peeler for quicker results. Place the carrots into a bowl and set aside.

   

2. Place a wok or frying pan onto medium-high heat. Allow it to heat for 2-3 minutes to heat evenly.

3. Add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil followed by the 150g of chicken/beef. Stir-fry the meat until it forms distinct pieces, about 3-4 minutes.

   

4. Add the sliced carrots and toss everything together briefly. Add the 1/4 tsp chilli flakes, 1/4 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tablespoon light soy sauce, 1 tablespoon mirin (optional) and 1 tablespoon of cooking sake (optional). If omitting the mirin/sake, replace them with the same quantity of water.

   

   

5. Stir-fry the ingredients together on medium-high heat for just 30 seconds then turn off the heat. The carrots should still have a crunch though will be slightly wilted. Add the 1/4 tsp of toasted sesame oil followed by 1 tablespoon of toasted white/black sesame seeds. Toss until everything is coated.

   

6. Serve the salad straight away, or store it in the fridge for up to 3 days. The flavour and texture improves greatly the day after and beyond. Enjoy!