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Vegetarian

Kakiage don

Kakiage don is a Japanese dish for 4 people made of crispy vegetable fritters set on a bowl of rice and drizzled with sweet soy sauce. It takes 40 minutes to make, has a medium difficulty level, and costs €2.30 per serving. The key to success is a barely mixed batter and hot oil for a light, lacy fritter.

Tonight we're heading to Japan with a kakiage don, crispy vegetable fritters set on a bowl of rice and drizzled with a sweet soy sauce.

Kakiage don
Total time
40 min
Difficulty
Medium
Cost per person
€2.30
Calories per person
540 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Summer, Fall, Spring

Kakiage don plays on contrast, the crunch of the fritters against the soft rice that soaks up the sweet soy sauce underneath. Carrots, sweet potato, onion and peas each bring their own texture, from crisp to tender, all in one golden, light bite when the frying is done right.

This is a dish to make when you have a bit of time ahead of you, more of a Sunday evening project or a way to break from weekday routine. It appeals to fans of Japanese cooking and anyone curious to try something beyond a plain rice bowl, but it takes a bit of frying skill, so it's not the best pick for a rushed night with young kids underfoot.

The ingredients

4 people

Pantry

  • Japanese riceoften in the pantry 300 g
  • Flouroften in the pantry 120 g
  • Frying oiloften in the pantry 50 cl
  • Soy sauceoften in the pantry 5 tbsp
  • Honeyoften in the pantry 2 tbsp
  • Rice vinegar (or cider vinegar)often in the pantry 1 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Fruits and vegetables

  • Onion 1
  • Carrots 2
  • Sweet potato 1
  • Scallions 3

Frozen foods

  • Peas 100 g

Dairy

  • Egg 1

Allergens Gluten, Eggs, Soy

The step by step recipe

  1. Rinse the rice, cook it in salted water covered, then let it rest. 20 min

    Use one and a half times its volume in water for sticky rice.

  2. Mix the soy sauce, honey, vinegar and 5 tablespoons of water, heat for 2 minutes and set aside. 3 min

    The sauce should be slightly syrupy once it cools.

  3. Cut the onion into strips, the carrots and sweet potato into thin sticks, add the peas and scallions.

    Cut everything thin, the vegetables need to cook in just a few minutes.

  4. Beat the egg with 15 cl of ice cold water, fold in the flour quickly, then coat the vegetables in the batter.

    Don't whisk, a few strokes with chopsticks are enough.

  5. Drop spoonfuls of vegetables into oil at 170 °C, brown them, drain and place them on the rice drizzled with sauce. 10 min

    Push the spoonful off with a spatula in the oil, the fritter stays flat and crispy.

Our tips to get it right

  • Drain the vegetables well before coating them in batter, excess water makes the oil spit and leaves the fritter soggy.
  • Fry in several small batches instead of all at once, the oil temperature drops fast if you add too much at a time.
  • Serve the rice while it's still warm and pour the sauce right before adding the fritters, it should moisten the rice without softening the crunch.

The variations

  • Swap the sweet potato for kabocha squash in the fall, its soft texture works just as well in a fritter.
  • For an egg free version, use a ready made tempura batter mix with very cold sparkling water, the result stays light.
  • To save time, shape smaller, thinner fritters, they cook in half the time and stay just as crispy.

What to serve it with

  • Light miso soup starter
  • Japanese green tea
  • Vinegared cucumber salad

Storage

Keep the rice and sauce separately in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 2 days. The fritters are best eaten the same day, they lose their crunch as they cool and don't freeze well.

Questions about this dish

Can you make the batter ahead of time?

No, mix the batter right before frying. It loses its lightness if it sits, and the fritters turn out less crispy once cooked.

What oil should you use for frying?

A neutral oil like sunflower or grapeseed works best. Skip olive oil, its flavor is too strong for this dish.

How do you know when the oil is hot enough?

Drop a bit of batter into the oil, it should rise right away with a sizzle. Without a thermometer, that's your sign it's around 170 °C.

Can you swap out the peas?

Yes, finely cut green beans or sweet corn work just as well. The key is keeping the vegetables cut thin so they cook quickly.

How long does it take to make a kakiage don?

Count 40 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “medium”.

How many calories are in a kakiage don?

About 540 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a kakiage don cost?

About €2.30 per serving, or €9.20 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains gluten, eggs, soy. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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