Skip to content

Fish

Karei no nitsuke with rice

Karei no nitsuke is a Japanese dish of flounder simmered in a sweet soy ginger sauce, served with rice and sautéed spinach. It serves 4, takes 30 minutes, is easy to make, and costs about €4.60 per person. The key to success is balancing the sweet and salty sauce and basting the fish regularly as it cooks.

Tonight, a simple Japanese dish, flounder simmered in a sweet soy and ginger sauce, served with white rice.

Karei no nitsuke with rice
Total time
30 min
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€4.60
Calories per person
470 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Fall, Winter, Spring

Cooked this way, flounder turns tender and almost glazed, thanks to the soy sauce reduced with sugar and white wine. Sliced ginger adds a fresh edge that lifts the dish without overpowering it, and the white rice soaks up the sauce perfectly. It's a nice change from plain pan seared fish, with more character but nothing complicated.

This is a great recipe for a weeknight when you want something a bit different without spending hours in the kitchen. The sautéed spinach adds color and texture, and the whole meal stays simple in both steps and cleanup. Mon Chou likes this dish for how much flavor it delivers with so little effort.

The ingredients

4 people

Fish counter

  • Whole flounder or fillets 4

Fruits and vegetables

  • Fresh ginger 30 g
  • Fresh spinach 300 g

Pantry

  • Soy sauceoften in the pantry 6 tbsp
  • Sugaroften in the pantry 3 tbsp
  • Dry white wineoften in the pantry 10 cl
  • Rice vinegaroften in the pantry 1 tbsp
  • Sushi riceoften in the pantry 300 g
  • Sesame seedsoften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Sunflower oiloften in the pantry 1 tsp

Allergens Fish, Soy, Gluten

The step by step recipe

  1. Rinse the rice in several changes of water, then cook it in an equal volume of water, covered. 15 min

    Let it rest for ten minutes without lifting the lid.

  2. Score the skin of the flounder lightly to keep it from bursting during cooking.

    Rinse and pat them dry before putting them in the sauce.

  3. In a wide pan, bring the soy sauce to a boil with the sugar, white wine, vinegar, 10 cl of water and the sliced ginger. 3 min

    The sauce should be balanced between sweet and salty, taste it as you go.

  4. Place the fish in the pan, cover with a perforated piece of parchment paper and let it simmer, basting regularly. 12 min

    The paper, set directly on the fish, helps spread the liquid evenly.

  5. Sauté the spinach in a pan, then serve the fish with its sauce, the rice and the sesame seeds.

    Press the spinach well to remove the water, otherwise it turns soggy.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick flounder that's really fresh, the flesh holds together better during cooking and lifts cleanly off the bone.
  • Use a pan wide enough that the fish pieces don't overlap, otherwise the sauce won't coat them evenly.
  • Taste the sauce before adding the fish and adjust the sugar or vinegar to your liking, it should taste bright and balanced.

The variations

  • Swap the flounder for sole or cod fillets if you can't find it, the cooking time stays about the same.
  • For a vegetarian version, replace the fish with firm tofu, seared then simmered in the same sauce.
  • To save time, use flounder fillets instead of whole fish, they cook faster and skip the bones.

What to serve it with

  • Unsweetened Japanese green tea
  • A bowl of miso soup to start
  • Pickled vegetables on the side

Storage

The fish and its sauce keep for 2 days in the fridge in a sealed container. This dish doesn't freeze well, the fish texture would suffer. Reheat gently in a pan with a bit of sauce so the flesh doesn't dry out.

Questions about this dish

Can you make the sauce ahead of time?

Yes, you can make the sauce the day before and keep it in the fridge. Warm it gently before adding the fish so it cooks properly.

Do you need to clean the flounder yourself?

Ask your fishmonger to prep the flounder, it's quicker and easier. They can also fillet it for you if you'd rather skip the bones.

Can you replace the white wine with something else?

You can use mirin instead if you have it, the sauce will taste a bit sweeter. Otherwise, a little water with an extra pinch of sugar works fine too.

Is this dish good for kids?

Bones in whole flounder mean you need to watch little ones closely. With boneless fillets, it becomes much easier to serve to them.

How long does it take to make a karei no nitsuke with rice?

Count 30 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in a karei no nitsuke with rice?

About 470 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 karei no nitsuke with rice cost?

About €4.60 per serving, or €18.40 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

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

Rice recipes

See all

Fish and seafood dishes

See all