AI-generated image
Cucumber-stuffed chikuwa (chikuwa kyuri)
Tubes of fish cake filled with cucumber and sliced into green-centred rounds
Chikuwa, the tube-shaped grilled fish cake sold in every Japanese supermarket, gets the simplest treatment of all in children's bento: a stick of crisp cucumber pushed through the hole and the tube sliced into rounds, so each piece looks like a little green-eyed wheel. It is cold, crunchy and gently savoury, ready in five minutes on a busy morning, and good as an after-school nibble too. Chikuwa is ready to eat; it contains fish and usually wheat and egg white, so check the label. Chef's tip: trim the cucumber stick to fit snugly; too fat and the chikuwa splits.
- Total time
- 5 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 2
Ingredients
- 4 chikuwa fish cakeschilled
To serve
- 1 tsp mayonnaise (optional)for dipping
- ½ tsp toasted sesame seeds (optional)
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (2)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Cut 1 Japanese or mini cucumber into sticks the same length as 4 chikuwa fish cakes and about as thick as the hole down the middle. Cut away the seedy core, which makes them watery.
Step 2: Push a cucumber stick through each chikuwa. The usual mistake is forcing in a stick that is too fat, which tears the tube; shave it thinner with a peeler until it slides in.
Step 3: Cut each tube on the diagonal into 4 or 5 rounds. Serve with 1 tsp mayonnaise and a sprinkle of ½ tsp toasted sesame seeds.
Step 4: Chikuwa must stay cold: pack in a lunchbox with an ice pack and eat within 5 hours. Keep the opened packet in the fridge and use by its date.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 80 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbs
- 8 g
- Fat
- 1 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does cucumber-stuffed chikuwa (chikuwa kyuri) take?
- About 5 minutes in total.
- How many people does it serve?
- 2 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of japanese or mini cucumber?
- Courgette, same weight (in salads, use young ones).
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Moreton Bay bugsSlipper lobster with garlic butter
Moreton Bay bugs are the flat, shovel-nosed slipper lobsters caught off the Queensland coast around Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast, and for Queenslanders they are a summer treat, split and grilled at the beach house. The tail meat is sweet and rich, somewhere between lobster and prawn. Buy them raw, frozen or fresh, from a fishmonger and ask them to halve them if you like. A common mistake is overcooking, which makes the meat rubbery; it is ready the moment it turns white. Chef's tip: grill flesh side down first to mark it, then turn and baste in the shell.
Australian
Yaki onigiriGrilled rice balls
Yaki onigiri (焼きおにぎり) are rice balls grilled until they form a crisp, toasty crust, then brushed with soy sauce glaze. They are eaten all over Japan, at izakaya, at barbecues and from the freezer section, as a snack or with miso soup. The inside stays soft and steamy while the outside crackles. Best eaten hot, straight from the pan. Chef's tip: let the shaped rice balls dry for 10 minutes before they go in the pan. A drier surface forms a better crust and won't stick, and the glaze goes on only at the end so it doesn't burn.
Miso soup
Miso soup (味噌汁) is drunk every day in homes all over Japan, at breakfast as well as dinner, beside a bowl of rice. The base is dashi; this vegan version uses kombu and dried shiitake instead of bonito, which gives it a deep, rounded flavour. Silken tofu and wakame seaweed are the classic fillings. It takes ten minutes; just remember not to boil the miso. Chef's tip: add the miso at the very end and never let it boil. Boiling kills the miso's fresh, fermented aroma; Japanese cooks say the soup should only 'smile', with the surface barely trembling.