Natto gohan (natto on rice)
納豆ご飯 · Whipped fermented soybeans with mustard over hot rice
Mito, the capital of Ibaraki Prefecture, is Japan's natto town, but this sticky, pungent breakfast is eaten in homes all over eastern Japan, usually before work with miso soup and a pickle. The fermented soybeans are beaten until they form long silky strings, seasoned, and spooned over steaming rice; they are packed with plant protein. Most packs come with a little sauce sachet that contains bonito fish stock, so for a vegan bowl leave it out and season with soy sauce as here. The common mistake is pouring in the sauce before you stir: whip the beans first, or they never get properly frothy. Chef's tip: stir about 50 times until the strings turn white and fluffy, then season and stir 10 more.
- Total time
- 5 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 1
Ingredients
- 1 ⅝ oz natto1 pack; discard the bonito sauce sachet for a vegan bowl
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 spring onionfinely sliced
- 0.5 sheet nori (optional)torn
- 2 drops toasted sesame oil (optional)
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Method
0/3 doneStep 1: Tip 1 ⅝ oz natto into a small bowl and stir vigorously with chopsticks in one direction about 50 times, until it is frothy, pale and very stringy.
1 minStep 2: Add 1 tsp soy sauce and ½ tsp Japanese hot mustard (karashi) and stir 10 more times, then mix in most of 1 spring onion.
1 minStep 3: Spoon over 6 ½ oz hot cooked Japanese short-grain rice, scatter over the rest of the spring onion and 0.5 sheet nori and add 2 drops toasted sesame oil if you like. To eat, lift the strings away with chopsticks by twirling them.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 380 kcal
- Protein
- 15 g
- Carbs
- 64 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does natto gohan (natto on rice) take?
- About 5 minutes in total.
- How many people does it serve?
- 1 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of soy sauce?
- Tamari, same amount (gluten free).
- What can I use instead of spring onion?
- Chives, or a little finely sliced onion.
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