Bored of consuming diet-friendly meals and craving something juicy and flavourful? Look no further. Try out the iconic homemade karaage. This Japanese delicacy matches all your benchmarks – crunchy, flavour-packed, succulent and irresistible. If you believe non-vegetarian starters are challenging to make at home, this dish will surely change your notion.

Indulging in my mum’s homemade karaage is a Sunday ritual I look forward to. From Monday to Saturday, I am a health-conscious individual, incorporating boring healthy dishes in my diet. However, on Sundays, you meet a new me. Once the clock strikes six, I sit near the Television with a full plate of karaage and Japanese mayonnaise. Yes, a full plate of deep-fried karaage! As I said, on Sundays, terms like ‘DIET’ or ‘HEALTHY EATING’ don’t exist in my dictionary. I tried karaage at various places – my relatives’ home, friends’ residences, social gatherings, and even in fancy restaurants. However, none of it matched my mommy’s taste. I believe there is some magic in her hands.

Want to try more such recipes? Try these next:

• Chicken Nanban
• Fried Chicken Wings
• Nagoya Style Fried Chicken

What is Karaage?

Karaage is a superb street food and a beloved bento lunch box meal. If you haven’t tried karage yet and are unaware of its popularity, I suggest you visit Japanese eateries on weekends. They are crowded. After sushi and yakitori, karaage is the most ordered dish in restaurants. Before starting with the recipe, I have a friendly note for you. If you’re hosting a party and inviting guests fond of Japanese cuisine, remember to add karaage for its incredible taste. It will make you a star of the party.

Ingredients

To make this super-crunchy homemade karaage, my mommy uses:

• 1.5 lbs chicken thighs (boneless)
• ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt

Before deep-frying chicken thighs, she marinades them with the following ingredients:

• ½ teaspoon ginger
• ½ teaspoon sesame oil (toasted)
• ½ tablespoon sake
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 garlic clove

To deep-fry lip-smacking karaage, she uses:

• Neutral oil

Before frying karaage, she coats the chicken thighs nicely with up to

• Two tablespoons of cornstarch and two tablespoons of refined flour.
• She serves these homemade karaage with Japanese kewpie mayonnaise, lemon wedges, and shichimi togarashi.

Now, the question arises: What if any of these ingredients are unavailable? No worries! If any of these ingredients are unavailable, replace them with these:

• Chicken thighs

Chill thighs (skin-on) are a prime ingredient of authentic Japanese-style karroge. Chicken thighs are effortlessly available at meat stalls. However, you may ask the butcher to remove the skin from chicken thighs if you want to try a new variant of this dish.

• Sake

You have two alternatives – skip it or replace it with other ingredients. You may use Chinese rice wine or dry sherry as a substitute for sake. This dish tastes superb even without sake.

• Potato starch

You may use corn starch instead. Or, you may also use rice flour.

• Refined flour

These days, people prefer gluten-free products. If you also avoid eating gluten products, skip refined flour and include any of these starches.

Storage and Reheating guide:

• You may store crispy karaage in the refrigerator for up to five days by placing them in an airtight container.
• If you want to save it for a longer (say, six months), keep them in the freezer.
• To reheat crispy karaage, place them in the oven. Don’t remove until they are piping hot and crispy. It will take you up to ten minutes.

However, I don’t like storing the leftovers. I like eating freshly made karaage.