I made these Japanese style zucchini chips for lunch today. This crappy “summer” weather has me craving comfort food. It is so freaking cold. At least these crispy bites of goodness kept me warm. If you have never heard of Nanami togarashi, it is a Japanese chili and spice mix which is sold in most Asian stores. It contains chili pepper, orange peel, black sesame seeds, white sesame seeds, Japanese pepper, ginger and seaweed. It is a really balanced spice mixture. I normally use it when I make sushi.
This recipe is a small batch which serves 2 people.
Ingredients:
For the zucchini chips:
1 Zucchini, sliced into 1cm rounds
2 cups of panko breadcrumbs
1 cup of all-purpose flour
1 ½ tablespoons of Nanami Togarashi
1 tablespoon of white sesame seeds
Pinch of onion powder
Salt
2 eggs, beaten
For the Okonomiyaki Sauce:
½ cup of ketchup
3 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
1 ½ tablespoons of honey
Pinch of garlic powder
2 tablespoons of soy sauce
1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
Extras:
1 cup of vegetable oil for frying the zucchini
Chopped chives for decoration (optional)
Whisk together all of the ingredients for the Okonomiyaki sauce in a medium bowl. Set aside until ready to serve.
Have the coating ready. Place the beaten eggs in a small bowl. Place the flour with a pinch of salt in another bowl. Finally have a bowl ready with the panko, togarashi, sesame seeds, a pinch of onion powder and a good pinch of salt (make sure to mix it with a fork).
Grab a zucchini piece and coat it in the flour, then the eggs and finally in the panko mixture. Repeat until all the zucchini pieces are evenly coated.
Pour the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, carefully fry the zucchini in batches until they become golden. This will only take about 2-3 minutes per batch. Place them over paper towels while you fry the rest.
Serve with the zucchini fries with the Okonomiyaki Sauce and some chopped chives. I also sprinkled a bit of extra togarashi on the sauce. Enjoy!
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