The Manga Cookbook

I went through most of my life without Japanese food. Except for ramen. Gross ramen from gross plastic packets with gross shrivelled vegetable bits. Then at some fancy store opening five years ago, I tried some tiny teriyaki chicken sushi and I couldn’t believe my tastebuds. Since then I’ve been much more adventurous, and have had yakitori, udon, bento boxes, you name it. My mum sometimes spoiled me with teppanyaki lunches. I friggin love sashimi, tempura anything and katsu curry.

Anywho I never prepared anything Japanese till recently. Now I’m not the best cook unless it involves an oven. I try but my stove skills are mediocre at best. My friends cruelly laugh that I can’t teach anyone to cook but I can teach people to make friends who know how to. So imagine my joy when I found The Manga Cookbook. Manga + recipes in the form of step-by-step instructions = WIN.

Here are the recipes for tonkatsu and rice burgers.

Tonkatsu

Panko (fine breadcrumbs)
2 pork tenderloin slices
1 egg mixed with two tbsp water
Flour
Oil for frying 

Cut any gristle off the pork and season to taste.
Put the flour in one bowl, egg in the second, panko in the third and coat the pork in this assembly order.
Heat the oil on medium and add the pork. Fry each side for about three minutes.
Once the cutlet is golden-brown, rest it on a paper towel and drain off excess oil. Serve warm.

Rice Burgers

Like the bread on a sandwich, rice patties can hold just about anything in between. Fillings can be beef patties, tonkatsu, fish, fried chicken, avocado, cheese, sausage, cucumber or whatever takes your fancy. Use mayo, wasabi, soy sauce and sweet chilli sauce or another other condiment you like.

Place a quarter cup of cooked rice into a plastic bag and mould it into the shape and size of a hamburger bun half.
Add a teeny amount of butter/oil to a frying pan and set over medium heat. Tilt the pan until it melts and coats the bottom.
Add the rice buns to the pan and cook until firm but not toasted.
Place anything you want between the rice buns. 

What’s Japanese for voila?!

P.S. They’re a bit cooler in the book.