Japan – Korokke

by Zayna Khan

This dish is a Japanese deep-fried version of YOSHOKU. This is a type of CROQUETTE, which is actually a deep-fried or shallow-fried kind of cutlets. This dish is made with meat like chicken, beef, seafood or you can add vegetables to it. You can make it either a healthy version by adding only vegetables or just like a meat nugget. This is a very versatile dish that can be made with any ingredient you like. It is then rolled into the white flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs. Breadcrumbs are especially Japanese style used in making this dish.

This dish is made as a snack, like a dinner and then it is usually cooked at the festivals like Japanese new year. This is shapes like a ball, cylinder, elongated shaped. They are more like nuggets but have a different filling. Fillings can be made of different elements like cheese, sauce, soft vegetable paste, mince, etc.

This dish is served as Snacks, Fast food, side dish, main dish, etc. This is served on any occasion like festivals and usual lunch boxes for kids. They are loved because they have special effects like a fried chicken. Because they used the same coating for the crispy layer which is used in the fried chicken. It is served with different types of sauces like hot sauce, ketchup, tahini sauce, Béchamel sauce, etc.

Different kinds of korokke is cooked and sold in Japan like :

CREAM KOROKKE

In cream korokke, we have the same-looking dish. Like a deep-fried crispy cutlet which is when cut, the white cream sauce is melted out. This is loved by the Japanese people. It is very tough to make this dish, we have to add fillings to the main base of the korokke. Then handle with care while deep frying. Sometimes, the sauce melts out of the korokke while frying and ruin the whole oil for frying. So this dish is very hard to make but it is an all-time favorite.

It can be prepared with potato with some onions, carrots. It is not necessary to make it either full vegetarian or non-vegetarian. We can add meat chunks into potato cutlets and then add some melting material to make it creamy from the inside. Like we can add cheese, white sauce, Béchamel sauce, Ragout, etc. This dish is served with no sauce because of having a lot of sauce inside.

TONKATSU

Tonkatsu is a similar dish to korokke. But this is only made up of pork meat. They are known as PORK CUTLET, PORK-KATSU, PORK KOROKKE, etc. This is more like a flat patty in which pork mince is used and different kinds of herbs are added to make it more delicious. It is usually cooked on low heat because the fat of pork meat melts and it retains the juiciness. The thing which makes this dish similar to the korokke is the outer layer of coating.

They also dipped into eggs and then Japanese breadcrumbs. This dish is like by Japanese people and usually cooked on daily basis. It has a special sauce with which this dish is served, Tonkatsu sauce and cabbage salad.

MENCHI-KATSU

Menchi-katsu is more like a burger patty or beef patty. It is made up of meat usually beef and pork. Sometimes, beef and pork meats are used in this dish in a half and half ratio. This makes the patty juicier because of the fat content of the pork meat. Menchi katsu is breaded and deep-fried cutlets of beef. It is sometimes used in making Japanese-style burgers. But it is a very tasty snack and a side dish. Beef meat is mixed with pork meat and then spices are added, coated with breadcrumbs, and deep-fried.

KOROKKE SOBA

Korokke soba is also a different style Japanese dish in which we usually mixed two main Japanese dishes like soba and korokke. This dish is a fusion of two dishes. Soba is Japanese style wheat noodles and it is served with adding the korokke patty on the top of the special noodles and known as Korokke soba. Soba has the addition of meat and vegetables, instead of that korokke are added.

COOKING TECHIQUE USED IN MAKING KOROKKE

DEEP FRYING

Deep frying is also known as FAT FRYING. This is when oil half the pot is added and to fry the korokke into it. It is not a healthy version technique but it has given great flavors and amazing crispiness to the patties. We have two things in mind while deep frying is the temperature of the oil and the timing of frying.

TEMPERATURE OF FRYING

The best temperature for deep frying is 350 to 375 degrees F. It is the best temperature to get the crispy layer and amazing color to the patties. We can retain the juiciness of the meat, with amazing crispiness and the best color to admire the appearance.

TIMING OF FRYING

On 350 degrees F, we should fry the korokke for 3 to 5 minutes to get perfect color and crispiness.

MAIN ELEMENTS OF THE DISH

There are few main elements from which we can make this dish :

MEAT

We can make this dish by adding meat with some vegetables and spices then mixed it up. This is then shaped into desirable shapes and coat with eggs and crumbs. This is then deep-fried.

• Beef
• Chicken
• Pork
• Seafood
• Clams
• Fish
• Baniko
• Cartilages
• Muscles, etc

VEGETABLES

This dish is also made as vegetarian version by using the vegetables like :

• Potato
• Spinach
• Carrots
• Yams
• Asparagus
• Onions, etc

SEAFOOD

• Crab
• shrimp
• Salmon
• Tuna
• Octopus
• Prawns
• Lobster, etc

FILLING FOR CREAM KOROKKE

For Cream korokke, we have to add Béchamel sauce inside this korokke. When it deep-fried, the sauce melts and when cut, it comes out of the cutlets like cheese and tastes amazing.

BECHAMAL SAUCE

Béchamel sauce is a sauce made up of milk, white flour, butter, and cheese if required. Some seasonings are added like salt, black pepper and then cook till it thickened. Béchamel sauce is known as ”Mother Of Sauces”

When cheese is added to this white Béchamel sauce, it is known as MORNAY SAUCE.

VARIETIES OF KOROKKE

• Potato korokke : Korokke is made by using potato as the main element
• Guratan korokke : Korokke is made by any meat and filled with white sauce macaroni
• Yassai korokke : Korokke is made by using mixed vegetables like spinach, potato, peas, corns, etc.
• Cream Korokke : By adding white Bechamel sauce as a filling inside the korokke.
• Curry Korokke : Curry is added as a filling of the korokke.
• Tuna korokke : Tuna is main ingredients of the korokke.

INGREDIENTS OF THE KOROKKE

POTATO AND MEAT MIXED KOROKKE

• Potato : 4 large ( boiled )
• Chicken : 250 grams ( boneless boiled )
• Beef mince : 250 grams ( boiled )
• Green onions : 4 tablespoons
• Kosher salt : 1 teaspoons
• Black pepper : 1 teaspoons
• Mirin : 1 teaspoon
• Butter : 4 tablespoons
• Vegetable oil : for frying

COATING

• White flour : 1/2 cup
• Eggs : 3
• Bread crumbs : 1 cup

COOKING METHOD

• Add butter into a pan with onions and let them simmer together.
• Now add boiled meat, beef and chicken into them and cook them together for moisture to absorbed quickly.
• On a side mash the boiled potatoes into smooth consistency.
• Now add these mashed potatoes into the meat and onion mixture with seasonings, like salt, pepper, mirin, etc.
• Cook for a while and let them cool.
• When mixture is cool down properly, take small amount of mixture in a hand and make cylindrical shaped korokke.
• When all the korokke are formed, let them set in refrigerator for 10 minutes.
• Turn on the heat of the oil to get desired temperature.
• Dip these korokke into the flour, then eggs and coat it with the bread crumbs.
• When oil is properly heat up, add these korokke into the oil and fry them.
• Fry them until golden browned.
• Serve it with Tonkatsu sauce.
• Enjoy 🙂