【Making Onion Koji for the First Time】 Expanding the Range of Easy Homemade Cooking

【Koji】

It has been a long-standing companion for the Japanese people.

It has become more widespread due to the recent 'kin-katsu' (probiotic activity) boom.

Starting with salt koji, we see soy sauce koji and amazake
more often in stores now.

But is it just a trend?

Personally, I don't want it to end as just a trend.

Once you use it, you can't go back.

It's simple and easy to use.

Above all,
it makes your body happy.

I stopped using chemical seasonings
thanks to koji.

I want to walk the path of beauty

along with koji.

A secret ambition.

【Onion Koji】

My favorite note creator, koz.
I found this in one of their articles.

【Veggie Koji】

Such an intriguing phrase.
This was what shattered my preconceived notions.

To think that vegetables and koji would get married...
The shock I felt at that moment.

This article introduced tomato koji and onion koji.

Ever since I read this, I've wanted to make it.

The yet-to-be-seen "onion koji"
My long-awaited dream.

＊

Time passed
New onions started being harvested in the field
and the time had finally come.

Fully prepared, I finally
took on the challenge of "making onion koji."

【How to make onion koji】

【Ingredients】
Onion 300g
Fresh koji 100g
Salt 35g

Just mix the koji and salt into the onion
that has been pureed in a food processor.

※Please make sure to sterilize the container.

Wow! Easy.

After that, put it in the yogurt maker "Kamoshiko"
and set it at 60°C for 6 hours.

Click here for more on Kamoshiko↓
I'm lazy, so I use salt koji. For impatient people, I recommend "Kamoshiko"

Of course, for households without a yogurt maker,
just stir it once a day.
It will be ready slowly but surely.

It seems it takes about a week at room temperature.

Waiting is also part of the fun of fermentation.

*

6 hours later.

It's done♡

It's a light brown color.

What started as the
[spicy scent] of onions
has changed into a [sweet scent].

The fluffy texture is also irresistible.

This looks promising.

Soups, dressings, stews, stir-fries

And besides that,

marinating meat or fish,
or mixing it with vegetables for pickles...

You can use it for anything.

Since onions themselves are packed with enzymes,
Koji + onion is like
a [power couple].

That's quite a power-up.

I am definitely excited.

I can't wait to use it right away.

What should I make first...
That's it! I'll try using it on some meat.

【I tried making ginger pork with onion koji】

【Ingredients】
Approx. 200g pork pieces
2 tsp onion koji
Appropriate amount of flour or potato starch

1 onion

A little ginger
1/2 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tbsp mirin
1/2 tbsp sake
※Mix these together beforehand
※This time I used about 4 slices of ginger
that I had put in ginger syrup.
Of course, ginger paste from a tube is also fine.

【Instructions】

① Rub the onion koji into the pork.

② Lightly coat the pork with flour or potato starch and cook both sides in a frying pan over medium heat.

③ Once it is cooked to some extent, add the sliced onion and cook until translucent.

④ Add the sauce and coat the meat.

Done

Since the onion koji is already salty, it is better to keep the sauce seasoning a bit light.

Finally, now.

The time has come for the true value of onion koji to be tested.

The result of the onion koji is...

・It's delicious (this goes without saying)

・The meat is tender!

・It has a subtle, sweet onion aroma.

・While salt koji is sticky, onion koji is relatively smooth, so it mixes easily. It's also easier to make.

The results this time.

...Our family of koji brothers has grown.

Eldest brother: Salt koji (fair-skinned but strong-willed and sturdy)
Second brother: Soy sauce koji (dark-skinned and looks a bit scary, but is actually kind)
Third brother: Onion koji (soft and stylish handsome guy. I imagine him as a mixed-race man)

What do you think?

Kireido

If we are meeting for the first time, click here →[Self-Introduction]