Furaido onion / onion chippu / fried oinion

A handy, toasty and crunchy topping or deep-tasting ingredient for lots of Southeast Asian dishes and more. While widely available at Asian grocery stores, it is very easy to make at home under the sun or in the oven using remaining heat after cooking other dishes. Being homemade translates into flexibility -- using minimum oil and no additional salt in this case. Shallots and garlic can be prepared in the same way.

Whole recipe (21 g):
97 calories; 2.1 g protein; 2.2 g fat; 18.7 g carbohydrate; 15.3 g net carbs; 4 mg sodium; 2 mg cholesterol; 3.4 g fiber; 318 mg potassium

Okara-konnyaku no nikumiso-fu / sweet and salty fried ground soybean pulp yam cakes

A meaty meat-less topping for noodles, rice and more. This is the latest popular creation using okara soybeans at our house. It also features gobo burdock root and dried shiitake mushrooms for deeper taste, aroma and variation in texture. Its strong flavor translates into keeping longer in the fridge. One major disadvantage is that Tom wants to eat more than he should. This is made to fit a sodium savvy diet, but take care with how much you eat.

Whole recipe (with okara-konnyaku made with nagaimo Chinese yam):
311 calories; 12.4 g protein; 13.1 g fat; 43.8 g carbohydrate; 21.0 g net carbs; 972 mg sodium; ０ mg cholesterol; 22.8 g fiber

1 heaping tablespoon (4 tsp/20 g; 1/10 of recipe):
28 calories; 1.1 g protein; 1.2 g fat; 4.0 g carbohydrate; 1.9 g net carbs; 88 mg sodium; ０ mg cholesterol; 2.1 g fiber

Okara-konnyaku / soybean pulp yam cakes

Okara-konnyaku is a hybrid of okara soybean pulp (rich in soluble fiber) and konnyaku yam cake (rich in non-soluble fiber), and has been around for more than a decade in Japan. It is mainly used as a meat substitute for health, weight loss and diet preference reasons. As with konnyaku, okara-konnyaku becomes very chewy after being frozen and defrosted. While konnyaku simply become fibrous after the same process or tofu becomes spongy (like koyadofu freeze-dried tofu after rehydration), okara-konnyaku takes on a meaty texture. Among dishes I have tried, it seems to work best when used like ground meat, especially poultry and pork. Because it is basically fiber, it is very filling by itself. Moreover, it does not cause any heartburn or upset stomach in people who are not accustomed to eating meat, such as myself. This would be a great option for those who routinely eat meat and want to cut back to reduce fat or calories or for other health reasons. You would not notice that your hamburger patties or meat loaf contains okara-konnyaku if the proportion is moderate.

You can find a number of preparation methods and ingredient proportions. Below is my current standard way of making okara-konnyaku at home.

100 g okara-konnyaku, boiled:
52 calories; 2.6 g protein; 1.4 g fat; 8.5 g carbohydrate; 2.0 g net carbs; 3 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 6.5 g fiber

100 g okara-konnyaku, defrosted:
63 calories; 3.1 g protein; 1.7 g fat; 10.4 g carbohydrate; 2.5 g net carbs; 3 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 7.9 g fiber

100 g okara-konnyaku, excess water removed:
86 calories; 4.3 g protein; 2.3 g fat; 14.0 g carbohydrate; 3.3 g net carbs; 4 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 10.7 g fiber

Guriin oriibu no chuuka-aji / Chinese-flavored green olives

An experiment on simultaneous desalination and flavoring with a Chinese taste. Instead of adding salt to water to draw out the excess sodium of olives, I used shaoxing wine along with a couple of Chinese spices. As hoped, finished olives have very mild saltiness while imparting soft spiciness from Sichuan peppercorns and deep aroma of star anise. They work great as a Chinese pickle substitute.

Benishoga / red pickled ginger

Unlike the bright red of store-bought pickled ginger, benishoga takes on a pinkish hue when made at home in the traditional way. It is as easy as getting rid of the excess moisture of ginger by salting or drying it, and marinating in brine produced by plums during the umeboshi-making process.

Below, shinshoga [new crop ginger] is sun-dried and soaked in the brine of anzuboshi pickled apricots. The finished benishoga offers a combination of flavors: softly salty, sharp, spicy and even fruity.

Whole recipe (56 g solids)
27 calories; 0.8 g protein; 0.3 g fat; 5.9 g carbohydrate; 4.0 g net carbs; 231 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 1.9 g fiber

Oriibu no shionuki / desalination of olives

Finding olives with lower sodium content at stores is nice, but they still contain quite a bit of salt. Tom tends to end up eating more than he probably should, thinking each fruit is small ... one more is OK ... another is still OK ... maybe one more ...

Soaking olives in water with a tiny amount of salt can take care of desalination. 

According to my kitchen tests, when olives are soaked in cold water (50F/10C), their sodium content is reduced by approximately 30% after 1 hour, 40-50% after 2 hours, and 60+% after 3 hours.

Feta chiizu no shionuki / desalinating feta cheese

Long before we started reduced-sodium cooking, I learned to avoid feta cheese at restaurants and delis in this country, as feta makes dishes uncomfortably salty (partly because way too much cheese is used). At home, you can choose feta cheese with lower sodium content (although still high compared to most other cheese) and use the amount you need. Better yet, desalinating can easily solve the issue.

Test results from my kitchen experiments show that soaking feta cheese in a mixture of milk and water for 3-4 hours lowers sodium content by 35-50%.

Desalination speed mainly depends on the proportion of cheese and liquid as well as on the size of cheese chunks, The more liquid (milk + water) you use, the faster cheese desalinates. Also, when cheese chunks are smaller, they desalinate faster than when soaking a larger block.

Teuchi udon / handmade wheat noodles

Udon noodles made without adding salt! Using boiling water for dough appears to be a common technique with commercially available salt-free udon. But they don't share other secrets to achieve a chewy yet sticky texture. Some people suggest using milk or tofu as a (partial) replacement for water, while others say water alone gives satisfactory results. Below is my best attempt so far, based on a bread-making technique using yudane water roux (flour gelatinization).

1/2 recipe (average to large 1-person portion):
385 calories; 10.5 g protein; 2.8 g fat; 75.2 g carbohydrate; 73.1 g net carbs; 14 mg sodium (basically 0 mg after boiling); 3 mg cholesterol; 2.1 g fiber

Whole recipe:
770 calories; 21.1 g protein; 5.5 g fat; 150.4 g carbohydrate; 146.2 g net carbs; 28 mg sodium (basically 0 mg after boiling); 6 mg cholesterol; 4.2 g fiber

Gomadashi / fish sesame paste

I first encountered the expression gomadashi on a website introducing regional udon specialties. It is a paste made of grilled fish, sesame seeds, soy sauce and sweetener. The paste's name does not intuitively convey how tasty it is. It is typically served with udon wheat noodles. It is also good with rice and as an addition to a number of dips and dressings. When making the paste, grilling the fish takes the longest, and once it is done, the paste should keep in the fridge for a relatively long time -- 4 weeks when made with regular soy sauce is what people say, so probably 2+ weeks with the reduced sodium version below.

1 tbsp (20g):
56 calories; 3.8 g protein; 3.4 g fat; 2.8 g carbohydrate; 2.0 g net carbs; 190 mg sodium (with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce & shoyukoji made with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce); 5 mg cholesterol; 0.8 g fiber

Whole recipe (approx. 170g):
476 calories; 32.5 g protein; 28.8 g fat; 23.7 g carbohydrate; 16.7 g net carbs; 1,601 mg sodium (with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce & shoyukoji made with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce); 42 mg cholesterol; 7.0 g fiber

Yuzu miso / sweet miso with yuzu citrus

Yuzu, a winter citrus, instantly adds an intriguing aroma and transforms any miso paste into an amazing sauce.

Whole recipe:
216 calories; 7.2 g protein; 2.2 g fat; 36.5 g carbohydrate; 31.7 g net carbs; 1,369 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 4.8 g fiber

1 tablespoon (18 g):
34 calories; 1.1 g protein; 0.4 g fat; 5.8 g carbohydrate; 5.0 g net carbs; 218 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 0.8 g fiber

Tamago no moto / egg yolk emulsion

This simple mixture of egg yolk and oil is often used to give fluffy texture and impart subtle richness. It also works as a moderate binder. For successful, creamy emulsification, add a small amount of oil to egg yolk at a time and whisk well. Otherwise, the two ingredients end up separating unhappily.

390 calories (whole recipe); 2.5 g protein; 41.0 g fat; 0 g carbohydrate; 0 g net carbs; 7 mg sodium; 211 mg cholesterol; 0 g fiber

111 calories (1 tbsp); 0.7 g protein; 11.7 g fat; 0 g carbohydrate; 0 g net carbs; 2 mg sodium; 60 mg cholesterol; 0 g fiber

Radisshu no kazarikiri, temari / decorative thread ball cut for radish

Create a decorative edible ornament with a little radish! It takes a bit of time, but all cuts are simple. It's an instant upgrade to a cheerful plate, bento or table, even ones filled with dull colors. Use globe-shaped radishes for best results.

Kumiage-yuba / fresh tofu skin

Kumiage-yuba is a type of fresh yuba tofu skin (beancurd sheets). It has a very silky, creamｙ texture that melts in your mouth. Making it requires only fresh additive-free tonyu soy milk and some water ... and lots of time.

In my case, 500 cc (about a pint) of soy milk yields only sixteen 20 cm/8" round sheets over 2+ hours. Each sheet takes several minutes to harvest, so think of it this way -- you have lots of time to take care of simple tasks in the kitchen, or even get some exercise in front of the stove! You won't regret the time you spend once you discover how delicate and tasty these simple creations can be.

Sundupu-yo yannyomu / yangnyeom seasoning mix for soondupu jjigae Korean soft tofu stew

This seasoning mix lets you make tasty soondupu jjigae that is low in sodium!

Whole recipe:
295 calories; 5.0 g protein; 19.8 g fat; 19.9 g carbohydrate; 19.2 g net carbs; 464 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 0.7 g fiber

1 tsp (6 g):
21 calories; 0.4 g protein; 1.4 g fat; 1.4 g carbohydrate; 1.4 g net carbs; 33 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 0.1 g fiber

Koshian / silky azuki bean paste

An or anko sweetened azuki bean paste comes either as tsubuan with visible beans, or this silky version called koshian. Koshian highlights the natural sweetness of azuki beans and offers a smooth texture that matches the consistency of small, soft mochi-type sweets. Koshian is made in a similar way as shiroan white bean paste but involves fewer steps toward the end.

Whole recipe (approx. 530 g):
1,297 calories; 40.6 g protein; 4.4 g fat; 277.4 g carbohydrate; 241.8 g net carbs; 2 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 35.6 g fiber

Kanso okara / dried soybean pulp

When having more okara soybean pulp than you can eat in a few days, dry it in the microwave, a frying pan or oven, and freeze for later use. When you sift the dried okara, you get a nice, low-fat, fiber-rich flour-like ingredient for baking and more. Although not as fine as packaged okara powder from store shelves, sifted okara works great in a number of recipes.

Mijingiri / finely chopping (onion & carrot)

Mijingiri refers to finely chopping vegetables crosswise. A very common technique for onion and other vegetables when making chaahan fried rice or sofrito for sauces and stews of different cuisines.

Tamanegi no mijingiri / finely chopping onion

Some shallow cuts sideways ensure the same small size of onion pieces at the end. 

Shisozu / perilla-infused vinegar

This bright red purple vinegar also takes on the refreshing aroma of akajiso purple perilla leaves. It imparts a soft pink color and soft shiso aroma when used as a replacement for regular vinegar.

Sodium content: 18 mg per 1 tablespoon

Aoyose / chlorophyll extracted from green leaves

Aoyose [lit. blue/green put together] is a vegetable-based colorant commonly used at restaurants in Japan. From the following simple process -- much like an elementary school science class project -- you can obtain a smooth, dark green paste like an artist's paint that gives a vibrant note to a number of dishes. Just don't be shocked how little aoyose you actually get.

Tenkasu / agetama / tempura pearls

Little balls of tempura batter are an essential ingredient for many people when making wheat-based snacks such as okonomiyaki savory pancakes, takoyaki octopus balls and monjayaki half-cooked savory pancakes. They are also added to make other dishes rich and flavorful, in a similar way as cheese or butter is added in western cooking. While tempura "pearls" are inexpensive and widely available at grocery stores in Japan, it takes some effort to find them at a store outside Japan. But yes, they are easy to make. Using leftover batter after making tempura is one way. Below is a recipe to make tenkasu or agetama only. It makes enough to freeze for use over several months.

1 tbsp (4-5 g): 
12 calories; 0.2 g protein; 0.4 g fat; 1.8 g carbohydrate; 1.7 g net carbs; 2 mg sodium (with shrimp flakes；5-7 mg with sakura ebi); 0 mg cholesterol; 0.1 g fiber