Photo/Illutration Dainty croquette (Photo by Atsuko Shimamura)

Editor’s note: In the Taste of Life series, cooking experts, chefs and others involved in the field of food introduce their special recipes intertwined with their paths in life.

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One of the great things about Japan is that it is possible to sample all types of cuisines from around the world without having to board a plane. Recently, a growing number of restaurants are attracting attention by serving dishes from South India.

The naan or tandoori chicken that have been regarded as typical Indian dishes until now come from North India. In South India, “combo-style” dishes feature a main with rice in the center with a “moat” of thin vegetable curry and beans, plus side dishes.

The restaurant that sparked the boom is Erick South, which opened in 2011 in the underground Yaesu Shopping Mall at Tokyo Station. The focus is on casual. The restaurant is the brainchild of Shunsuke Inada, a chef who also plans restaurants and creates menus.

Besides publishing cookbooks, Inada actively writes essays and novels themed on food and pens his take on fine restaurants and popular chain eateries. More than 50,000 people follow hin on twitter where he writes “natural born foodie” as his profile. His posts on fine taste written from a unique perspective are drawing attention.

Inada grew up in Kagoshima City. “Our family meals were quite ordinary, but our family and relatives were all foodies. They were willing to pour energy into meals,” he says.

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Shunsuke Inada (Photo by Atsuko Shimamura)

Each member of the family had his or her favorite restaurant and sometimes tried to recreate those dishes at home. Before it caught on in Japan, the family ordered canned Spanish olive oil to use in cooking.

Inada was drawn to cooking naturally. When he attended elementary school, he would often help his mother in the kitchen. If the menu was croquette, hamburger steak or gratin, which he loved, Inada’s job was to grate a whole nutmeg. He loved the sweet and spicy aroma that wafted in the kitchen.

This week’s croquette is an improved version of the memorable menu item. “Although I have omitted deep-frying from the recipe, it tastes more than good,” he says. The flavor of the nutmeg adds flair and turns the dish into a treat.

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Shunsuke Inada: Born in Kagoshima Prefecture in 1970, Inada is a chef and restaurant “producer.” After graduating from Kyoto University and working at a beverage manufacturer, he became a founding member of Enso Food Service Inc. that manages and produces restaurants. His books include “Minimaru ryori” (Minimal cooking) from Shibata Shoten and “Oishiimono de dekiteiru” (Made up of tasty food) from Little More.

BASIC COOKING METHOD

Main Ingredients (Serve 2)

300 to 350 grams (2 medium to large size) potatoes, 120 grams (1/2) onion, 10 grams butter, 200 grams mixture of ground beef and pork (aibikiniku), 30 grams breadcrumbs, 30 grams oil, 5 grams salt (1 tsp), bit of pepper and nutmeg (0.5 grams each), 5 grams parsley (1 Tbsp), 50 grams tomato puree

1. Pour oil in frying pan and stir-fry breadcrumbs until they color and turn crispy. Finely chop onion and parsley.

2. Cut potatoes in half and boil. Peel when still hot and crush roughly.

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When onion is cooked, add ground meat, salt, pepper and nutmeg and stir-fry. (Photo by Atsuko Shimamura)

3. Add butter and onion to frying pan and cook. When onion is cooked, remove about 15 grams. Add ground meat, salt, pepper, and nutmeg to pan and cook.

4. When meat is done, add (2) and parsley (leave a little behind) and stir-fry the whole pan while crushing the potato.

5. In another pot, mix onion removed in (3) and tomato puree. Heat briefly and add bit of salt to taste.

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Dust mixture shaped like a cylinder with cooked breadcrumbs. (Photo by Atsuko Shimamura)

6. When (4) is no longer piping hot, turn into cylindrical shape and dust with breadcrumbs from (1). Spread (5) on plate, place croquettes on top and sprinkle with left-over parsley.

About 640 kcal and 3.2 grams salt per portion
(Nutrient calculation by the Nutrition Clinic of Kagawa Nutrition University)

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From The Asahi Shimbun’s Jinsei Reshipi (Life Recipe) column

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