We’re making fried rice with natto, fermented soybeans, and we hope even those who aren’t fond of natto will give it a try. Natto’s stickiness and smell are reduced, making it easier to eat. It’s moist, fluffy, and delicious.
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| Cook Time | 15 minutes |
| Servings |
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Please leave a 5 star rating if you like the recipe! 🙂
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Ingredients
1 Egg 1 tsp Vegetable Oil 40 g Long Green Onions (Naganegi) chopped 1 Garlic Clove chopped 20 g Pork Belly Slices 150 g Hot Steamed Rice 1 pack Natto fermented soybeans 1 tsp Chicken Stock Powder (Granulated) 1/2 tbsp Sake or water 1/2 tsp Soy Sauce 2 tbsp Spring Onion Leaves chopped Beni Shoga chopped, to taste, pickled ginger
* 1 tablespoon (tbsp) = 15 ml, 1 teaspoon (tsp) = 5 ml
* The ingredients contain Amazon affiliate links.
Instructions
- Let's prepare the ingredients. First, chop the long green onion, or naganegi, into relatively large pieces. Cut the white part of the long onion in half lengthwise and then slice each half into thirds lengthwise as well.
- Chop them from the ends.
- Next, chop the pork belly into fine pieces. It's easier to chop partially frozen pork after it's been in the freezer for a while.
- Change its orientation and chop it even finer across the initial cuts. You should chop the pork belly yourself, as it's definitely more delicious than store-bought ground meat.
- Dissolve the granulated chicken stock powder in the sake. If you can't use alcohol, it's okay to dissolve it in water.
- Now, let's make Natto Chahan. Add the vegetable oil to a frying pan and heat it up. Beat the egg thoroughly with a fork.
- Spread the vegetable oil evenly across the pan with the back of a ladle.
- To check if the frying pan is hot enough, drop in a bit of the egg mixture. Once you hear a sizzling sound and the pan is hot enough, pour in the egg mixture.
- Stir, and as soon as it's partially cooked, quickly remove it from the pan.
- Save the egg in a bowl for later use.
- Next, add the vegetable oil to the pan again. Stir-fry the chopped long onion until it changes color slightly.
- Stirring until the long onion is slightly browned enhances its sweetness and makes it a good seasoning.
- Add the finely chopped garlic and continue to stir-fry.
- Once the garlic starts to give off a fragrant aroma, add the chopped pork belly.
- Stir-fry the meat.
- When the meat is cooked, add the hot steamed rice.
- Gently press down on the rice with the edge of the ladle to separate the grains without crushing them.
- Once the rice grains are somewhat separated, gather them to one side to create a space for adding the natto, or fermented soybeans. Stir-fry the natto directly on the pan.
- When heat is applied to natto, its stickiness and smell are reduced. The enzyme contained in natto helps dissolve blood clots and keeps blood flowing smoothly. Although its effectiveness diminishes with heat, natto contains beneficial components such as soybean fiber and protein, so you should eat it frequently.
- Combine the natto with the rice.
- Dissolve the granulated chicken stock powder in the sake. Then pour the chicken stock over the rice.
- Adding sake makes the fried rice moist, easier to eat, and delicious.
- Gather the rice to one side. Add the soy sauce directly to the pan and toss to coat evenly.
- The savory aroma of the soy sauce stimulates your appetite.
- Add the chopped spring onions and the stir-fried egg.
- Break down the fried egg and combine all the ingredients.
- Once the egg is mixed in, it's ready.
- To add a kick to the flavor, top it with finely chopped Beni Shoga, or pickled ginger, to taste.
- Even among Japanese people, many have never tried natto fried rice, though some Chinese restaurants have been offering it for decades. If you have the chance, please try ordering it at one of these restaurants.
Recipe Notes
This fried rice is seasoned to be enjoyed in large portions at home, and we've used a minimal amount of oil to make it healthy. If you prefer a more distinct flavor like what you get in restaurants, taste it and add salt as needed.
We added a bit of pork, but even without the meat, it is a highly satisfying dish, making it an easily adaptable recipe for vegetarians.
If you're sensitive to even a slight smell of natto, stir-fry the natto in a small amount of oil beforehand until it's no longer sticky.
