Chikuwa Isobe-age (Seaweed Fried Fish Cake)

Name: Chikuwa Isobe-age (Seaweed Fried Fish Cake)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 5 chikuwa fish cakes (about 160 g), halved lengthways, then cut in half; 3 tbsp Plain (all-purpose) flour; 1 tbsp potato starch or cornflour; 2 tsp aonori (green seaweed flakes); ¼ tsp Salt; 4 tbsp ice-cold water; 120 ml neutral oil, for shallow-frying

Tube-shaped fish cakes dipped in a speckled green seaweed batter and fried until puffy. A cheap, crunchy bento hero.

Japanese · Snacks & street food · prep 5 min · cook 10 min · serves 2 · Dairy-free, Nut-free, Pescatarian

🔥 Cook it in the app: timers, scaling and shopping list

Ingredients

5 chikuwa fish cakes (about 160 g), halved lengthways, then cut in half
3 tbsp Plain (all-purpose) flour
1 tbsp potato starch or cornflour
2 tsp aonori (green seaweed flakes)
¼ tsp Salt
4 tbsp ice-cold water
120 ml neutral oil, for shallow-frying

Method

Whisk the flour, starch, aonori and salt, then stir in the iced water until just combined. A few lumps are fine.
Heat the oil in a small frying pan to about 170°C (340°F), when a drop of batter sizzles straight away.
Dip the chikuwa pieces into the batter, let the excess drip off and fry for 1–2 min per side until the batter is crisp and lightly golden.
Drain on kitchen paper and serve hot, or cool for a bento.

Tips

Chikuwa are already cooked, so you only need to crisp the batter.
Contains fish and wheat.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Just One Cookbook Japanese Cooking 101 RecipeTin Japan

Open Chikuwa Isobe-age (Seaweed Fried Fish Cake) in Nouns Cooking