There’s no reservation from me to agree to that chawan mushi wa oishii desu! ??????????? Chawan Mushi is delicious!

Chawan Mushi ? ???is the Japanese version of steamed eggs or it’s rather called savoury egg custard. Wikipedia: Chawan Mushi (????,Chawanmushi, literally “tea cup steam” or “steamed in a tea bowl”) Ingredients like small pieces of chicken, prawns, vegetables, mushrooms, and gingko are added to make chawan mushi.

I like Japanese food and culture that I used to learn Japanese but I quit after completed the first stage as it was really tough, especially not on a full-time basis. I have forgotten how to write Hiragana and Katagana. A shame really. I wish that I could write in Japanese because I find the characters really nice and the language sounds beautiful too.

Chawan mushi is similar to the Chinese steamed eggs (???) that many Chinese households we make. I am sure you will agree to this if you come from Chinese background. Steamed eggs is such a common dish amongst other dishes that are served on the table with rice, be it for lunch or dinner! Steamed eggs is probably the easiest to make in the kitchen! For Chinese steamed eggs, ingredients like minced pork, minced chicken, chopped prawns are used. Sometimes, it’s made plain and sprinkled with spring onions.

I am a Japanese food lover and I really like the their healthy way of cooking and eating. When I go to the Japanese restaurants, I will never miss Sashimi and Sushi. Of course, the cooked dishes too. Chawan Mushi is one of the dishes that I like amongst so many other recipes in the Japanese cookbooks that I have. Harumi’s is one of my favourites! Even my Japanese hairdresser reckons she is good!

As the name suggest, chawan mushi is usually served in a small tea bowl. Thus, chawan Mushi is suitable to be served as starter or a side dish. Such a pretty and cute dish that is easy to make. For my chawan mushi, I choose to use Shiitake mushrooms and prawns. You can put any ingredients that you can possibly think of.

Now, let’s go to your kitchen and see how we can prepare this yummy chawan mushi!

Serves 4

Ingredients:

For the egg custards:
1 tsp chicken granules
250ml hot water
3 eggs
6 prawns (cut into small cubes)
1 Shiitake mushroom (cut into small cubes)
some chopped spring onions to garnish

For the sauce to pour on top:
2 tbsp hot water
1 tbsp soya sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
some white pepper

Method:

1. To make the custard: Dissolve the chicken granules in the hot water and leave for a few minutes to cool.
2. In another bowl, beat the eggs. Add to the chicken stock and mix well.
3. Strain through a sieve to get smooth texture.
4. Divide the prawns and mushrooms into 4 small cups and pour the egg mixture.
5. Put the cups in the steamer and steam for about 15 minutes until cooked. The custard should be firm to touch.
6. Make the sauce by mixing all the ingredients specified.
7. When the custards are ready, remove from the steamer and pour a little of the sauce onto each one. Then, garnish with some spring onions.
8. Serve hot as starter or as a side dish.