Don Don Donki has a wide selection of ingredients that you can use to make oishii homecooked meals. The ones that get the most attention are their seafood, vegetables and meats. However, there is one under-the-radar item that you may have overlooked — the humble packet of inari age.
Inari Age are deep-fried tofu pockets simmered in sweet and savoury broth made with soya sauce, mirin and sugar. While Donki sells unseasoned deep-fried tofu that you can braise at home, they also carry the more convenient processed product, conveniently packaged in packs of 16 pieces.
One common way of using inari age is to make Inari Sushi, a staple in Japanese restaurants all around the world. It’s simple, tasty and happens to be one of my go-to choices when ordering sushi.
While rice is typically the only filling used, The Wife likes to prettify her homecooked version with various colourful toppings, including steamed purple sweet potato, edamame and egg salad. And of course, when making the egg salad, she uses Kewpie mayonnaise.
To appreciate the flavours of inari age, the best way is probably as-is, laid on top of hot soba with a sprinkle of finely-chopped spring onion. I’m a huge fan of soba and this simple dish is one of my favourite ways to enjoy buckwheat noodles.
But perhaps the most efficient way to use inari age is to cut them up in strips, and dump them into a wok of chopped green vegetables, together with any remaining liquid from the packet. Stir-fry them quickly and you have a simple and healthy dish. No need in to add any further seasoning.
You can also use the same technique for mushrooms of any kind. It works equally well, with the juicy strips of inari imparting an rich pop of umami to the fresh fungi.
Given its convenience and versatility, The Wife makes sure to always have a packet of Misuzu Inari in our pantry. So that she can use it to whip up a quick and tasty homecooked meal.
Note: This post contains affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something, I may earn a commission. Thanks.
