Osechi Ryori Lunch Plate

New Year’s is probably the biggest holiday in Japan. Everyone celebrates with many traditions, like visiting temples and eating special New Year dishes known as Osechi Ryori. This week I have been sharing a few of these recipes individually and now I have compiled them all together and made an Osechi Ryori Lunch Plate! This is what a traditional New Year’s lunch/dinner looks like in Japan; however, usually, if you buy them from a store, they are served in a large bento-box.

The first recipe that I shared was the Kouhaku Namasu, which is a vinegared salad made from grated carrot and daikon (radish). I love how refreshing it is, especially here in Australia where it is currently very hot. Then I made my son’s favourite food, Sekihan. This is a type of rice made from azuki beans, which gives the rice a slightly salty and nutty flavour and a bright red/purple colour. To add a little protein to the meal I made Tsukune Dango, which are chicken meatballs coated in teriyaki sauce and served on a skewer. They’re very delicious, especially when they’re freshly grilled.

The dishes I made after the Tsukune Dango are all of my favourite ones. First I made Datemaki, which is a rolled omelette made from eggs and a type of fish cake called Hanpen. But don’t worry it doesn’t taste fishy, it’s actually sweet and very tasty. I absolutely love Datemaki, especially when it’s wrapped around sushi! Then I made the incredibly delicious Kuri Kinton, which is made from two of my favourite foods: chestnuts and sweet potato. It’s very sweet and seems like it should be a snack or dessert but it’s actually eaten along with all the other savoury dishes. The last dish I made is another sweet one, it’s Kuromame. Kuromame are sweetened black soybeans that are so delicious it’s hard to not over-eat them.

I hope you enjoyed these recipes this week and if you want to try a few make sure to click on the bolded dish name to take you to the recipe![:]