Two Recipes for a Japanese-American Christmas

As the United States has become the Melting Pot of the world,  its holidays have changed along with it. New foods and traditions are brought into being every year. Christmas is a distinctly Western holiday, but it’s becoming more dynamic over time. It's now a Western holiday with a fusion of global food and traditions.

My grandpa traveled from Tokyo, Japan to Honolulu, Hawaii in the late 1960s. He married my grandma and became a US citizen in the early 70s. Ever since, my family has been eating delicious Japanese culinary creations for the holidays.

My family celebrates Christmas in two parts, and Christmas Eve is just as important as Christmas day. A dish called Sukiyaki is served Christmas Day and curry is served on Christmas Eve. Both dishes are always served with rice, which is quite possibly the most important part of the meal. Japanese rice is always a bit more sticky, so a ratio of one cup of rice to one cup of water is safe. However, it’s always good to add a little extra water. 

For Christmas Eve...

With only a Crockpot, cutting board and knife in hand, you can make this flavorful meal for your family. It's a great warm dish to serve during the cold winter months, too.

Japanese Chicken Curry

• Prep Time:30 mins
• Cook Time:3 hrs
• Total Time:3 hrs 30 mins
• Servings:8
• Medium

Ingredients

• 8 whole carrots
• 1 stalk celery
• 1 bell pepper
• 1/2 onion
• 3-4 potatoes
• 2 boneless chicken breast fillets
• 2 boxes Golden Curry sauce mix
• 2 chicken bouillon cubes
• 1 ½ cups water

• Step 1

  Pour water and add bouillon cubes to a crockpot on medium high heat and begin chopping the vegetables into bite size pieces.

  

• Step 2

  Add the vegetables to the crockpot one by one, stirring as you go. Then add one package of Golden Curry sauce mix.

  

• Step 3

  Cut chicken filets into bite size pieces and steam them in a large pan. Cook until all pieces are white on the outside then add to the crockpot. They will finish cooking with the vegetables.

  

• Step 4

  Leave the curry to stew, stirring twice or more each hour. When the vegetables begin to soften, turn the heat on the crockpot to low. Add some of the second Golden Curry sauce mix to thicken the curry as needed.

  

For Christmas Day...

Christmas Day is accompanied by sukiyaki, hot pot's Japanese cousin. It’s simple to make and the whole family takes part in the cooking. This dish is the best way to embody the Christmas spirit.

Sukiyaki

• Prep Time:1 hr
• Cook Time:2 hrs
• Total Time:3 hrs
• Servings:8
• Medium

Ingredients

• 1-2 packages Udon noodles
• 1 large package Shirataki yam noodles
• 1 head Nappa cabbage
• 1 box mushrooms any type
• 1 bag bean sprouts
• 1 onion
• 1 box firm tofu
• 2 bell peppers
• 1 box thinly sliced beef most asian supermarkets will have the thin cuts you need
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup soy sauce
• 1 cup Mirin or cooking sherry
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons Aji No Moto

• Step 1

  Cut the vegetables into bite size pieces. However, the nappa should be cut into large pieces, it will shrink as it cooks. The bean sprouts do not need to be cut.

  

• Step 2

  Be sure to cut the Shirataki and the udon as needed, to make the noodles shorter and easier to eat.

  

• Step 3

  Combine water, soy sauce, Mirin, sugar and Aji No Moto into a pitcher or cup.

  

• Step 4

  Set all the ingredients out on the table and add them to an electric skillet, covering with sauce. Cook with your family and add generous helpings of sauce as you go.