Ozōni (お雑煮) is a special soup with mochi (glutinous rice paste) that is eaten at New Year in Japan. We eat it to celebrate and hope for a happy new year. We make a big meal called Osechi at the same time as the ozōni. For us Japanese, it is one of the essential dishes for the New Year.
There are several different recipes from one region to another, and also from one home to another.
Clear fish broth is preferred in some regions, such as Tokyo and Ōsaka, but miso-based soup is eaten in Kyoto or parts of Shikoku. The type of mochi used is also different. Baked square mochi, fresh and soft round mochi, or even mochi with anko (sweet red bean paste) inside can be used in ozōni.
At home, I grew up with my father's recipe that was passed down from generation to generation, and I looked forward to enjoying it every day of the year.
Here, I share my father’s ozōni recipe.
May your year be even more wonderful.
Ingredients for 4 persons
5 g katsuobushi (dried, fermented and smoked bonito)
50 ml soy sauce
Death in 50 ml
7g dashi powder
1 C. teaspoon of sugar
1 pinch of salt
100 g Chinese cabbage
80 g carrot
100 g daikon (white radish)
100 g of chicken thighs
4 - 8 mochis (1 or 2 mochis people)
Preparation :
- In a large saucepan, heat 500 ml of water. Before boiling, add the katsuobushi, turn off the heat and leave to infuse for 3 minutes. Filter the broth.
- Wash, peel then cut the carrot into rounds, the daikon into quarter rounds, 5cm long for the Chinese cabbage. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
- In the filtered broth pour soy sauce, mirin, sugar and salt. Add the chicken and cut vegetables. Cook them.
- In the meantime, place the mochi on the foil. Grill them in the oven for a few minutes (the mochis will swell after a few minutes of cooking).
- In a bowl, serve the soup and grilled mochi together. Enjoy hot.