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Nanban zuke served in a Japanese bowl with carrot, onion and sweet sour sauce

Nanban Zuke (Japanese Sweet and Sour Fried Fish)

Fried fish marinated in a sweet-and-sour vinegar sauce with onion and carrot — a make-ahead Japanese home classic that tastes even better the next day.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 3 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 150–200 g aji (Japanese horse mackerel) whole small fish or fillets — or any small white fish such as sardines, smelt, or flathead
  • salt to season
  • 1/3 carrot julienned
  • 1/2 onion thinly sliced
  • 1 tbsp potato starch (katakuriko)
  • vegetable oil for frying
  • 2 tbsp rice vinegar for nanban sauce
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce for nanban sauce
  • 1 tbsp sugar for nanban sauce
  • 3 tbsp water for nanban sauce
  • 1/2 tsp dashi granules for nanban sauce
  • dried chilli pepper to taste (optional)

Method
 

  1. Julienne the carrot into thin matchsticks and slice the onion thinly.
  2. Combine the vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, water, and dashi granules in a small saucepan. Add the chilli if using. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
  3. Season the fish lightly with salt. Cut into pieces if using larger fish, or leave whole for small fish. Coat with potato starch.
  4. Heat a generous amount of oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Fry the fish pieces until golden and cooked through — about 3–4 minutes per side depending on thickness.
  5. Transfer the hot fish to a container and pour the warm nanban sauce with the vegetables over the top. Make sure every piece is coated.
  6. Marinate for at least 30 minutes — overnight is even better. Serve at room temperature or cold with plenty of the marinated vegetables.