HokBen salad is a popular side dish from Hoka Hoka Bento , a well-known Japanese fast-food chain in Indonesia. It consists of finely shredded cabbage, Horseradish, and carrots , served cold with a slightly sweet and tangy mayonnaise-based dressing . The dressing often has a hint of mustard or vinegar, making it light and refreshing. It’s commonly paired with bento meals that include fried items like chicken katsu, ebi furai, or beef teriyaki . Some people like to mix it with rice or enjoy it as a stand alone salad. This salad is very similar to coleslaw, but here, there are 2 steps to follow. Firstly, the pickling of radish and carrots, and second step is making the mayonnaise. I normally serve this salad with fried fish or chicken. This can be served with fried breaded paneer also. Use eggless mayo in that case. Today I made bite size chicken karaage. And served this salad… It’s a good balance of sweet, tangy with a touch of spicy.
For the pickling.
- 1 meium horse radish.. Cut into thin batons.
- 1 medium carrots..cut into very thin batons
- 3 tbsps of sugar
- 2 tbsps vinegar
- 100 ml water
- 1 tsp salt.
- Mix water, sugar, salt and vinegar.
- Mix well and Bring to a boil.
- Add carrots and radish.
Turn off heat. Cool and keep in the refrigerator. For atleast 1 hour. This can be kept upto few days in the refrigerator.
For the mayonnaise.
Mix together.
- 4 tbsps mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp condensed milk
- 1 tbsp tomato sauce
- 2 tsps mustard sauce
- 1 tbsp chilli sauce
- Salt and pepper to taste.
To serve..
Soak 1 bowl thinly sliced cabbage in ice cold water for 15 mins, and strain.
Heap the cabbage on your plate.
Top with the pickled carrots and radish.
( strain the liquid and discard.). Drizzle the mayonnaise over.
Recipe for chicken karaage. 500g boneless chicken thighs (cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sake (or rice vinegar)
- 1 tbsp mirin (optional)
- 1 tsp grated ginger
- 1 clove garlic (grated)
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ½ cup cornstarch
Oil for deep frying
Instructions
Marinate the Chicken
– In a bowl, mix soy sauce, sake, mirin, ginger, garlic, salt, and pepper. Add chicken pieces, mix well, and marinate for at least 30 minutes.
- Remove chicken from the marinade and coat each piece with cornstarch. Shake off excess.
- Heat oil and Fry chicken in batches for 2–3 minutes until lightly golden. Remove and rest for 2 minutes.
Double Fry for Crispiness – Increase oil temperature to and fry again for 1–2 minutes until crispy and golden brown… IT’S OPTIONAL TO DOUBLE FRY.. .
– Drain excess oil on paper towels and serve hot with HOKBEN SALAD