Fried Chicken with Strawberry and Tomato Sauces

Japanese fried chicken is called Karaage. Chicken is marinated, dusted with flour or starch, and deep fried. It is one of the most popular street foods in Japan along with okonomiyaki and takoyaki, and has fans worldwide. This version uses rice flour for dusting and for the sauce. Enjoy two types of sauce – strawberry and tomato!

Ingredients
For the chicken
1.3lb/600g | skin-on chicken thighs |
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3 tablespoons (54ml) | soy sauce |
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3 tablespoons (45ml) | Japanese cooking wine or white wine |
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1 | egg |
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2 teaspoons (10g) | garlic, minced |
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2 teaspoons (10g) | ginger, minced |
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⅔ cup (100g) | rice flour |
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Vegetable oil for deep fry |
For the tomato sauce
1 tablespoon (15ml) | olive oil |
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1 (150g) | onion, finely grated (about 1 cup) |
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1 (5.5.oz/163ml) can | tomato juice (about ¾ cup) |
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1½ tablespoons (27ml) | soy sauce |
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2 tablespoons (25g) | sugar |
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1 tablespoon (15ml) | vinegar |
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1 tablespoon (10g) | rice flour |
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1 tablespoon (15ml) | water |
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Salt to taste |
For the Strawberry sauce
5 pieces | strawberries |
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1 tablespoon (15ml) | olive oil |
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1 tablespoon (15ml) | vinegar |
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Salt to taste |
Directions
For the chicken
Cut the chicken into 2 inch (5cm) chunks. Combine with soy sauce, cooking wine, egg, garlic and ginger. Marinate at least for 30 minutes.
Coat the chicken with rice flour. Shake off excess.
Deep fry in 350°F (180°C) oil until golden brown and crispy. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to remove excess oil.
For the tomato sauce
Sauté the onions in olive oil. When translucent, add tomato juice, soy sauce, sugar, and vinegar. Add rice flour mixed in with water. Season with salt. Simmer until the sauce thickens. Set aside.
For the strawberry sauce
Process strawberries, olive oil, and vinegar in an electric blender. Season with salt. Set aside.
Serve the chicken with two sauces on the side.
- This recipe uses US customary units. Measurement equivalents include: 1 teaspoon = 5ml, 1 tablespoon = 15ml, and 1 US cup = 237ml or 8fl oz. (1 metric cup = 250ml or 8.5fl oz.)
- The cooking time using microwave oven in this recipe is based on 1,000W in the US.
- The temperature and baking time may be different depending on the oven used. Please adjust accordingly.
- All rice flour is naturally gluten-free. Make this dish completely gluten-free by using gluten-free substitutes for other ingredients as needed.