Meatless, 100 Yen a Serving: Recreating the Tofu Fried Rice from Episode 1 of Iron Wok Jan

According to Ryuji, the original manga began around 1995 (Heisei 7), nearly 30 years ago, and he is surprised that it is being adapted into an anime now. This fried rice is the dish the protagonist, Jan, makes in the episode where he first shows what he can do.

Tofu is rarely used in fried rice because it releases water, he explains. In the story, the people around Jan react by saying they have never heard of fried rice made with tofu and that it will definitely turn out soggy, but Jan overturns their expectations with a variety of techniques and turns out delicious fried rice. The tofu is not a substitute for rice; it is used strictly as an ingredient.

The first thing to make is shredded omelet (kinshi tamago). Ryuji described not mixing the egg with the rice as "cooking from another dimension." Heat a frying pan over fairly low heat and pour in one beaten egg without adding oil. Spreading it while the heat is still low lets you stretch it thin, and the larger the pan, the thinner it gets. Once it has spread out, turn the heat up a little to set it. Some people cook both sides, but he says one side is enough.

A rubber spatula makes it easier to peel off. He cautions that if your pan's nonstick coating has worn off, you should add oil. Fold the cooked egg and cut it into thin strips to make shredded omelet like the kind served on hiyashi chuka. Ryuji makes it with just egg, without seasoning it with salt or anything else. He also mentioned that he rarely makes shredded omelet on this channel because it is a hassle.

In the original, Jan simmers the tofu in dried scallop broth, but Ryuji skips that step and uses only store-bought dried scallop soup base. Firm tofu is best. Silken tofu falls apart, and if you are using it as an ingredient, cutting it into cubes is the way to go, he says.

In the story, Jan uses about three frying pans and tosses the wok to drive off moisture. Ryuji sees this as a very old-school cooking manga touch. Since he doesn't have that skill, he instead sears the tofu in oil to drive off the moisture. According to the recipe in the video description, the amount of oil is 1 1/2 tablespoons of rice bran oil, and the tofu is 150 g.

Once the tofu starts releasing water, add 1 teaspoon of dried scallop soup base. Ryuji himself didn't use this soup base in the past, but he praises it for making fried rice very delicious. After trying various approaches, he concluded that adding it straight to the tofu as a powder seasons it best. Because scallop soup base browns easily, it also makes the dish look appetizing. The seared tofu doesn't lose much of its shape. Once it's seared, leave it as is for a moment.

Next, add 200 g of warm rice and stir-fry while breaking it up. At this point, add about another 2/3 teaspoon of dried scallop soup base to season the rice as well. Ryuji says seasoning the rice with this too is what makes it most delicious, and that a pinch of salt is enough. Add three shakes of white pepper; regular pepper is fine if you don't have any.

Asked whether the tofu should also be broken up during stir-frying, he answered that it's the rice that should be broken up. To finish, add just a little more rice bran oil. Adding oil at the end makes the rice light and fluffy, he says.

To shape it, pack the stir-fried rice into a bowl, press it down, then flip it onto a plate for a dome-shaped serving. Ryuji said this look is quite close to the original and stressed that, even though it recreates a famous scene from the anime, it's very easy. Spread the shredded omelet around it and add red pickled ginger, and it's done. One egg's worth of shredded omelet is quite a lot, so it looks impressive when spread out.

The only ingredient is tofu, with nothing extra added. If you were going to add something, it might be baby scallops, but Ryuji says it's so delicious you don't even need them. The tofu bulks up the portion, so it's filling, too. With the cost being roughly the tofu and one egg, Ryuji estimates it can be made for about 100 yen, and remarked that fried rice you can make for 100 yen is rare these days.

The staff member who tasted it and Ryuji agreed that the sweetness of the shredded omelet goes well with the tang of the red pickled ginger. They also praised how very light and refreshing it is. Ryuji explained that adding something like chashu pork makes it heavy, whereas tofu is a light ingredient, citing this as a strength of this meatless fried rice.

Ryuji says he has appeared alongside Jan's voice actor. Asked about his impression, he answered that he was surprised by what a nice young man he is and described him as refined. He added that the actor often plays villainous roles.

Introducing the work, Ryuji said Jan has a terrible personality — in his words, "worse than mine." He is a villain-like character who sees cooking as a competition and is determined to win no matter what. His rival, a female chef, on the other hand, believes cooking is about heart and puts love into what she makes. She is just as strong as Jan. It was explained that Jan was rigorously trained as a child by his grandfather, a legendary chef.

Around episode 4 or 5, a rival character whose real name is "Ryuji" appears, he says. The voice actor is Sugita, and Ryuji laughed that it's a lavish casting for a character who appears in only one episode. On the TV Tokyo program, he also made that character's recipe, and Ryuji says he'd like to do that dish at some point as well.

Ryuji says he has recreated various dishes of Jan's, and they all turn out delicious. As another dish he'd like to make, he named the Chaliapin steak, which he says he is more confident about. Even so, he decided to start with the fried rice from episode 1.

Finally, Ryuji made clear that this feature was not requested by anyone and that he is simply promoting it on his own. He then said that he loves the food in this work and that the dishes in it have been properly supervised by culinary experts, and he encouraged viewers to read the original and watch the anime. Ryuji himself says he plans to watch the anime.