Tuna kokoro bowl

Tuna kokoro bowl, The Wagamama Cookbook, Photography by Howard Shooter

wagamama restaurants are a global brand with restaurants worldwide in the UK, USA, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, France, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Slovakia, Spain and Sweden as well as UAE and New Zealand.

Feed your Soul includes more than 70 tempting recipes inspired by restaurant favourites. The dishes have been designed for every occasion, from rapid weekday meals to slow-cooked ramens and the art of making gyoza. Sections include The Basics, Lighter Meals, Nourish your Soul and Small Plates.

Recipes range from basic sauces and accompaniments such as soy sauce, sriracha, wasabi, pickled ginger and Japanese curry paste to delicious salads such as harusame, packed with protein and crunch, or the ever-popular yaki soba and bang bang cauliflower.

With original food photography by Howard Shooter and evocative shots of Japanese food emporia and lifestyle shots of noodles, ramen and ingredients, with all-new vegan and healthy recipes that reflect current trends for plant-based ingredients and Asian flavour, Feed your Soul is set to become the new classic wagamama cookbook.

wagamama Feed Your Soul: 100 Japanese-inspired Bowls of Goodness is available at Amazon.com and Amazon.ca.

In Japanese, kokoro has no direct translation but, in essence, it means “heart, mind and body” so it is the perfect name for a nutrient-rich bowl to feed the body and soul. It is our take on the traditional Hawaiian poké bowl, which serves fresh raw fish with fresh raw vegetables. Prepared simply, taste and texture lead the way.

⅔ cup Thai jasmine rice

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tuna steaks, diced

2 tablespoons shichimi

1 teaspoon sriracha

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

1 egg

2 heaping tablespoons Teriyaki Sauce (see below)

1 medium carrot, peeled and julienned

4 radishes, finely sliced

½ cucumber, julienned

2 heaping tablespoons podded edamame beans

2 cilantro sprigs, leaves picked, to garnish

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Cook the rice.

Heat half the oil in a wok placed over high heat. Season the tuna then toss gently in the pan to ensure it is seared on all sides, then turn off the heat, add the shichimi, and toss again to coat evenly.

In a small bowl, combine the sriracha and mayonnaise, to create sriracha mayonnaise.

Bring a small pan of water to the boil and cook the egg for 3 minutes. Immediately transfer to a bowl of cold water and, once cooled, peel the egg and set aside.

Divide the cooked rice between 2 bowls and, with a fork, fluff up to separate some of the grains. Drizzle over the teriyaki sauce.

Arrange the vegetables, edamame beans, and cooked tuna in sections on top of the rice.

Slice the soft-boiled egg in half and place one half in the center of each bowl.

To finish, drizzle over the sriracha mayonnaise, season and garnish with the cilantro leaves.

teriyaki sauce

This sauce works as a great marinade for grilled meats, oily fish and vegetables. It can also be used to finish a dish and works well as a sweet and salty dipping sauce.

makes ½ cup

4 tablespoons light soy sauce

½ cup plus 1 tablespoon superfine sugar

1 tablespoon dark soy sauce

2 tablespoons sake

Place the light soy sauce and sugar in a small saucepan and gently simmer over low heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves and then continue to simmer for about 5 minutes until the liquid starts to reduce and thicken.

Add the dark soy and sake, stir and leave to cool. Either use immediately or transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge. It should keep for several weeks.

Recipe reprinted with permission from Kyle Books/Hachette Publishing.