Today, we’re going to make a Japanese easy Kani Salad recipe.  Kani Salad is very refreshing, with a sweet touch of ripe mangoes in contrast to the light and savory flavors of Kani and Japanese mayo, which is very creamy.

Despite the popular notion, Kani Salad is not a conventional Japanese meal. Like a number of other dishes, it really first became popular in the United States. It was usually served at Japanese sushi restaurants that spread to other areas of the globe. The key element of this salad is, needless to say, the Kani.

What’s Kani?

Kani is widely known as a replica of crab meat, usually available in lots of Japanese dishes such as for example sushi. Kani really means “crab” in the Japanese language, and the imitation crab meat that people eat is named Kani Kamaboko or just Kanikami. Regardless of this, Kani is a widely accepted name for imitating crab meat.

These replica crab meats are produced from white fish, such as, for example Pollock, made to become a paste called surimi. They are created to taste near real crab. Each crab stick could be shredded easily and is colored in red, artificially and externally, to imitate the crab’s legs and appearance.

Kani is less expensive compared to crab meat, but needless to say, mimicking crab can’t compete with the actual crab’s nutrition. These crab sticks can be found at virtually all local food markets and can be purchased already cooked. It’s used as an element in a variety of Japanese dishes and street foods and is used all over the globe.

Making this Kani Salad really needs simple ingredients. An average Kani Salad contains an imitation of crab sticks, lettuce, iceberg, carrot, cucumber, and of course, Japanese mayo. 

Ingredients

• 5 oz (140 g) kani (crab sticks or imitation crab)

• 1 medium carrot

• 2 medium cucumbers

• 1 ripe mango

• ½ cup Japanese mayonnaise (e.g., Kewpie)

• Juice of ½ lemon

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Prepare the Vegetables

   • Peel the carrot and trim the ends. Cut into julienne strips (about 3 inches long).

   • Peel the cucumbers, trim the ends, and cut into julienne strips as well — remove the soft core with seeds before slicing.

2. Shred the Crab Sticks

   • Gently press each kani stick from one end to the other to loosen the fibers.

   • Separate the strips by hand until fully shredded.

3. Cut the Mango

   • Peel the mango and slice the flesh away from the pit.

   • Stack the slices and cut into thin strips.

4. Mix the Salad

   • In a large bowl, combine the carrot, cucumber, kani, and mango.

   • Add the Japanese mayonnaise and lemon juice. Toss gently until everything is evenly coated.

5. Season and Serve

   • Season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss again.

   • Serve immediately, or refrigerate for up to 2 hours before serving for a chilled version.

   • For extra freshness, serve over a bed of iceberg or romaine lettuce.

Tips:

• For more flavor, sprinkle a little toasted sesame seed or drizzle sesame oil before serving.

• If you want extra crunch, add thinly sliced red bell pepper.

• Always use ripe, but firm mango for the best texture.

Share the image below to your Pinterest below if you like this Kani Salad Recipe!

Kani Salad Toppings

• Tobiko: Japanese fish roe that adds to the sea-food taste in your Kani Salad.
• Black Sesame Seeds: could make a good contrast while adding a crunchy and nutty texture to your Kani Salad
• Panko Breadcrumbs: Japanese form of breadcrumbs which are processed to be like flakes. Panko adds a crunchy and crispy texture to your Kani Salad.
• Gomashio: a seasoning from Japan produced from sesame seeds and salt. Gomashio will add to a crunchy texture and nutty flavor to this Kani Salad.

The recipe for this Kani Salad is straightforward. The only addition to it is ripe mango to provide it with a richer flavor that’s sweet and savory with a touch of tanginess.

And now, I’m going to share the recipe for Air Fryer Frozen French Fries! These are beloved by children and, of course, adults. Also, you can make an extremely easy-to-make side dish straight from frozen without oil. Believe me, these French fries are perfectly crispy externally and soft internally!

Air Fryer I Use

You can probably find a lot of ways to use your Air Fryer. I am using the one by Ninja brand, and it works double duty as a counter oven, dehydrator, and indoor grill … so perhaps it’s really four times the duty, 😊!

I really like it because it saves me a lot of time and makes my fries and other recipes extra crispy without the necessity for a considerable amount of extra oil. Whatever kind of Air Fryer you’re using, you will end up shocked once you see how easy it is to create frozen French fries in your air fryer right out of the freezer! Believe me; these fries will undoubtedly be on repeat at your home also.

Air Fryer Frozen French Fries Ingredients

My bag of French Fries is always available in the freezer for when it’s time for dinner, and we want a straightforward, crispy, kids-friendly side dish to go with our main dish. Frozen French fries are the thing!

Here are some tips about what you’ll need to make your French fries:

• Frozen French Fries, you can use any brand you like as long as they’re relatively the same size. Alexia might be my personal favorite brand but go with the ones you prefer.
• Salt and Pepper: this is optional; you can season it according to your liking.

Notes for Air Fryer Frozen French Fries

Ok, the most crucial thing here’s the following: Don’t put too many fries in your air fryer. The air within the air fryer must circulate to cook evenly, and you never wish to get your fries with burnt ends and some which can end up soggy and not cooked nicely. It’s much safer to cook frozen french fries batch by batch rather than overfill your air fryer. Your model determines the maximum number of fries that can fit, but as a guideline, make an effort to leave a little room between most of the fries.

How long does cooking Frozen French fries in the air fryer take?

Very fast! Once you preheat your air fryer, it takes 15 -18 minutes to cook them, according to what type of fries you’re cooking.

The Best Air Fryer For Frozen French Fries

Many Air Fryers are pretty decent and simple to use; however, there are several which come built with features that you might or might not need. For example, a timer could be very handy for anyone who would like to know just how much time is left for the food to be ready.

An additional feature that you might want is the capability of your air fryer to work without oil. Not surprisingly, this version is the healthiest, and you might want an advanced fryer for different recipes.

One delicious way to enjoy these fries is by pairing them with some air fryer frozen chicken breasts, chicken wings, fantastic air fryer brats, pork steak, or these air fryer pork chops with garlic butter. These combinations are endless and truly mouth-watering.

Additional Notes

These are additional things to bear in mind as you make your fries.

• There’s no need to thaw your frozen french fries before you cook them. Cook them straight from the freezer!
• For this frozen fries recipe, no added oil is necessary.
• Frozen French Fries are bought precooked, meaning they’ve been partially cooked and need the finish by you. They usually contain oil and seasonings and cook quicker than fresh potatoes.

Ingredients

• 1 lb of Frozen French Fries

How to Make Air Fryer Frozen French Fries

• Heat your Air Fryer to 400 F.
• When it’s preheated, add the fries right to the air fryer basket (without any oil). Spread out your french fries equally.
• Set the closed air fryer to 15 min. After 7-8 minutes, shake or toss the fries within the basket.
• After they’re done, take away the fries, season to taste, and serve!

Check out these air fryer recipes: Easy Air Fryer Hamburgers Recipe, Air Fryer Pork Tenderloin Recipe.

Eel Sauce Recipe – Unagi Sauce or, Kabayaki or Nitsume. It is a sauce that goes amazing with grilled fish or even chicken and is used very often as a drizzle over sushi. Savory, sweet and saturated in flavor, this amazing Homemade Unagi or Eel Sauce could be the next dream sauce for your dishes! 

Perhaps you have tried grilled unagi (eel) or sushi with unagi before? If you haven’t, you can check our Unagi Sushi Recipe here.  That caramelized and sweet, a bit salty sauce which goes with the sushi is an irresistible golden-brown sauce called the Unagi Sauce.

What is Unagi Sauce?

Unagi no Tare, or simply Unagi sauce, is really a unique form of thick and sweetened soy sauce.

Historically, it’s usually applied to grilled eel or other dishes that feature grilled eel for example, unagi don (Unadon/Unaju) or sushi unagi. Though there are lots of brands of this sauce available on the market, the very best eel sauce is without a doubt, homemade eel sauce.

Ingredients

• ¼ cup Aji-Mirin

• 1 ½ Tbsp sake

• 2 ½ Tbsp sugar

• ¼ cup soy sauce (use gluten-free soy sauce for a gluten-free version)

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Instructions

1. Combine Base Ingredients
   In a small saucepan over medium heat, add the sake, mirin, and sugar. Whisk gently until the sugar fully dissolves.

2. Add Soy Sauce & Simmer
   Pour in the soy sauce and bring the mixture to a gentle boil. Once it reaches boiling, reduce the heat to low.

3. Reduce the Sauce
   Simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Towards the end, the mixture will bubble more and slightly thicken.

4. Cool & Store
   Remove from heat and allow the sauce to cool. It will thicken further as it cools.
   Transfer to an airtight jar and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

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Tips & Variations

• Gluten-Free Option – Swap regular soy sauce for tamari or certified gluten-free soy sauce.

• Sweeter or Saltier – Adjust sugar or soy sauce amounts to match your taste preferences.

• Serving Ideas – Drizzle over grilled eel, sushi rolls, grilled chicken, or roasted vegetables for a rich, savory-sweet glaze.

How to use Unagi Sauce?

Besides the usual unagi dishes, unagi sauce is amazingly delicious on any BBQ dishes. Some examples like grilled tofu, grilled mushrooms, grilled meat, grilled fish and many more. All you want is really a light brush or perhaps a drizzle with this sweet-savory sauce to strengthen the flavor of your dish. Furthermore, you should use the eel sauce as a marinade for meat dishes or as a dressing for noodles.

You must check out this recipe if you’re searching for a new flavor to enhance your grilled meals in 2022! It is undoubtedly one of my personal favorite sauces to make in the summer.