Celebrate the 25th Annual New Year’s ‘Ohana Festival from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai‘i.

Partake in activities such as taiko drumming, cultural music and dance, as well as food booths, keiki games, kimono dressing, a craft fair and cultural demonstrations. Enjoy the new Ellison Onizuka Remembrance Collection in the JCCH historical gallery and much more. Admission is free.

Visit jcch.com or call 945-7633.

This week, enjoy a few local Japanese recipes from our friends at JCCH.

OYAKO DONBURI
By the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii

• 2 cups dashi (Japanese soup base made with 2 cups water plus 1-1/4 teaspoons dried dashi granules)
• 1/2 cup mirin (sweet rice wine)
• 1/2 cup shoyu
• 1/2 pound chicken meat, thinly sliced
• 5 dried shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated in water and cut into thin strips
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 3 stalks green onion, minced
• 5 eggs
• 4 cups hot cooked rice
• 2 sheets nori, toasted and crushed

Combine dashi, mirin and shoyu in a large skillet and bring to a boil; add chicken, mushrooms and onion. When cooked, reduce heat and sprinkle with green onions.

In a small bowl, beat eggs slightly and pour evenly over cooked ingredients. Cook until egg is coddled (lightly cooked).

Meanwhile, fill donburi bowl 2/3 full with hot rice. Place cooked ingredients on top of rice and garnish with crushed nori. Serve immediately. Serves 6.

>> Tip: Donburi cooks quickly, so have all ingredients ready and prepare just before serving.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving: 370 calories, 6 g total fat, 2 g saturated fat, 190 mg cholesterol, greater than 1,500 mg sodium, 56 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 10 g sugar, 20 g protein.

LAZY CHAMPURU
By the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii

• 4 strips bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 large bitter melon, seeds removed and sliced
• 1/8 cup dashi (Japanese soup base, see previous recipe)
• Cooked shredded pork
• 1 block tofu
• Black pepper, to taste

Place bacon in a large saute pan over medium-high heat and cook to render bacon fat. Remove bacon; set aside. Save oil for another use. Pan will be flavored with bacon.

Add sesame oil, then bitter melon. Fry for 1 minute on medium. Keep pan as hot as possible without burning oil. Add dashi, then bacon and pork.

Break block of tofu into pan by hand. Add pepper. Remove from heat as soon as bitter melon turns bright green, no more than 2-3 minutes. Serves 4.

>> Alternative: For dry champuru, substitute 2 teaspoons dashi granules in place of the 1/8 cup dashi.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving: 210 calories, 13 g total fat, 3 g saturated fat, 30 mg cholesterol, 300 mg sodium, 4 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 1 g sugar, 20 g protein.

YAKI MANJU
By the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii

• 2-1/2 cups sifted flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup vegetable oil or unsalted butter
• 6 tablespoons cold water
• 1 cup koshi or tsubushi an (red bean paste)

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine flour, sugar and salt; blend thoroughly. Add oil and water to dry ingredients; mix thoroughly. (If using butter, cut into flour mixture until it resembles coarse cornmeal, then add water and blend thoroughly.)

Shape into balls using approximately 1 tablespoon dough for each. Flatten balls to form circles. Place a generous teaspoonful of koshi or tsubushi an in center of each circle and pinch edges together to seal.

Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Serves 12.

>> Variations: Substitute the koshi or tsubushi an with apple pie filling.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving (based on oil): 320 calories, 19 g total fat, 2 g saturated fat, no cholesterol, 100 mg sodium, 36 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 9 g sugar, 4 g protein.

More Hawaiian Electric Co. recipes are available at hawaiianelectric.com.