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Japanese

Chawanmushi

Non-vegetarian

茶碗蒸し · chawanmushi

A silky, savoury egg custard set with dashi and gently steamed in cups over pieces of chicken, shrimp and shiitake.

Chawanmushi is a Japanese egg dish, ready in about 30 minutes and made with egg and dashi. It serves 4 and is rated intermediate to cook.

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Chawanmushi: a savory Japanese steamed egg custard garnished with fresh greens.
Photo: Gu Ko / Pexels · Pexels License
Prep
15 min
Cook
15 min
Total
30 min
Serves
4
Level
Intermediate
Calories
105

Ingredients

4 cups

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Gently whisk (opens in a new tab) the eggs (opens in a new tab) without making foam, then stir in the cooled dashi (opens in a new tab), soy sauce (opens in a new tab), mirin (opens in a new tab) and salt. Strain through a fine sieve.

    Eggs being whisked in a bowl
    How it looks · Photo: Kampus Production on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Divide the chicken, shrimp (opens in a new tab) and shiitake (opens in a new tab) between four heatproof cups and pour the egg (opens in a new tab) mixture over. Skim off any bubbles and cover each cup with foil.

    • 5 min

  3. Step 3

    Steam over gently simmering water — just a lazy simmer, with the lid slightly ajar — until the custard is set but still wobbles.

    Food safety: Check a cup: the chicken must be cooked through and clear liquid, not raw egg, should rise when pierced.

  4. Step 4

    Garnish with spring onion (opens in a new tab) and serve hot.

      Fresh herbs scattered over a finished dish
      How it looks · Photo: Klaus Nielsen on Pexels

    About this dish

    Origin
    Japan · Well documentedMore food from Japan
    Dish
    Lunch · Dinner · Egg dishes · Appetizers & starters
    Cooking method
    Steamed
    Taste
    umami, savoury, mild
    Diet
    Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · High-protein
    All labelsNon-vegetarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Pork-free · Beef-free · High-protein · Low-fat
    Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
    Cook more with
    Egg · Dashi · Soy sauce · Mirin · Chicken thigh · Prawns / shrimp
    Techniques
    Simmering · Steaming

    Allergens

    • Contains: Eggsfrom egg
    • Contains: Fishfrom dashi
    • Contains: Crustaceansfrom prawns / shrimp
    • Contains, can be adapted: Wheatfrom soy sauce
    • Contains, can be adapted: Glutenfrom soy sauce
    • Contains: Soyfrom soy sauce

    Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

    Nutrition

    105 kcal per serving

    Estimated

    1 serving ≈ 170 g · recipe makes 4

    Where the energy comes from

    • Protein 51%
    • Carbohydrate 4%
    • Fat 45%
    Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
    NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
    Energy105 kcal62 kcal
    Protein13 g7.7 g
    Carbohydrate1 g0.6 g
    Net carbohydrate——
    Sugars——
    Added sugars——
    Fibre——
    Fat5 g3 g
    Saturated fat——
    Trans fat——
    Cholesterol——
    Sodium450 mg265 mg
    Salt equivalent1.1 g0.7 g
    Vitamins & minerals per serving
    Potassium
    293 mg
    Calcium
    35 mg
    Iron
    0.9 mg
    Magnesium
    23 mg
    Vitamin A (RAE)
    —
    Vitamin C
    —
    Vitamin D
    —
    Vitamin B12
    —
    Folate (DFE)
    —

    How these numbers were made

    • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
    • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
    • Optional ingredients are not included: spring onion.
    • Dashi: Home-prepared fish stock (FDC 172885) used as a stand-in for katsuobushi-kombu dashi; both are very low in energy.
    • Mirin: Sake (FDC 167723) used as a stand-in; true mirin is sweeter, so sugar is underestimated.
    • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
    • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

    Good to know

    Tips

    • Too much heat makes the custard pitted and spongy; keep the steam gentle.

    Common mistakes

    • Whisking vigorously — bubbles leave holes in the set custard.

    Serve with

    • Serve as a starter, or as part of a multi-dish Japanese meal.

    Storage

    • Refrigerate for up to 1 day; it can also be eaten chilled in summer.

    Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

    Recipe DNA

    How this dish is built

    Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

    What the dish is built around

    Main ingredient

    Used in steps 1, 2

    Reviews & corrections

    Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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