🍲 How I ended up making Māsu-ni
The other day, my aunt gave me some frozen fish. While I was preparing dinner, my mom asked me to “cook the fish,” so I decided to make **Māsu-ni**, a traditional Okinawan dish (a simple dish simmered with just salt).
I slowly thawed the fish under running water, lightly cleaned the bloodline, and then put it in a frying pan.
Since my mom doesn’t eat very much, I added **tofu and carrots** to simmer along with it. In Okinawa, it’s common to simmer fish and tofu together, and the fish’s umami flavor soaks into the tofu, making it delicious.
🧂 Simple Ingredients and Seasonings
I used only the following four ingredients this time.
– Fish
– Tofu
– Carrot
– Shredded ginger
The seasonings were **just salt and awamori**.
Once it came to a boil, I turned the heat down to low, covered it, and simmered it gently for about 30 minutes.
If you have kombu, simmering it together brings out even more umami, but I left it as is this time.
🍆 Today’s Side Dishes Kept Simple
I cut two leftover new potatoes into wedges and quartered one eggplant, then deep-fried them.
It’s a simple side dish—just a sprinkle of salt—but it’s surprisingly delicious.
My mom said, “This is fine,” so we had a light dinner today.
📸 Photo of the Simmered Fish
👵 Relieved to see Mom’s appetite returning
Once the fish was done simmering, I set aside a small portion to offer at my father’s Buddhist altar before we started eating.
Since Mom likes the fish head, I gave her the head and the large fillet from the back.
She ate more than I expected—about half a bowl of rice.
She also ate the potatoes and eggplant, so she ate quite well today.
There were days last week when she could barely eat anything, so I’m a little relieved.
After dinner, she took her medicine and relaxed while watching TV.
I’m worried about how her health will hold up this weekend with the typhoon coming, but today looks like it will end peacefully.
🌙 Today’s Summary
- – Tonight’s dinner was “Māsu-ni,” a traditional Okinawan dish
- – A simple dish made with just fish, tofu, carrots, and ginger
- – Side dishes were lightly fried new potatoes and eggplant
- – I’m relieved my mother ate well
- – It’s calm today, even though a typhoon is coming
Thank you for your hard work today.
