Steps

1. Finely slice 150g of cabbage into approximately 5mm strips and place in a heatproof container.
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2. Cover the cabbage with plastic wrap and microwave on 600W for 1.5 minutes.
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3. Rinse the heated cabbage under cold water, let it cool, and squeeze out excess moisture.
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4. Roughly chop the squeezed cabbage. This is a key step! Chopping and then heating makes it hard to squeeze out water. Heating first, then squeezing, and finally chopping makes it easier.
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5. In a plastic bag, combine 100g of ground pork, 1 tbsp of cooking sake, 1 tbsp of potato starch, 1 tsp of chicken bouillon powder, 1 tsp of grated garlic, a pinch of salt, and a pinch of black pepper.
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6. Close the bag and knead the ingredients together.
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7. Once the pork mixture becomes sticky, add 40g of mixed cheese and the chopped cabbage and mix well.
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8. Once everything is combined and the mixture holds together, make a slit along the edge of 4 aburaage sheets and open them up to form pouches.
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9. Stuff the aburaage pouches with the prepared filling.
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10. Heat a little vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium heat.
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11. Once the pan is hot, place the stuffed aburaage in it and cook until the bottom is browned.
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12. Flip the aburaage over once the bottom is browned.
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13. Add 6 tbsp of water, cover with a lid, and steam-heat over low to medium heat for 7 minutes. This is crucial! Steaming thoroughly ensures the ground pork cooks through even with the filling, and the cheese melts beautifully.
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14. After steaming, increase the heat to medium-high and cook to evaporate the liquid and brown the surfaces. Browning the surfaces until crispy brings out a wonderfully fragrant flavor from the aburaage.
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15. Once both sides are browned and crispy, turn off the heat.
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16. Cut into bite-sized pieces and plate. Serve with ponzu sauce or your favorite condiment, if desired.
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