Try my elegant yet easy Ebi Shinjo recipe to enjoy the delicate taste of this kaiseki dish in your daily dinner or light lunch. I’ll share my tips for making light and fluffy shrimp dumplings in a quick and flavorful clear soup.
If you’ve stayed in a Japanese ryokan or dined at a formal kaiseki restaurant, you’ve probably enjoyed ebi shinjo. With fluffy and delicate shrimp (ebi) dumplings in clear soup, it’s an elegant and classic dish that’s also simple enough to make at home. Follow my easy Ebi Shinjo recipe to make these versatile dumplings for a home-cooked dinner, light spring lunch, or celebratory meal.
Need more creative shrimp dishes? Try my Shrimp Tempura, Japanese Pasta and With Shrimp and Asparagus, and Shrimp Fried Rice next!
What is Shinjo?
Shinjo (真薯, しんじょ) is a paste of mashed fish or shellfish, grated mountain yam, and egg white. It’s similar to other fish paste products like kamaboko and hanpen. The shaped dumplings are steamed, fried, or boiled and usually served in soup or oden. Called masho in some regions, shinjo has existed since at least Japan’s Edo period (1603–1868).
Why I Love This Recipe
- Easy to make – I use just four ingredients for the dumplings, a simple kombu stock for cooking them, and a savory dashi broth for the clear soup.
- Elegant and light – With its fluffy texture, delicate taste, and understated presentation, this is the quintessential Japanese cuisine that I often crave.
- Perfect for seasonal cooking – Like any kaiseki dish, shinjo is a seasonal dish. It’s a flexible canvas for customizing with peak-harvest proteins, veggies, and garnishes.
- Versatile for any occasion – I love that this dish is equally at home in an ichiju sansai meal and special celebratory feast.
Ingredients for Ebi Shinjo
- Shrimp
- Mountain yam (nagaimo/yamaimo)
- Potato starch or cornstarch
- Grated ginger
- Kosher salt
- Kombu (dried kelp) and water – for the simmering stock (kombu dashi)
- Dashi (Japanese soup stock) – for the soup broth (awase dashi); I make a quick dashi with water and dashi packets
- Yuzu zest and mitsuba (Japanese parsley) or chives – optional garnish
Find the printable recipe with measurements below.
Substitutions
- Shrimp: Try white fish or hanpen if you can’t have shrimp. We use hanpen for this dish in Japan, but it’s not easy to find in the U.S. unless you have a Japanese market nearby.
- Mountain yam: Called nagaimo/yamaimo in Japanese, you can find it at a Japanese or Asian market. Unfortunately, there is no substitute for mountain yam in this recipe.
- Dashi: I recommend good-quality dashi for the soup broth (awase dashi). If you have 20–30 minutes, you can make Awase Dashi from scratch. For a convenient time saver, I use dashi packets (find them on Amazon) to make a quick 5-minute dashi that tastes nearly as good. The third option is to make instant stock with dashi powder and water, but it’s not as flavorful.
Key Equipment
- Food processor – I use a 14-Cup Food processor
How to Make Ebi Shinjo
Preparation
Step 1 – Prep the ingredients. Peel and cut the mountain yam and grate the ginger. Peel, slice in half, and devein the shrimp.
Step 2 – Make the cooking stock. Steep the dried kelp in cold water for at least 30 minutes, then slowly bring it to a near boil. Remove the kelp.
Step 3 – Process the shrimp. Add salt and purée the shrimp in a food processor for 30 seconds.
Step 4 – Purée the ingredients. Pulse the mountain yam, ginger, and potato starch with the shrimp ten times just until it’s a smooth paste.
Cooking
Step 5 – Shape the dumplings. Use a cookie scoop and two tablespoons to form shrimp balls. Drop in the kombu stock to simmer.
Step 6 – Cook. Turn the shrimp balls occasionally with chopsticks. They’re done when they turn pink and register 145ºF (63ºC) internally.
Assemble
Step 7 – Garnish and serve. Place one shrimp shinjo in a soup bowl (I used a lidded bowl) and add hot dashi broth. Top with garnishes.
Nami’s Recipe Tips
- Don’t rush making the simmering stock – It takes time to extract the umami from dried kelp (kombu) for the cooking stock. I recommend steeping it in water for at least 30 minutes and heating it slowly over medium-low heat.
- Aerate the shrimp paste – I pulse the food processor just ten times to combine all the ingredients. This adds air to the paste and creates a light and fluffy texture.
- Don’t overprocess – Purée just until smooth and still airy. Avoid running the food processor too long, which will make the mixture pasty and dense.
- Form smooth dumplings – I use two tablespoons to make round dumplings, scraping the shrimp paste from one spoon to the other to get a smooth surface.
- Keep the cooking liquid clean – While the dumplings cook, skim off the scum and fat floating on the surface. If you don’t, the debris will stick to the dumplings and transfer to the soup bowls. We want a clear broth for a beautiful presentation.
Variations and Customizations
- Use seasonal seafood. Choose the freshest fish or shellfish available at the market. I used shrimp today, as it’s convenient and always available frozen. However, I do love this recipe with peak-harvest crab or white fish to celebrate seasonality in my home cooking.
- Add minced chicken. It boosts the protein and adds texture.
- Mix in vegetables. Chopped edamame, shiitake mushrooms, or seaweed add color, flavor, and fiber.
- Use seasonal garnishes. Switch up the yuzu zest with citrus and herbs available in your area. In Japan, we add kinome (prickly ash) leaf, sudachi, and myoga (Japanese ginger). You could try Meyer lemon or lime zest, chives, and young ginger.
- Shape into patties. Form the paste into a round patty and grill it like a hamburger steak. Grilled or fried shinjo makes a great side dish for bento lunches.
What to Serve with Ebi Shinjo
- As a main dish – Cook it in Oden for a hot and delicious pot of Japanese fish cake stew.
- As a side dish – Add it to you menu with your favorite Japanese main dish like Ginger Pork.
- With salads – Pair it with Japanese Spinach Salad with Sesame Dressing.
- In a bento box – Fried or grilled shinjo makes a tasty side dish in a lunchbox like Karaage Bento.
Storage and Reheating Tips
To store: You can keep the leftover dumplings and dashi in separate airtight containers and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for a month.
To reheat: Defrost in the fridge overnight and reheat until warm.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do we need to make two types of stock?
The two stocks—kombu dashi and awase dashi—serve different purposes. You’ll use the kombu dashi as the simmering stock to cook the dumplings. The awase dashi is the flavorful clear broth that you’ll serve into soup bowls to enjoy with the shrimp dumplings.
Can I season the plain dashi broth?
Although ebi shinjo is traditionally served in plain dashi broth to make a very elegant soup, you can certainly season it if you wish with soy sauce, light soy sauce, sake, salt, or your favorite seasoning.
Can I pan fry ebi shinjo?
Yes, you can fry the shrimp balls and drain them on paper towels or a wire rack. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce, if you’d like.
Can I use prawns in this recipe?
Yes, you can substitute prawns and make a prawn paste instead.
Ebi Shinjo (Shrimp Dumplings in Clear Soup)
No ratings yet Try my elegant yet easy Ebi Shinjo recipe to enjoy the delicate taste of this kaiseki dish in your daily dinner or bento. I'll share my tips for making light and fluffy shrimp dumplings in a quick and flavorful clear soup. Print Pin Prep Time: 40 minutes minsCook Time: 20 minutes minsTotal Time: 50 minutes mins Servings: 4
Ingredients US CustomaryMetric 1x2x3x
For the Shrimp Dumplings
- ▢ 11 oz shrimp (peeled weight; about 15 medium pieces; sprinkle with sake to get rid of the odor, if any)
- ▢ 2.5 oz nagaimo/yamaimo (mountain yam) (peeled weight)
- ▢ ½ tsp ginger (grated, with juice)
- ▢ ¼ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- ▢ 2 tsp potato starch or cornstarch
For the Simmering Stock (Kombu Dashi)
- ▢ 4 cups water
- ▢ 1 piece kombu (dried kelp) (13 x 15 cm, 5 x 6 inches per piece)
For the Soup Broth (Awase Dashi)
- ▢ 4 cups dashi (Japanese soup stock) (make quick dashi like I did with two dashi packets, Awase Dashi from scratch, or instant dashi with dashi powder and water)
For the Garnish (optional)
- ▢ mitsuba (Japanese parsley) (or chives)
- ▢ yuzu zest
Japanese Ingredient Substitution: If you want substitutes for Japanese condiments and ingredients, click here. Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark
Instructions
Before You Start…
- At least 30 minutes before starting this recipe, soak 1 piece kombu (dried kelp) in 4 cups water.
- Now, gather all the ingredients. In this recipe, you'll make two stocks—kombu dashi and awase dashi. Use the kombu dashi for the simmering stock to cook the dumplings. The awase dashi is the clear soup broth that you'll serve into individual bowls with the shrimp dumplings.
To Prepare the Ingredients
- Peel the skin off the mountain yam and measure 2.5 oz nagaimo/yamaimo (mountain yam) with a kitchen scale. Please weigh it precisely so you don't introduce too much liquid into the shrimp mixture.
- Cut the mountain yam into smaller pieces, roughly ½-inch (1.25-cm) cubes.
- Grate the ginger (I use a stainless steel grater from JOC Goods). Measure ½ tsp ginger, with juice.
- Cut 11 oz shrimp in half sideways and remove the vein.
To Make the Simmering Stock (Kombu Dashi)
- In a medium pot, gradually bring the soaked kombu and water to a simmer on medium-low heat, which helps extract the umami from the kombu. If you have never made stock using dried kelp, check out my Kombu Dashi tutorial.
- Right before the water reaches a simmer, remove the kombu. Now, you have kombu dashi. You can repurpose the spent kelp by making Kombu Tsukudani. Cover the pot with a lid and set aside while you make the shrimp paste.
To Make the Shrimp Paste
- Put the shrimp and ¼ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt in the bowl of a food processor. Run it for 30 seconds.
- The chopped shrimp will begin to break down into paste but should still retain some small minced pieces.
- Next, add the mountain yam, grated ginger, and 2 tsp potato starch or cornstarch. Using the Pulse function, pulse the mixture 10 times. This will help add air to the mixture.
- Scrape down the sides of the processor bowl and check the consistency. You're looking for a light, smooth texture with no minced pieces.
- Continue just until it's smooth. Do not overprocess, or the mixture will become dense and heavy.
- Transfer the shrimp paste to a bowl.
To Cook the Shrimp Dumplings
- Heat up the simmering stock (kombu dashi) in a pot to a low simmer. To shape the dumplings, measure a heaping scoopful of shrimp paste (I use a #40 [1½ Tbsp] medium cookie scoop). Then, transfer it to one of two tablespoons.
- Scrape the shrimp paste from one tablespoon to the other. Repeat a few times to form a ball. Scraping off the dumpling with the spoon edge will create a smooth surface.
- When you have nice surface, drop the dumpling into the simmering kombu dashi.
- Continue to shape the remaining dumplings and add them to the pot. Simmer until they turn pink and register an internal temperature of 145ºF (63ºC) using an instant-read thermometer. Use chopsticks to turn them once in a while for even cooking.Meanwhile, start heating 4 cups dashi (Japanese soup stock) in a pot for serving the soup broth.
- As the dumplings cook, skim off the scum floating on the simmering stock's surface. This keeps the liquid clear and clean so the debris doesn't stick to the dumplings and transfer to the soup bowls. I love using a super fine-mesh skimmer from JOC Goods as it works great for fish and vegetable broths.
To Serve
- Place one shrimp dumpling in each soup bowl (I used a lidded bowl from JOC Goods). Ladle hot soup broth (awase dashi) to about halfway up the dumpling. Garnish with optional yuzu zest and mitsuba (Japanese parsley) with a knot tied in the stem.
- Serve hot and enjoy!
To Store
- You can keep the leftover dumplings and soup broth in separate airtight containers. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for a month. Defrost in the fridge overnight and reheat until warm.
Course: SoupCuisine: JapaneseKeyword: shrimp ©JustOneCookbook.com Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any website or social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.