Study the rangiri “random lower” chopping method with my simple tutorial. This Japanese methodology of irregular rolling cuts makes same-size chunks of root veggies, eggplant, and cucumbers for the right style and texture in your Japanese dishes.
To make irregular rolling cuts, we use the rangiri chopping method in Japanese cooking. This methodology creates vegetable items with deliberately diverse surfaces that cook dinner evenly and soak up taste faster. On this tutorial, I’ll train you the rangiri: random lower chopping method so you may lower veggies into this interesting form when cooking Japanese recipes.
Use the rangiri chopping method in my Nikujaga (Japanese Meat and Potato Stew), Tonjiru (Pork and Vegetable Miso Soup), and Japanese Hen Curry recipes subsequent!
What’s Rangiri?
Rangiri (乱切り) means random lower in Japanese, but it’s an intentional methodology. We use this vegetable chopping method to create irregular, angled chunks by rotating the ingredient between every slice. You should utilize it to chop root veggies, cucumbers, eggplants, and different cylindrical greens into items of comparable sizes. Whereas they might have considerably diverse surfaces, they cook dinner extra evenly and soak up taste effectively.
Why I Love the Rangiri (Random Reduce) Reducing Method
- Veggies soak up flavors sooner – This methodology will increase the ingredient’s floor space to assist it soak up seasonings sooner. I particularly like utilizing these random cuts for simmered dishes and stews.
- Components cook dinner on the identical price – Rangiri lets me lower your complete size of a carrot, eggplant, and different veggies into same-size chunks so all of the items cook dinner on the identical price for the right texture.
- Makes a lovely form – Transforms greens into distinctive and pleasing shapes that provides a wonderful, wabi-sabi character to stews and simmered dishes.
- Leads to much less waste – Since I can management the form and measurement of the items I lower with rangiri, I’m ready to make use of even the thick and skinny ends of root greens that I would in any other case skip.
Kinds of Meals for Rangiri (Random Reduce)
- Carrot
- Cucumber
- Daikon
- Eggplant
- Lotus root
- Burdock root (gobo)
Discover the printable tutorial under.
- sharp kitchen knife – I like to recommend a stable chef’s knife for this activity. I exploit a high-quality Nagomi Damascus Gyuto Chef Knife that you could find at JOC Items. You can additionally use a nakiri knife (Japanese vegetable knife), you probably have one.
The best way to Make Rangiri (Random Reduce)
- Make a diagonal lower. Maintain the vegetable on the chopping board, and lower a chunk diagonally to the specified measurement with a pointy knife.
- Rotate 1 / 4 flip. Roll the ingredient 90 levels, then lower once more on the identical angle. Maintain the items the identical measurement.
- Repeat. Reduce → roll → lower → roll till you attain the tip of the vegetable.
Nami’s Suggestions
- Maintain each bit the identical measurement and form – That is the key level for rangiri to advertise even cooking, regardless of the irregular cuts.
- Rotate the vegetable 1 / 4 flip – After every slice, roll it 90 levels earlier than you narrow once more. I watch my final lower floor to maintain monitor.
- Reduce on the identical angle each time – I maintain my knife in the identical place as I roll the veggie with my different hand. Keep that diagonal for a constant look and to create probably the most floor space.
- Regulate for thickness – In case your veggie is thick at one finish and skinny on the different, like a carrot, please regulate the place you narrow with a view to hold every thing the same measurement and thickness. I at all times keep the identical knife angle, so the chunks have the identical common form.
- Maintain your knife blade sharp – I sharpen my knife repeatedly for security and precision. This manner, chopping is easy and also you’ll get very clear cuts.
The best way to Use the Rangiri (Random Reduce) Reducing Method
Now that you understand how to chop rangiri, I hope you employ this distinctive and efficient method for the greens in your house cooking. Beneath are a few of my favourite Japanese dishes utilizing this lower.
Ceaselessly Requested Questions
When making ready Japanese delicacies, I’ll use many alternative Japanese chopping strategies at residence. Some distinctive Japanese knife expertise that I exploit in my day by day residence cooking embody ran-giri, sogigiri (shaved lower), hangetsu-giri (half-moon lower), zaku-kiri (tough chop), and kazari-kiri (ornamental cuts). As well as, I exploit many primary strategies like usugiri (skinny strips), hosogiri (skinny slices), wa-giri (spherical slices), nanamegiri (diagonal lower), and sengiri (julienne lower). Some others that you could be discover helpful embody butsugiri (block lower or chunky cross lower), kakugiri (dice lower or cube lower), sasagaki (skinny shavings), and kushigatagiri (comb formed or wedge lower). With a bit of follow and endurance, you may study many of those culinary expertise utilizing my Japanese Reducing Strategies tutorial.
Rangiri is suited to root greens or a cylindrical Japanese vegetable. See my Japanese chopping strategies information for different strategies that work effectively for aromatics like onions, garlic, ginger, and inexperienced onion. Cabbage leaves are additionally not effectively suited to rangiri.
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Make a diagonal lower. Maintain the vegetable on the chopping board, and lower the piece diagonally to the specified measurement with a pointy knife.
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Rotate 1 / 4 flip. Roll the ingredient 90 levels, then lower once more on the identical angle. Maintain the items roughly the identical measurement.
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Repeat. Reduce → roll → lower → roll till you attain the tip of the vegetable.
Editor’s Notice: This submit was initially printed on December 26, 2012. It was up to date and republished on June 14, 2025, with new photos and extra useful data to information your cooking.
