Japanese cuisine · Vegetable Dishes

Daizu no Gomoku Ni

Soybeans simmered soft with carrot, konnyaku, shiitake and burdock root in dashi-soy.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 250 g cooked soybeans (jar or can)
• 1 carrot
• 200 g konnyaku (konjac block)
• 4 dried shiitake mushrooms (or 100 g fresh)
• 1 stick gobo (burdock root, or substitute salsify)
• 500 ml dashi
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp mirin
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp sake

Instructions

1. Soak the dried shiitake in 200 ml lukewarm water for 20 min., squeeze out, strain the soaking water through a fine sieve, and cut the mushrooms into 1 cm cubes.
2. Peel the carrot and gobo and likewise cut into 1 cm cubes, placing the gobo in cold water for 5 min. so it doesn't discolor.
3. Cut the konnyaku into 1 cm cubes, blanch in boiling water for 2 min. and drain — this removes its chalky odor.
4. Bring the dashi, the shiitake soaking water, sake, sugar and mirin to a boil in a pot and simmer the carrot, gobo, konnyaku and shiitake covered over medium heat for 15 min.
5. Add the soybeans and soy sauce and simmer uncovered for another 20–25 min. until only a glossy bit of liquid remains at the bottom of the pot.
6. Remove from heat, let the vegetables rest in the liquid for 15 min. and serve lukewarm or cold in small bowls with rice.