Kinpira Gobo (Japanese style stir-fried burdock root with carrot, きんぴらごぼう)
Some of you may have never heard of a burdock root before. “Gobo” in Japanese means “Burdock root” in English. Burdock root is a plant and native to Northern Asia and Europe. Japanese people often use the burdock root as food. Burdock root has been used as a medicine and a tea in China. “Kinpira'' is a dish which normally consists of stir-fried vegetables with soy sauce and sugar. Apparently, “Kinpira” was named after the son of “Kintaro” (He is in the very famous Japanese fairy tale). Kinpira Gobo is a common home-made dish in Japan. This dish has a lot of fibers and a crispy texture. I highly recommend eating this amazing dish as a side dish while you enjoy eating dinner and/or drinking!
Ingredients (2 plates):
- 1 *burdock root
- 1/2 carrot
- 1 tablespoon *sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons *Hontsuyu
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon white sesame seeds (As you like)
- 1 teaspoon *Shichimi Togarashi (As you like)
-> See pictures A, B, C & D.
Here is how to make it at home. Cooking time is about 15 - 20 minutes.
- Peel, and cut the burdock root into 2 inches long and very thinly. Put them into a small bowl with water. Soak for about 3 minutes in order to remove bitterness and color change from the burdock root. -> See picture E.
2. Meanwhile, cut the carrot into 2 inches long and very thinly. -> See picture F.
3. Heat the sesame oil in a frying pan with medium heat. -> See picture G.
4. Add drained burdock root from step 1. and the carrot. Stir for 1 minute. -> See picture H.
5. Add sugar and stir for 1-2 minutes. -> See picture I.
6. Add *Hontsuyu and soy sauce, and stir for about 5 minutes or until the sauce is almost evaporated. (Cooking tip: Please don’t overcook.) -> See picture J.
7. Add sesame seeds and stir for another 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat. -> See pictures K & L.
8. Put Kinpira Gobo into small plates. Sprinkle *Shichimi Togarashi on top.
