I don't think there can be any doubt that the Japanese love their veggies - it's not uncommon for a Japanese dinner to include 2 or 3 separate marinated or pickled vegetable side dishes for the diners to consume. In the uk, the government advise a 5 - a - day regime for eating vegetables and fruit - in Japan, that's a whopping 13 - a - day and that's only the vegetables!
One vegetable that is really commonplace on a Japanese table is the kabu, known in English as turnip. This is a vegetable that really comes into its own when it is marinated. I don't think turnip is eaten raw very much in the UK but if you want to try it uncooked, (and you really should) this is a great way to do it - and of course, eating turning raw means you preserve more of it's many health benefits. You may not have thought of the turnip as a health powerhouse but its nutritional values are legion - vitamins A, 5 Bs, C, E & K. you also get folate, manganese, potassium, iron, copper and calcium, not to mention omega-3 fatty acids and protein.
In this side dish, I pair "kabu" with the Chinese leaf vegetable choi sum which is another great way to get high levels of vitamins A and C. I marinade the two vegetables in a mixture of rice vinegar, lemon juice and sugar to give them a refreshingly tangy appeal. Last, I sprinkle over a little toasted white sesame for added texture and another taste layer.
This nutricious, refreshing vegetable dish can be made in under 30 mins and it's a great way to get 2 of your 5 a day (or 13 - a - day if the mood takes you!)
Interested? you can find the Youtube tutorial by clicking Marinated Kabu and Choysum or by scrolling to the bottom of the page. The written recipe is just below.
Happy marinating! Kurumi XXXX.
If you would like to pair this with another vegetable dish, why not try my brocolli in sweet sesame? You can find the recipe for that dish here.
Marinated Kabu and Choysum
ingredients:
(makes 2 servings)
1 turnip (approx. 250g)
60g choy sum
1 slice ginger
1/2 tsp salt
for the marinade:
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp toasted white sesame seeds
how to:
peel, halve & slice the turnip as thinly as possible (you can also use a slicer to get it nice and thin)
rinse the choy sum and cut into 2cm lengths
finely slice the ginger
put the turnip, choy sum & ginger in a bowl, sprinkle with the salt, mix well and leave to stand for at least 15 mins (this will osften and season the vegetables and remove the bitterness)
to make the marinade, mix the lemon juice, vinegar & sugar well in a bowl
squeeze any excess liquid from the vegetables and add the marinade. stir together well
sprinkle with the sesame seeds. your kabu & choy sum dish is now ready serve as a side dish or as a salad