About the Recipe
"Gobo" is the name given to burdock in Japanese. Like the English, the Japanese have traditionally valued burdock for its health properties but instead of fermenting it to make a tonic, the Japanese devised a cooking method, "kinpira", to enable the cooking and flavouring of an otherwise difficult to digest root. The method involves stir frying which partly cooks but also softens the root fibres allowing them to absorb more flavour. Step two involves simmering in a liquor bearing the flavours to be imbued in the vegetables. Kinpira gobo is typically served as a side dish. It would make a satisfying, fibre filled lunch served with bowls of rice and miso soup.
Ingredients
200g gobo (burdock root)
100g carrot
1.5 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp mirin
2 tbsp water
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp dried red chilli
1 tsp toasted sesame for garnish
Preparation
pare / scrape the skin off the gobo with the back of your knife, (taking care not to cut your fingers on the blade)
next, slice the gobo diagonally into 5 - 6 cm / 2 - 2.5 inch pieces
cut each piece of gobo into matchsticks then soak in a bowl of water for 10 mins
peel the carrot, then repeat the cutting process that you did with the gobo diagonally (but you don't need to soak the carrot in water)
heat the sesame oil in a frying pan, add the gobo and stir fry for 30 secs
add the carrot & stir fry for another 1 min
add the water, mirin, soy sauce & chilli. simmer for 5 mins with the lid on
stir for another 5-10 mins without the lid or until the sauce has almost evaporated
your kinpira gobo is now ready - serve with Japanese rice and perhaps a bowl of miso soup