Hijiki

Here is another recipe from Japanese Home Style Cooking. I really like this book a lot and can't recommend it enough! This is a fairly simple dish that is used as a side (simmered dish) in Japanese meals, usually served at room temperature. There is a lot of preparation needed for this dish, so keep that in mind before preparing. However, it keeps well for several days in the refrigerator, and can be used in bentos.

10g dried hijiki (edible brown algae)
2 dried shiitake mushrooms
30g carrot
50g gobo (burdock)
1 block firm tofu (momendofu)
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil

(Simmering stock)
1/2 cup dashi stock
3 Tbsp. sake
2/3 Tbsp. sugar
2 1/2 Tbsp. soy sauce
dash salt

Preparation:

Break and wash hijiki briefly. Soak in ample water for about twenty minutes. Carefully scoop out the hijiki with your hands and put it in a colander, taking care not to pick up any sand. Drain. (Soaked hijiki weighs eight times heavier than dried hijiki.)

Drain tofu by wrapping in a towel and putting something heavy on top (a medium-sized plate will do); let sit for at least 30 minutes.

Cut carrot into 3cm long sticks.

Soak shiitake in water until soft. Trim off the stems, then cut into thin stips.

Cut gobo (burdock) with shaving cuts (sasagaki: make shallow cuts lengthwise along the root. Place horizontally on the cutting board and shave, rolling as if sharpening a pencil. Instructions included in cookbook.) Soak cut gobo in vinegared water until the water turns brown. Wash in water and then allow it to drain.

Method:

Heat oil in a medium-sized pan. Stir-fry gobo, carrot and shiitake mushrooms until all are covered in oil. Add hijiki and fry together. Crush the tofu roughly with hands. Mix in with a wooden spoon and stir-fry until coated well with the oil. Add the dashi stock and seasonings and lower the heat to medium-high. Continue cooking until the liquid is almost gone, stirring occasionally. Slant the pan and cook until the liquid is completely absorbed. Transfer to a flat container and spread to cool. Serve in bowls. (I now have a IH cooker and the slant thing doesn't work well for me. I just cook until the liquid is absorbed, stirring frequently when it has reduced a lot.)

This is an 'all seasons' dish, and I find it compliments almost any Japanese meal.