Root Vegetable Kinpira (根菜のきんぴら, Konsai no Kinpira)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Sharp knife or kinpira peeler
• •Wide frying pan or sauté pan
• •Bowl for brief soaking
• •Fine-mesh strainer

Instructions

1. 1

   Cut the roots

   Scrub the gobō well, then scrape it lightly with the back of your knife if the skin is rough. Cut the gobō and carrot into thin matchsticks, about 3mm thick. Peel the renkon, quarter it lengthwise, and slice it thinly. Even cutting is not decoration here. It lets the roots cook at the same pace, so the dish stays crisp-tender instead of half raw and half tired.

   Don't peel the gobō too aggressively. Much of its good earthy aroma sits close to the skin, and washing away character is a very tidy way to make a dull dish.
2. 2

   Soak briefly

   Put the sliced renkon in a bowl of cold water with the rice vinegar for five minutes, then drain well. Put the gobō in plain cold water for five minutes only, then drain and pat dry. The short soak keeps harshness and discoloration in check, but a long soak steals the very earthiness you came for.

3. 3

   Mix the seasoning

   Stir together the soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar in a small bowl until the sugar loosens. Mix this before the pan is hot because kinpira moves quickly. If you start measuring over the skillet, the roots will wait for you by overcooking. They are patient in the ground, less so in oil.

4. 4

   Sauté the vegetables

   Heat the sesame oil and neutral oil in a wide frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the chili, then the gobō, carrot, and renkon. Stir and toss for three to four minutes, until the roots smell nutty and the edges look a little glossy. The oil step matters because it coats the cut surfaces and brings out aroma before the liquid seasoning goes in.

5. 5

   Reduce the sauce

   Pour in the seasoning mixture and keep the vegetables moving. Cook for four to six minutes, until the liquid has almost disappeared and the roots are shiny, not wet. This is the kinpira finish: the seasoning should cling in a thin glaze. If the pan goes dry before the roots are tender, add a spoonful of water and keep cooking.

6. 6

   Finish and rest

   Turn off the heat and fold in the toasted sesame seeds. Let the kinpira rest five minutes before serving. It settles as it cools, and the flavor becomes rounder. Serve warm, at room temperature, or tucked into a bento the next day.

Chef Tips

• •Choose gobō that is firm, slender, and not hollow at the center if the cut end is visible. Limp burdock tastes tired, and no amount of soy will make it glistening fresh.
• •Use a wide pan, not a deep pot. Kinpira needs quick evaporation so the seasoning reduces into a glaze instead of turning the roots into a simmered stew.
• •A kinpira peeler or julienne slicer is useful, but a sharp knife is better if it gives you even pieces. The tool is only there to make the cut honest.
• •This is a make-ahead side by nature. It tastes good warm, but often better after it has cooled and the soy-mirin glaze has settled into the cuts.

Advance Preparation

• •Cut the vegetables up to two hours ahead and keep the gobō and renkon in their soaking water until ready to cook. Drain and dry them well before they meet the oil.
• •Finished kinpira keeps three days refrigerated in a covered container. Serve it cool or let it return to room temperature, since hard reheating softens the crunch.
• •Toast the sesame seeds ahead and keep them in a sealed jar. Add them at the end so their aroma stays clear.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 110g)