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Kinpira Gobo is an easy Japanese side dish made by stir-frying shredded root vegetables with a sweet and savory sauce.
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Kinpira Gobo

Kinpira Gobo is a delicious Japanese side dish made by stir-frying burdock root (gobo) and carrots with a savory-sweet sauce. In this recipe, I'll show you how you can make this classic bento side dish with an irresistibly crunchy texture that puts it somewhere between a stir-fry and a salad.
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Japanese
Keyword stir-fry
Level Beginner
Main Ingredient Vegetable
Diet Dairy-Free, Pescatarian, Vegan, Vegetarian
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 8 side portions
Calories 49kcal
Author Marc Matsumoto

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon vinegar
  • 250 grams gobo (burdock)
  • 140 grams carrot (1 small carrot)
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • chili flakes (to taste)
  • 1 teaspoon dark brown sugar
  • ¼ cup sake
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Instructions

  • Prepare a bowl of acidified water by stirring the vinegar into a bowl of cold water.
    1 tablespoon vinegar
  • Wash and scrub the gobo and then peel it in segments. Cut the peeled segments into 2-3-inch long pieces and immediately put them in the acidified water. Repeat with the remaining gobo.
    250 grams gobo
    Peeled burdock in a bowl of water.
  • Working one piece at a time, use a sharp knife to cut the gobo into thin slices. Line the slices up and then cut them into thin strips with the grain. Return the julienned gobo to the bowl of water and repeat with the remaining burdock.
    Thinly slicing gobo (burdock).
  • Peel, trim, and cut the carrots into a thin julienne as well.
    140 grams carrot
    Cutting carrots into a thin julienne.
  • Just before you start cooking, drain and wash the burdock to remove the vinegar taste. Drain well.
    Draining and rinsing julienned burdock root.
  • Heat a frying pan over high heat and add the vegetable oil and chili flakes. Swirl to coat the pan with oil and add the burdock and carrots.
    1 tablespoon vegetable oil, chili flakes
    Red chili peppers and oil in a frying pan.
  • Stir-fry this mixture until it starts to wilt, and then add the brown sugar. Continue stir-frying until the water released by the vegetables has evaporated (about 2 minutes).
    1 teaspoon dark brown sugar
    Stir-frying gobo and carrots for Kinpira.
  • Add the sake, soy sauce, and salt, and continue stir-frying the Kinpira Gobo until all of the liquid has evaporated and the sauce has caramelized around the vegetables.
    ¼ cup sake, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, ¼ teaspoon salt
    Kinpira Gobo in a frying pan.
  • Add the toasted sesame seeds and stir to distribute them evenly.
    1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
    Finishing Kinpira Gobo with a sprinkle of sesame seeds.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 49kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 212mg | Potassium: 164mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 2924IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 1mg