Nishime (Japanese New Year’s Day Dashi-simmered Mushrooms and Vegetables)

Ingredients

Main Ingredients

• 5 frozen lotus root slices, defrosted, trimmed into flower shapes
• 5 fresh shiitake or Swiss brown mushrooms, stems removed, star shape cut into top
• ½ small yam bean, peeled, sliced, cut into pentagon shapes
• 1 small carrot, sliced into coins, then carved into flower shapes
• 9 small snow peas, ends cut off and strings removed
• 3 radishes, trimmed
• 50g konjac noodles (I use Slendier Fettuccini)
• Dashi stock:
• 250ml water
• ½ tsp instant konbudashi powder
• 1 tbsp mirin
• 1 tbsp cooking sake
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp sugar

Method

1. Blanch snow peas for 30 secs in boiling water. Refresh and drain. Set aside.
2. Parboil carrots yam bean and radishes separately in boiling water for 3 minutes each. Drain.
3. Prepare konjac noodles according to packet instructions, then double over 10-12cm strands and knot them.
4. Mix all Dashi stock ingredients in small frypan, except soy sauce. Bring to boil. Turn down heat to low, add soy sauce.
5. Add carrots, yam beans, radishes to frypan, simmer 5-6 mins, stirring occasionally.
6. Add lotus roots and mushrooms, simmer 1-2 mins.
7. Add konjac noodles, simmer 1 minute.
8. Check carrots and yam bean. If they need more cooking time, remove radishes, konjac noodles, lotus roots and mushrooms (they need to stay fresh-looking!). Simmer until all vegetables are still firm but cooked through and the dashi broth has been mostly absorbed.
9. Arrange on plate with blanched snow peas, drizzle over a little more Dashi cooking liquid, serve.

Product used in recipe

• Obento - Cooking Sake
• Obento - Mirin Seasoning