Kinpira きんぴら Braised Root Vegetables

Yuki's take on this classic Japanese side dish.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 150gms gobo (burdock root) or any root vegetable
• 50g carrots
• 1tsp dried red chilli pepper
• 1tbsp Clearspring Sunflower Oil
• 1tsp Clearspring Sesame Oil
• 1tbsp white sesame seeds
• 2tbsp Clearspring Kombu dashi (Kelp stock)
• 2tbsp sake
• 1tbsp Clearspring Rice Malt Syrup
• 1tbsp Clearspring Soya Sauce
• ½tbsp Clearspring Mirin

Method

1. Peel the skin of gobo lightly and cut into very thin strips (Julienne cut 3mmx3cm) or buy frozen gobo from Japanese supermarket.
2. Soak them in cold water for about 5 minutes and drain well. Peel the carrots and cut in the same way as gobo.
3. Heat sunflower oil in a frying pan-add gobo and carrots and fry for 3minutes.
4. Add red chilli pepper, dashi, sake, soy sauce and mirin. Reduce the heat and cook until the liquid is absorbed.
5. Remove from the heat and add sesame oil and a sprinkle of the sesame seeds on top.

Chef

Yuki's Kitchen

Yuki Gomi was raised in a traditional Japanese family, her mother is a fanatical cook who instilled in me a love of cooking at an early age. This love of food inspired her to train as a professional cook, and worked at several restaurant including Chicago's famous Soul Kitchen under Curtis Giszczynski where they developed together Asian and fusion dishes.

She moved to London in 2005 and worked as a head of food development at the Yoshino restaurant in Piccadilly. She developed new recipes both for the restaurant and also for the Japan Centre where she created new sushi menu.

In London she was struck by the increasing popularity of Japanese food. She saw people queuing to buy take-away meals for thier lunches and for parties, but they often said to her 'I can't make this at home so I have no choice but to buy it' or 'I wish I could make this at home'.

Knowing how simple it is to make good Japanese food, inspired her to start cookery classes. She now teaches Japanese home cooking and have found that people quickly grasp the concepts and become passionate advovates of this form of cooking.

www.yukiskitchen.com