This dish is a ubiquitous side dish often made with spinach or green beans. Blanched spinach is tossed with sesame seeds and seasoning. Goma means sesame seeds and “ae” means to toss or to dress something with.
Suribachi & Surikogi (Japanese style mortar and pestle)
Ingredients
12ozfresh spinach, trimmed and washedone bunch
1/4cuptoasted sesame seeds natural
2tablespoonlight soy saucemay use regular soy sauce
2tablespoonmirinJapanese sweet wine
1tablespoonsugar
1/2teaspoonsesame seeds, for garnish
Instructions
Gather ingredients.
Blanching the Spinach:
In a large saucepan, bring water to boil. Get a bowl of iced water and set it aside.
Add spinach to boiling water for 15-20 seconds (do not overcook the spinach!). Using tongs or spider, scoop out all the spinach and drop them in the prepared bowl of iced water. Note: if using a smaller pot, blanch half of the spinach at a time. Wait until the water boils again and blanch the other half.
Squeeze water out of the spinach and cut them into one-inch length.
Making Sauce:
Grind 1/4 cup of toasted sesame seeds in a Japanese style mortar and pestle. Add sugar and grind for another couple of minutes until it almost resembles a paste.
Add mirin, light soy sauce, and mix well, scraping side with a rubber spatula. Note: never use metal on Suribachi as it will scratch the grids in the bowl.
Squeeze excess water one more time and using chopsticks, loosen the spinach. Add three-quarters of the sauce to the spinach and toss well. Taste and add more sauce if needed. Sprinkle sesame seeds and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutritional information is an estimate only. Please view our website policies for more information.