How to make: Nishime 煮染め -

How to make: Nishime, which roughly translates to “simmered vegetables”, is a very healthy side dish that Japanese people often eat for lunch. All of the ingredients are simmered together in one pot, so it will save you from doing a lot of dishes!

What you need:

材料(4人前)	Ingredients (serves 4):
里芋	Satsuma potatoes: 4
お湯 (里芋用)	Hot water (for Satsuma potatoes): as needed
レンコン	Lotus root: 100g
水 (レンコン用)	Water (for lotus root): 500ml
酢 (レンコン用)	Vinegar (for lotus root): 1 tablespoon
こんにゃく	Konnyaku: 100g
タケノコの水煮	Canned bamboo shoots: 50g
ごぼう	Burdock root: 1/2
水 (ごぼう用)	Water (for burdock root): as needed
金時人参	Sweet potatoes: 1/2
絹さや	Silk pods: 8 sheets
しいたけ	Shiitake mushrooms: 4
銀杏の水煮	Canned ginkgo nuts: 4

煮汁: | Broth:

水: 600ml | Water: 600ml
かつお節: 15g | Bonito flakes: 15g
昆布: 5g | Kombu: 5g

調味料(A): | Seasonings (A):

薄口しょうゆ: 大さじ3 | Light soy sauce: 3 tablespoons
砂糖: 大さじ2 | Sugar: 2 tablespoons
みりん: 大さじ2 | Mirin: 2 tablespoons
塩: 小さじ1/2 | Salt: 1/2 teaspoon

Steps

To start preparation, peel the lotus root, and drain the canned bamboo shoots and ginkgo nuts. Scrape off the burdock skin. Remove the strings from the silk pods, boil 500ml of water in a pot, add 1/2 teaspoon of salt, boil for about 30 seconds, drain, and set aside. Cut off the shiitake stems.
Put water and kombu for the broth in a pot and soak for about 30 minutes. Heat over medium heat, remove the kombu just before boiling. When it boils, turn off the heat, add the bonito flakes, and let sit for about 2 minutes until the bonito flakes sink, then strain with a sieve lined with kitchen paper.
Cut off the ends of the Satsuma potatoes, peel them, and cut them in half. Boil them in boiling water over medium heat. When the water becomes cloudy, remove them from the heat, and rinse under running water to remove the sliminess.
Slice the lotus root into 1cm thick rounds. Put in a bowl with water and vinegar and let sit for about 10 minutes.
Slice the konnyaku into 5mm discs.
Chop the bamboo shoots, shiitake mushrooms, and sweet potatoes into bite-sized pieces.
Cut the burdock into 5cm lengths and cut them in half vertically. Put them in a bowl with water and soak for about 5 minutes.
In another pot, add drained ingredients from 3, 4, 5, drained burdock from 6, and 2, 1. Heat over medium heat for about 5 minutes.
Add seasonings (A), reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 40 minutes.
When the ingredients are tender and the liquid has evaporated, remove from heat. Serve with silk pods and ginkgo nuts on a plate.

Recipe Notes

For this recipe, we are using bonito and kombu broth, but you can also use commercially available granulated dashi.

Please cut the ingredients into your preferred shapes. Be as fancy or as simple as you’d like!

In this recipe, we are using konnyaku that does not require de-acidification. If de-acidification is necessary, boil it briefly in boiling water before use.