This past weekend was the annual Toyota family picnic, so I wanted to try my hand at making some of my favorite Japanese dishes as an ode to the family. Japanese gomae is a simple and delicious dish that’s easy to replicate at home. All you need is spinach, sesame oil, sesame seeds, maple syrup, and soy sauce or tamari! It doesn’t get easier than a 5-ingredient side dish! I’ve never made it before and I did it in about 5 minutes flat.
If you’re having your own Japanese meal at home, I also suggest cooking yam tempura and yakisoba! You can even tie it all together with vegan mango pudding as dessert.
japanese gomae
Gomae is a simple and delicious Japanese dish that’s easy to replicate at home.
Ingredients
- 1 lb spinach leaves
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds (black or white)
- 2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce or tamari
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
Instructions
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Fill a large pot a quarter full with water and bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling, toss in the spinach and use a spoon or a pair of tongs to submerse the spinach, allowing it to wilt. Allow it to boil in the water for no more than 20 seconds. Then drain and rinse under cold water until it’s cool enough to touch. Make sure you completely cool the spinach to stop it from cooking. You want it to remain the vibrant green color. You can use your hands to squeeze the excess water from the spinach.
- Using a mortar and pestle, crush the sesame seeds. Alternatively, you can also buy gomashio in specialty food stores, which is crushed sesame seeds with sea salt. Just be sure to reduce the amount of low-sodium soy sauce or tamari you use so that’s it’s not too salty.
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In a mixing bowl whisk together the low-sodium soy sauce or tamari, maple syrup, and sesame oil. Then stir in the crushed sesame seeds. Toss in the spinach and coat evenly.
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The amount of sesame seeds is not specified.