Gomoku Kinpira (Five-Vegetable Kinpira)
五目きんぴら · Gomoku Kinpira
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
Kinpira is a classic Japanese side dish in which root vegetables are stir-fried and then simmered in a lightly sweet soy-based sauce. "Gomoku" means "five kinds," and this version brings together carrot, green bell pepper, gobo, lotus root and shirataki noodles for plenty of color and gentle crunch. In preschool kitchens we cut everything into short, fine strips and simmer it in dashi until soft, so that even small children can chew the firmer roots comfortably. The nutty finish of white sesame makes it a side that little ones keep coming back to.
Wheat-free, but uses soy sauce (made with wheat). Japanese school-lunch allergy menus usually allow it, so check with your doctor. How to read the labels
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Ingredients
Amounts for 1 child (1 serving). An adult counts as 2 servings.
One serving here is 1.5× the portion served to a child in a Japanese preschool, sized for Western appetites. An adult counts as two servings. Tap an ingredient to check it off.
Ingredients
- 18 gcarrot
- 6 ggreen bell pepper
- 16.5 ggobo (burdock root)A long, slender, earthy-tasting root vegetable with a pleasant crunch, usually scraped rather than peeled. Substitute: Parsnip or carrot.
- 9 glotus root (renkon)A crisp, mildly sweet root vegetable with a lacy pattern of holes when sliced, sold fresh in Asian markets or frozen/vacuum-packed. Substitute: Water chestnuts or jicama for crunch, or thinly sliced potato.
- 9 gshirataki noodlesTranslucent, nearly calorie-free noodles made from konjac yam, with a slippery, chewy texture and neutral taste. Substitute: Glass noodles (mung bean or sweet potato starch noodles)
Seasonings
- 2.6 gvegetable oil
- 75 gdashi stockJapanese soup stock, usually made from kombu (dried kelp) and/or bonito flakes; the base of most Japanese soups and simmered dishes. Substitute: Instant dashi granules dissolved in water, or a mild unsalted chicken or vegetable stock.
- 1.4 gmirinMirin is a sweet Japanese rice seasoning that adds gentle sweetness and a glossy finish. Hon-mirin (true mirin) contains about 14% alcohol; "mirin-style seasoning" has little or no alcohol. Some alcohol can remain after short cooking. If you prefer no alcohol for children, use the substitute. Substitute: For each tablespoon of mirin, use 1 tablespoon water plus 1 to 2 teaspoons sugar.
- 1.5 gsakeSake (Japanese rice wine) is used in small amounts to soften the smell of fish and meat and add depth. Japanese "cooking sake" often contains added salt. Some alcohol can remain after short cooking. If you prefer no alcohol for children, use the substitute. Substitute: The same amount of water (the taste will be a little simpler), or dry white wine.
- 1.5 gsoy sauce
- 0.8 gwhite sesame seeds
About the Japanese ingredients in this recipe
- gobo (burdock root) (ごぼう)
- A long, slender, earthy-tasting root vegetable with a pleasant crunch, usually scraped rather than peeled. Substitute: Parsnip or carrot.
- lotus root (renkon) (れんこん)
- A crisp, mildly sweet root vegetable with a lacy pattern of holes when sliced, sold fresh in Asian markets or frozen/vacuum-packed. Substitute: Water chestnuts or jicama for crunch, or thinly sliced potato.
- shirataki noodles (しらたき)
- Translucent, nearly calorie-free noodles made from konjac yam, with a slippery, chewy texture and neutral taste. Substitute: Glass noodles (mung bean or sweet potato starch noodles)
- dashi stock (だし汁)
- Japanese soup stock, usually made from kombu (dried kelp) and/or bonito flakes; the base of most Japanese soups and simmered dishes. Substitute: Instant dashi granules dissolved in water, or a mild unsalted chicken or vegetable stock.
- mirin (みりん)
- Mirin is a sweet Japanese rice seasoning that adds gentle sweetness and a glossy finish. Hon-mirin (true mirin) contains about 14% alcohol; "mirin-style seasoning" has little or no alcohol. Some alcohol can remain after short cooking. If you prefer no alcohol for children, use the substitute. Substitute: For each tablespoon of mirin, use 1 tablespoon water plus 1 to 2 teaspoons sugar.
- sake (酒)
- Sake (Japanese rice wine) is used in small amounts to soften the smell of fish and meat and add depth. Japanese "cooking sake" often contains added salt. Some alcohol can remain after short cooking. If you prefer no alcohol for children, use the substitute. Substitute: The same amount of water (the taste will be a little simpler), or dry white wine.
Directions
- 1
Cut the carrot, green bell pepper and gobo into short, fine matchsticks. Cut the lotus root into small quarter-rounds. Cut the shirataki noodles into 1 cm lengths and blanch them briefly to remove any odor.
- 2
Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan and stir-fry the carrot, gobo and lotus root. Once they have cooked a little, add the green bell pepper and stir-fry.
- 3
Add the shirataki noodles, dashi stock, mirin and sake, cover with a drop lid (otoshibuta) and simmer until the vegetables are tender.
- 4
Add the soy sauce and white sesame seeds, and keep stirring over the heat until the cooking liquid has evaporated.
Simmering the gobo and lotus root in dashi stock until soft makes them much easier for children to eat.
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 57 kcal | 114 kcal | 57 kcal |
| Protein | 1.2 g | 2.4 g | 1.2 g |
| Fat | 3 g | 6 g | 3 g |
| Carbohydrates | 7.4 g | 14.7 g | 7.4 g |
| Fiber | 2.1 g | 4.2 g | 2.1 g |
| Salt equivalent | 0.3 g | 0.6 g | 0.3 g |
| Calcium | 33 mg | 66 mg | 33 mg |
| Iron | 0.2 mg | 0.3 mg | 0.2 mg |
| Potassium | 216 mg | 432 mg | 216 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Fiber | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | Potassium | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 57 kcal | 1.2 g | 3 g | 7.4 g | 2.1 g | 0.3 g | 33 mg | 0.2 mg | 216 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 114 kcal | 2.4 g | 6 g | 14.7 g | 4.2 g | 0.6 g | 66 mg | 0.3 mg | 432 mg |
Values are per serving (1.5× the Japanese preschool portion); an adult serving is double. They were calculated by a licensed Japanese nutritionist using the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan. "Salt equivalent" is sodium × 2.54, the standard Japanese measure. Allergen flags cover egg, milk and wheat only and come from the nutritionist's records. Soy sauce and miso are made with wheat but are usually allowed on Japanese wheat-free school menus, so check with your doctor.
