Hijiki no Irini (Simmered Hijiki Seaweed)
ひじきの炒り煮 · Hijiki no Irini
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
Hijiki no irini is one of the most familiar side dishes in Japanese home cooking: dried hijiki seaweed is soaked, stir-fried with carrot, then simmered with aburaage in dashi, soy sauce and a little sugar until it soaks up the flavor. The seasoning is kept mild so the natural sweetness of the carrot and the savory dashi come through, and the soft, thin strips are easy for small children to chew. A few boiled snow peas stirred in at the end add a bit of color and crunch. It appears regularly on preschool lunch menus, tucked next to rice and a main dish, and it is just as good in a bento box.
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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
- 3.8 ghijiki seaweedA dark, thin dried seaweed that is soaked before cooking and often simmered with vegetables. Substitute: Dried arame or wakame seaweed; the flavor will be milder.
- 4.5 gaburaage (fried tofu pouch)Thin slices of tofu deep-fried until puffy and golden, sold in packs in the refrigerated section of Japanese and Asian markets. Substitute: Firm tofu, thinly sliced and pan-fried until golden.
- 15 gcarrot
- 4.5 gsnow peas
Seasonings
- 1.5 gsesame oil
- 3 gsoy sauce
- 2.3 gsugar
- 45 gbonito and kombu dashiJapanese soup stock made from dried bonito flakes and kombu kelp, the everyday base for soups and simmered dishes. Substitute: Instant dashi granules dissolved in water, or a light vegetable or chicken stock.
About the Japanese ingredients in this recipe
- hijiki seaweed (ひじき)
- A dark, thin dried seaweed that is soaked before cooking and often simmered with vegetables. Substitute: Dried arame or wakame seaweed; the flavor will be milder.
- aburaage (fried tofu pouch) (油揚げ)
- Thin slices of tofu deep-fried until puffy and golden, sold in packs in the refrigerated section of Japanese and Asian markets. Substitute: Firm tofu, thinly sliced and pan-fried until golden.
- bonito and kombu dashi (かつお・昆布だし汁)
- Japanese soup stock made from dried bonito flakes and kombu kelp, the everyday base for soups and simmered dishes. Substitute: Instant dashi granules dissolved in water, or a light vegetable or chicken stock.
Directions
- 1
Cut the carrot into short matchsticks. Pour boiling water over the aburaage to remove the excess oil, then cut it into thin strips. Soak the hijiki in water to rehydrate it. Remove the strings from the snow peas, cut them into thin strips, and boil them.
- 2
Heat the sesame oil in a pan and stir-fry the carrot and the rehydrated hijiki.
- 3
Add the aburaage, the dashi and the seasonings (soy sauce and sugar) to the pan and simmer.
- 4
To finish, add the boiled snow peas and stir to combine.
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 55.5 kcal | 111 kcal | 55.5 kcal |
| Protein | 2.1 g | 4.2 g | 2.1 g |
| Fat | 3.2 g | 6.3 g | 3.2 g |
| Carbohydrates | 5.1 g | 10.2 g | 5.1 g |
| Salt equivalent | 0.8 g | 1.5 g | 0.8 g |
| Calcium | 60 mg | 120 mg | 60 mg |
| Iron | 0.6 mg | 1.2 mg | 0.6 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 55.5 kcal | 2.1 g | 3.2 g | 5.1 g | 0.8 g | 60 mg | 0.6 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 111 kcal | 4.2 g | 6.3 g | 10.2 g | 1.5 g | 120 mg | 1.2 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.
