Stir-Fried Kohaku Namasu (Daikon and Carrot)
炒め紅白なます · Itame Kohaku Namasu
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
Kohaku namasu is the red-and-white salad of daikon and carrot dressed in sweet vinegar that appears on Japanese New Year tables, its colors standing for celebration. Raw pickled vegetables can be a hard sell for little ones, so in the preschool kitchen we stir-fry and then simmer the vegetables in dashi with lotus root, aburaage and shirataki until they are soft and mellow, adding just a splash of vinegar at the end. The result is tender, lightly sweet and only faintly tangy, which is exactly why children take to it. It makes a lovely side dish for a New Year's meal or any everyday lunch.
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
- 27 gdaikon radish
- 11.3 gcarrot
- 11.3 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.
- 3.5 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.
- 3.8 ggreen beans
- 11.3 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
- 1.5 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 gsugar
- 1.2 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.
- 2.6 gvinegar
- 1 gsoy sauce
- 0.3 gsalt
About the Japanese ingredients in this recipe
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Directions
- 1
Cut the daikon and carrot into 4 cm long matchsticks, and cut the lotus root into small quarter-rounds.
- 2
Pour boiling water over the aburaage to remove the excess oil, then cut it into short thin strips. Cut the green beans diagonally into 2 cm pieces and boil them. Cut the shirataki noodles into 2 cm lengths.
- 3
Heat the oil in a pot, add the daikon, carrot and lotus root, and stir-fry over medium heat for about 3 minutes.
- 4
Add the dashi stock, sugar, mirin, shirataki noodles and aburaage, cover with a drop lid (otoshibuta), and simmer over low heat for about 20 minutes.
- 5
Add the vinegar, soy sauce and salt and simmer briefly. Finish by stirring in the boiled green beans.
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 57 kcal | 114 kcal | 57 kcal |
| Protein | 1.7 g | 3.3 g | 1.7 g |
| Fat | 2.7 g | 5.4 g | 2.7 g |
| Carbohydrates | 6.3 g | 12.6 g | 6.3 g |
| Fiber | 1.5 g | 3 g | 1.5 g |
| Salt equivalent | 0.6 g | 1.2 g | 0.6 g |
| Calcium | 36 mg | 72 mg | 36 mg |
| Iron | 0.2 mg | 0.3 mg | 0.2 mg |
| Potassium | 213 mg | 426 mg | 213 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Fiber | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | Potassium | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 57 kcal | 1.7 g | 2.7 g | 6.3 g | 1.5 g | 0.6 g | 36 mg | 0.2 mg | 213 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 114 kcal | 3.3 g | 5.4 g | 12.6 g | 3 g | 1.2 g | 72 mg | 0.3 mg | 426 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.
Ingredients in this recipe
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