AI-generated image
Gomoku mame
Simmered mixed beans
Gomoku mame (五目豆): soybeans simmered with kombu, carrot, burdock and konnyaku
Gomoku mame, "five-ingredient beans", is a pot of soybeans simmered with kombu, carrot, burdock, konnyaku and shiitake that grandmothers across Japan make on a Sunday and keep in the fridge for a week of small side dishes and bento, and it is often part of the New Year spread too. Every piece is cut to the size of a bean, so each spoonful has a little of everything, sweet, savoury and full of protein. This is vegetarian, with no bonito. A portion is about 150 kcal. Using cooked soybeans makes it a 45-minute dish; from dried, soak 150 g overnight and boil for 1 hour first. The usual mistake is cutting the vegetables in large chunks; they should be the size of the beans. Chef's tip: let it cool in its broth; the beans soak up the flavour as the temperature drops.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 14 oz cooked soybeansdrained
- ⅓ oz kombusoaked in 400 ml water for 15 minutes with the shiitake
- 1 carrotcut into 1 cm dice
- 1 burdock root (gobo)about 15 cm, scrubbed, cut into 1 cm dice and rinsed
- 3 ½ oz konnyakucut into 1 cm dice
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp mirincontains alcohol; or 1 extra tsp sugar
- 2 ½ tbsp soy sauce
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Fresh ingredients (1)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Lift the softened ⅓ oz kombu and 3 dried shiitake mushrooms from their soaking water and cut both into 1 cm squares. Keep the water.
Step 2: Blanch 3 ½ oz konnyaku in boiling water for 2 minutes to remove its smell, then drain.
3 minStep 3: Put 14 oz cooked soybeans, the kombu, shiitake, 1 carrot, 1 burdock root (gobo) and konnyaku in a pan with the soaking water and enough extra water just to cover. Bring to the boil and skim off any foam.
5 minStep 5: Add 2 ½ tbsp soy sauce and simmer for 10–12 minutes more, until the carrot and burdock are tender and the liquid has reduced to a few spoonfuls.
12 minStep 6: Leave to cool in the pan. Serve at room temperature; it keeps for 5 days in the fridge.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 150 kcal
- Protein
- 11 g
- Carbs
- 12 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does gomoku mame take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of dried shiitake mushrooms?
- Aubergine, diced, same weight.
- What can I use instead of carrot?
- Parsnip or sweet potato, same weight.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Yaki onigiriGrilled rice balls
Yaki onigiri (焼きおにぎり) are rice balls grilled until they form a crisp, toasty crust, then brushed with soy sauce glaze. They are eaten all over Japan, at izakaya, at barbecues and from the freezer section, as a snack or with miso soup. The inside stays soft and steamy while the outside crackles. Best eaten hot, straight from the pan. Chef's tip: let the shaped rice balls dry for 10 minutes before they go in the pan. A drier surface forms a better crust and won't stick, and the glaze goes on only at the end so it doesn't burn.
Miso soup
Miso soup (味噌汁) is drunk every day in homes all over Japan, at breakfast as well as dinner, beside a bowl of rice. The base is dashi; this vegan version uses kombu and dried shiitake instead of bonito, which gives it a deep, rounded flavour. Silken tofu and wakame seaweed are the classic fillings. It takes ten minutes; just remember not to boil the miso. Chef's tip: add the miso at the very end and never let it boil. Boiling kills the miso's fresh, fermented aroma; Japanese cooks say the soup should only 'smile', with the surface barely trembling.
TashmijabiMashed potatoes with stretchy cheese
Potatoes grow well in the cold valleys of Svaneti, and tashmijabi is how families around Mestia turn them into a feast dish: they are mashed hot, then beaten with handfuls of young sulguni until the purée becomes glossy and stretches from the spoon in long strands. It is served with grilled meat, kubdari or simply with pickles and Svan salt. A common mistake is letting the potatoes cool before adding the cheese; they must be piping hot for the cheese to melt and stretch. Chef's tip: keep the pan on a low heat while you beat, and use a firm wooden spoon. Most sulguni uses animal rennet; choose a vegetarian one or use mozzarella.
Georgian