AI-generated image
Kyoto takiawase
Simmered vegetables
炊き合わせ・おばんざい (takiawase, obanzai): kabocha, daikon, carrot and shiitake each simmered apart, then served together
Obanzai is what Kyoto calls its everyday home cooking: thrifty, seasonal side dishes that families keep in the fridge and that small restaurants line up in bowls along the counter. Takiawase, 'simmered together', is one of its finest. Each vegetable is cooked separately in a pale, delicate broth, so the kabocha stays orange, the daikon turns translucent and the carrot keeps its colour, then they are arranged side by side in one dish. Kyoto cooks season with light-coloured usukuchi soy, which is saltier than regular soy but doesn't darken the food. Serve it warm or at room temperature with rice and miso soup. Chef's tip: let everything cool in its broth. The vegetables soak up most of their flavour as they cool, not while they boil.
- Total time
- 55 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the broth
- 3 ¼ cups kombu-shiitake dashi
- 3 tbsp usukuchi (light-coloured) soy sauceor 2 tbsp regular soy and a pinch of salt
- 3 tbsp mirinor 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
For the vegetables
- 10 ½ oz daikon radishpeeled, cut into 3 cm rounds
- 10 ½ oz kabocha squashcut into 4 cm chunks, skin on
- 1 carrotcut into 1 cm rounds
- 4 dried shiitake mushroomssoaked, stems removed (from making the dashi)
- 1 aburaage (fried tofu pouch)cut into triangles
- 8 mangetouttrimmed
Shop this recipe on Amazon
What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (3)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Bevel the cut edges of 10 ½ oz daikon radish with a peeler so they don't crumble, and cut a shallow cross into one face. Simmer in 2 cups water from rinsing rice, or plain water with 1 tbsp rice over medium heat for 15 minutes, until a skewer goes in easily. The starchy water takes away the radish's bitter edge. Drain and rinse.
15 minStep 2: Mix 3 ¼ cups kombu-shiitake dashi, 3 tbsp usukuchi (light-coloured) soy sauce, 3 tbsp mirin, 1 tbsp sugar and ¼ tsp salt. Divide between two saucepans.
Step 3: In the first pan, simmer the daikon and 4 dried shiitake mushrooms over low heat for 15 minutes, lid slightly ajar, until the daikon looks translucent.
15 minStep 4: In the second pan, lay 10 ½ oz kabocha squash skin side down in one layer with 1 carrot and 1 aburaage (fried tofu pouch). Cover with a small lid or a circle of baking paper resting on the food and simmer over low heat for 10–12 minutes until the kabocha is just tender.
12 minStep 5: Common mistake: stirring the kabocha. It breaks and clouds the broth. Shake the pan gently instead, and don't let it boil.
Step 6: Blanch 8 mangetout in boiling salted water for 1 minute, then plunge into cold water so they stay bright green.
1 minStep 7: Leave both pans to cool for at least 20 minutes so the vegetables absorb the broth. Arrange the vegetables in groups in shallow bowls, spoon over a little broth and add the mangetout. Serve warm or at room temperature; it keeps 3 days in the fridge.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 130 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 24 g
- Fat
- 3 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kyoto takiawase take?
- About 55 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 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 mirin?
- Rice vinegar with ½ tsp sugar per tbsp.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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