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Gobo salad
Burdock and carrot salad
Gobo salad (ごぼうサラダ): burdock and carrot matchsticks in a toasted sesame mayonnaise
Gobo salad is a fixture of Japanese supermarket delis, bento boxes and izakaya small plates from Tokyo to Osaka, eaten all year but especially in autumn and winter when burdock is at its best. Thin matchsticks of earthy burdock and sweet carrot are blanched until just tender, then tossed in a creamy dressing of mayonnaise, ground toasted sesame, soy and rice vinegar, giving a crunchy, nutty, slightly sweet side for rice or grilled tofu. It is vegetarian but not vegan, because of the egg in the mayonnaise; shop-bought mayonnaise is made with pasteurised egg, so it is safe for everyone. A portion gives about 3 g of protein, from the sesame and egg, so treat it as a side. The most common mistake is skipping the soak: cut burdock darkens and turns bitter within minutes unless it goes straight into water with a dash of vinegar. Chef's tip: dress the vegetables while still slightly warm; they drink up the soy and vinegar first, so the mayonnaise coats rather than slides off.
- Total time
- 20 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 7 oz burdock root (gobo)scrubbed, not peeled
- 1 tsp rice vinegarfor soaking
- 1 carrotabout 100 g
- 2 tbsp white sesame seeds
For the dressing
- 4 tbsp mayonnaiseJapanese-style if you can; made with pasteurised egg
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 pinch shichimi togarashi (optional)optional
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Scrape the skin of 7 oz burdock root (gobo) lightly with the back of a knife, then cut into 5 cm matchsticks. Drop them straight into a bowl of cold water with 1 tsp rice vinegar as you go and leave for 5 minutes.
5 minStep 2: Cut 1 carrot into matchsticks the same size.
Step 3: Bring a pan of water to the boil. Drain the burdock, add it to the pan and cook for 2 minutes, then add the carrot and cook 1 minute more, until both bend but still crunch. Drain well and spread out to steam dry.
3 minStep 4: Toast 2 tbsp white sesame seeds in a dry pan over a medium heat until golden and popping, about 2 minutes, then grind roughly in a mortar.
2 minStep 5: While the vegetables are still slightly warm, toss them with 2 tsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp rice vinegar and 1 tsp sugar. Leave for 5 minutes, then fold in 4 tbsp mayonnaise and the sesame. Sprinkle with 1 pinch shichimi togarashi if you like. It keeps for 2 days in the fridge.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 150 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 11 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does gobo salad take?
- About 20 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 5 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 vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of rice vinegar?
- Cider vinegar with a pinch of sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of carrot?
- Parsnip or sweet potato, same weight.
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