Hijiki Chikuwa Nimono ひじき竹輪煮物

One more attempt to get out of our routine of hijiki nimono made with abura-age. This time with chikuwa. Our last version was made with Satsuma-age fish cakes (recipe).

The major difference between chikuwa and Satsuma-age is that chikuwa is toasted while Satsuma-age is fried. This chikuwa comes from a popular brand called Kibun that is also sold outside of Japan.

After reconstituting the me-hijiki (bud hijiki).

30 grams hijiki
2 slices chikuwa (toasted fish cakes)
100 grams carrots, julienned

vegetable oil

broth:
2 Tbsp. sake
1 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. mirin
salt to taste

Rehydrate the hijiki in water for 5 minutes. Then quickly blanch in boiling water and strain. Julienne the carrots and cut the chikuwa into thin slices.

In a saute pan add a little bit of vegetable oil and cook the hijiki, chikuwa, and carrots until the carrots over medium heat until the carrots start to soften. Add the sake, sugar, soy sauce, mirin, and salt to taste to the pan. Put a lid on the pan and simmer for about ten minutes or until the vegetables are cooked. Be careful to watch the pan so that the sauce does not evaporate completely. If the carrots do not soften, add a small amount of water or dashi and continue to cook.


Serve at room temperature. Will keep in the fridge for about five days.

Satsumaage Hijiki Nimono さつま揚げとひじきの煮物

A friend gave me some Satsuma-age fish cakes and the brilliant idea of making nimono of the cakes with some hijiki. I added some carrots and made the dish as we usually do using the fish cakes instead of abura-age (thin, deep-fried tofu). We loved this dish and will be making it again and again.

Hijiki is one of the dried sea vegetable that is always in our pantry. But we have fallen into the a rut with always making the same dish, simmered hijiki.

In the photo I've left one of the Satsuma-age cakes uncut so it will be easy to recognize in the market. It comes in different shapes, but this is a popular one. It sometimes is in the freezer section if you are shopping at an Asian market outside of Japan. Just let it defrost in the fridge.

30 grams hijiki
2 slices Satsuma-age (deep-fried fish cakes)
100 grams carrots, julienned

broth:
2 Tbsp. sake
1 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. mirin
salt to taste

Rehydrate the hijiki in water for 5 minutes. Then quickly blanch in boiling water and strain. Julienne the carrots and Satsuma-age fish cakes. It may be best to cut the fish cakes in half once before julienning.

In a saute pan simmer the hijiki, Satsuma-age, and carrots until the carrots start to soften. Then add the sake, sugar, soy sauce, mirin, and salt to taste to the pan. Put a lid on the pan and simmer for about ten minutes or until the vegetables are cooked. Be careful to watch the pan so that the sauce does not evaporate completely. If the carrots do not soften, add a small amount of water or dashi and continue to cook.


Serve at room temperature. Will keep in the fridge for about five days.

Simmered Hijiki Nimono ひじきの煮物

Hijiki is a dried sea vegetable that is always in our pantry. Simmered with some vegetables in a sweet soy broth it is a staple dish in our house, both on the table, and in obento. In this photo I used what we had in the house at the time, celery and carrots. But, other vegetables that are great in this dish include gobo, renkon, simmered soy beans, and pea pods.

30 grams hijiki
2 slices abura-age (thin, deep-fried tofu)

roughtly 100 grams each of julienned or thinly sliced vegetables:
carrots
celery
gobo
renkon
pea pods

or simmered soybeans

broth:
2 Tbsp. sake
1 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. mirin
salt to taste

Rehydrate the hijiki in water for 5 minutes. Then quickly blanch in boiling water and strain. The abura-age also needs to be blanched in boiling water to rid it of excess oil then sliced into julienne strips. Best to cut it in half once lengthwise before julienning.

In a saute pan simmer the hijiki and any vegetables (except for the pea pods) and cook until the vegetables start to soften. Then add the sake, sugar, soy sauce, mirin, and salt to taste to the pan. Put a lid on the pan and simmer for about ten minutes or until the vegetables are cooked. Be careful to watch the pan so that the sauce does not evaporate completely. Add the pea pods and cook for one to two minutes.


Serve at room temperature. Will keep in the fridge for about five days.