Nimono-Japanese Root Vegetables

Nimono is a great cool weather Japanese root vegetable dish.There are several variations of nimono. This is my favorite. I use satoimo ( taro root), gobou (burdock root), renkon (lotus root), dried shiitake mushrooms, kombu (a type of dried seaweed), carrots, and konyaku, which can be described as a yam starch gelatin, adding a unique texture to the vegetables. All ingredients can be found at a Japanese market, or other East Asian market.


Ingredients:

1 medium sized lotus root, peeled and sliced in 1/4 in slices and halved.

6 taro roots (satoimo) peeled and cut in half or thirds

1 long burdock root, peeled and sliced in about 1/2 inch pieces.

1 package of konyaku, sliced 1/2" in by 1.

Make  dashi by using either hondashi (instant dashi) or use the following recipe:
4 cups of water
1 2 x3 piece of Kombu
katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) stuffed into a small steeping bag.
Heat water, while water is getting hot, add the piece of kombu. When the water starts to boil, turn it to  low for about three minutes. Remove the kombu and turn off the heat. Add the steeping bag filled with katsuobushi. Let it steep for about five to seven minutes. Remove from the water and your dashi is done.

Mix all the ingredients in a pot.  I use a wok. Add the dashi until it barely covers the vegetables. Add to the dashi 1/4 cup of soy sauce, 3 tablespoons of mirin (sweet sake for cooking), and three tablespoons of brown sugar. Bring to a boil and then lower heat and let simmer for about 15 minutes or so, until all vegetables are tender, but not overcooked.

Turn off heat and let sit for about 20 minutes.

Eat warm or cool, refrigerate and heat before serving. Nimono can be kept in the refrigerator for a few days, but it is best eaten within 24 hours.