We are making Gomoku-mame, a healthy bean side dish you always want to keep on standby. Despite the light flavor, the savory taste of the shrimp, shiitake and kombu makes this dish absolutely delicious. I might not be able to stop eating it.
Soak the dried shiitake mushroom in water for about 1 hour. Then, lightly squeeze the rehydrated shiitake mushroom.
Cut off the stem. Then, cut it into 1cm (0.4") pieces. Make sure to save the shiitake liquid for later use.
Next, cut the burdock root into 1cm pieces. As for the thick part, halve or quarter it lengthwise before cutting into pieces.
Rinse the root to help prevent the colors of the dish from darkening. Strain and remove the moisture.
Cut the konnyaku or konjac into 1cm pieces. Cutting all the ingredients the same size as the soybeans makes the dish visually appealing and allows you to enjoy each of them in a good balance.
Lightly parboil the konnyaku to reduce the unwanted taste and also help absorb the broth later. Then, remove the excess water with a mesh strainer.
Likewise, cut the carrot into 1cm (0.4") pieces and rehydrate the dried shrimp in lukewarm water for about 10 minutes.
Now, let’s make the gomoku-mame. Place the steamed soybeans or boiled soybeans into a pot.
Add the chopped shiitake, burdock root, konnyaku and carrot.
As for the kombu seaweed, clean the surface with a kitchen brush. Using shears, cut the kombu into 7mm (0.3") pieces. The white powder contains much of the flavor so don’t wash it off.
Add the kombu pieces to the pot. Add the rehydrated shrimp along with the liquid. You should also add the saved shiitake liquid.
Pour in the dashi stock. And turn on the burner.
Bring it to a boil and remove the foam.
Cover and cook for 2 to 3 minutes to slightly soften the ingredients.
Now, add the sugar. Cover and cook for about 5 more minutes. We recommend adding sugar first, then soy sauce to help season the ingredients.
Now, add the usukuchi soy sauce or regular soy sauce. Cover again and cook it on low heat for about 20 minutes.
Reduce the broth as shown and turn off the burner.
Cover and let it sit until slightly cool. This cooling process will help the ingredients to absorb the savory flavor.
Reheat just before you enjoy the dish. Add the boiled string bean pods.
Stir all the ingredients. The bright color of the bean pods will easily fade so we recommend adding them just before serving.
Ladle the gomoku-mame into a bowl.
Recipe Notes
Usukuchi soy sauce is both saltier and lighter in color than regular soy sauce also known as koikuchi soy sauce. It is often used in the Kansai region and will help to retain the colors of this dish.
Alternatively, lotus root, boiled bamboo shoot, aburaage, thin deep-fried tofu, chicken or pork can be used.
This recipe is very helpful when making a bento or to add another side dish to a meal.
Gomoku means 5 ingredients or more than 5 ingredients and mama means beans, which is why this dish is called Gomoku-mame.
