We are making Asazuke, a type of Japanese pickle using colorful vegetables. The fusion of the two umami flavors of the kombu and bonito, plus the aroma of the sesame seeds, make these pickles exceptionally delicious. It uses a minimum amount of salt so you can enjoy plenty of vegetables.
Let's prepare the vegetables. Separate the napa cabbage leaves into the thick white part and leafy part.
Cut the thick part into 2 to 3 cm (0.8"~1.2") pieces.
Cut the leafy part into relatively large pieces.
Place the napa cabbage into a plastic produce bag.
Trim off both ends of the cucumber. Slice the cucumber into 2 mm (0.1") rounds.
Cut the daikon radish lengthwise into 6 wedges.
Peel the skin.
Slice the wedge into 2 mm (0.1") slices.
Peel the skin of the carrot.
Slice the carrot into 1 mm (0.05") quarter moons.
Place all the vegetables into the bag. The weight of the vegetables should be 300 g (10.6 oz) in total.
Add the coarse salt and close the plastic bag leaving the bag filled with air.
Shake the bag to distribute the salt.
Now, remove the air inside and close the mouth of the bag with a kitchen clip.
Place a kitchen weight twice as heavy as the vegetables on top and let it sit for 30 to 40 minutes.
Let's prepare the shredded kombu seaweed to add an umami flavor to the asazuke pickles.
As it is dry and difficult to cut, steam it first. This will smooth out the wrinkles and soften the kombu, making it easier to cut.
Cut the dashi kombu seaweed as thin as possible like shown. Prepare a generous amount of shredded kombu to make the asazuke more delicious.
Shred the ginger root and cut the red chili pepper into rings to taste.
Now, the water in the vegetables has been extracted so squeeze it out.
Removing the excess water will keep the vegetables from becoming soggy and help create a pleasant texture. There is no need to remove all of the water so thoroughly.
Add the vinegar, sugar, shredded kombu, and shredded ginger root.
Add the red chili pepper to taste.
Shake the bag again to coat it evenly.
Remove the air and close the bag. Let the vegetables absorb the umami flavor from the kombu seaweed. You can enjoy the asazuke after about 30 minutes.
Now, the asazuke is ready. Transfer the pickled vegetables into a food storage container.
Arrange the asazuke into a bowl. Top with the bonito flakes also known as katsuobushi.
Finally, gently crush the toasted white sesame seeds with your fingers and sprinkle them on top.
Recipe Notes
The vegetables will fully absorb the savory flavor the next day, making it more delicious. The slight change of the flavor will entertain your taste buds.
You can store this asazuke in the fridge for about 2 days so please enjoy it when it is deliciously fresh.
Turnips and cabbage are also often used for Tsukemono, Japanese pickles. To add a sense of the seasons, you can also add yuzu peel and yuzu juice, myoga ginger buds, or shiso leaves.
Instead of the dashi kombu seaweed, you can also use kombu dashi powder, kombu tea powder or salted kombu. When using the salted kombu, be careful not to make the asazuke too salty.
Asazuke is a type of Japanese pickle so it goes well with any dish.😋