This is a hybrid of my two recipes – Chrysanthemum Leaves Goma-ae and Spinach Kuro Goma-ae. I made Goma-ae with commonly used ingredients. I also changed the Sesame dressing slightly and provided more details on how to prepare the spinach. See the video.
Don't forget to see the section 'MEAL IDEAS' below the recipe card! It gives you a list of dishes that I have already posted and this recipe that can make up a complete meal. I hope it is of help to you.
- 1 bunch spinach (250-300g/8.8-10.6oz)
- A pinch of salt
- 3 tbsp roasted white sesame seeds (note 1)
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- ⅔-1 tbsp sugar (note 2)
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Put the sesame seeds in mortar and pestle and ground them so that about 50% of the seeds are grounded.
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Add soy sauce and sugar to the sesame and mix well until the sugar is dissolved.
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Trim the root of each spinach cluster, leaving the root crown (small amount of pink portion at the end of the stems) intact.
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Make shallow incisions on the root crown, criss-crossing the cuts (note 3).
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Bunch the spinach clusters in the same direction and put a large elastic band (or tie loosely with a string) around to secure the bunch.
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Add a pinch of salt to a large pot of boiling water, then put the root end of the spinach bunch (stems) into the pot. Cook for about 20 seconds.
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Push the rest of the spinach into the pot to submerge the leaves in the boiling water. Cook for 30 seconds. Turn the bunch over so that the bottom part of the spinach comes to the surface. Let it cook for 5-10 seconds, then turn the heat off.
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Drain the hot water immediately and add cold running water to the pot with the spinach to cool them down quickly (note 4). Rinse the spinach well.
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Hold the root end of the spinach and squeeze the spinach to remove water so that the water is not draining from the spinach (note 5). Then remove the rubber band.
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Place the spinach on a cutting board horizontally, aligning the root end.
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Starting from the root end, cut the spinach into 5cm/2” long pieces.
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If the root crown is very large and many stems are clustered, the 5cm/2" piece with the root crown can be very thick. Split it into 2-4 thin pieces using the incisions that were made earlier.
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Taking a 5cm/2” bunch of spinach at a time, squeeze the water out of the spinach as much as possible, then put it in a bowl.
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When all spinach pieces are placed in the bowl, untangle the spinach pieces into thin strands, since they will be tightly clustered after squeezing the water out.
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Transfer the sesame dressing to the bowl with the spinach.
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Mix well ensuring that sesame coats the spinach pieces evenly.
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Transfer the Spinach Goma-ae into serving bowls.
1. Roasted white sesame seeds are slightly brownish compared to the unroasted sesame seeds that you get from supermarkets. You can buy roasted sesame seeds at Japanese/Asian grocery stores. They come in a plastic jar or a packet.
If you only have unroasted sesame seeds, you will need to dry roast them.
i) Put the sesame seeds in a saucepan or a deep frying pan (without oil) and heat over medium low heat.
ii) Stir using a spatula, turning the seeds over.
iii) When sesame seeds are sufficiently heated up, reduce the heat to low and constantly toss the seeds (to prevent the seeds from staying on the heat for a long period of time and burning).
iv) When the seeds become light brown and the aroma of sesame comes up, remove from the heat and immediately transfer the roasted sesame seeds to a bowl/plate to let them cool. Roasting takes about 10-15 minutes in total.
2. I gave a quantity range of the sugar so that you can adjust the sweetness of the dressing to suit to your palate. I tried about 2/3-¾ tablespoon of sugar, and it was just right to me.
3. This is to cook the root crown faster as it is the hardest part of the spinach cluster.
4. Alternatively, you can transfer the spinach to a large bowl under running cold water. I did not do this to save having to wash an extra bowl.
5. You don’t need to squeeze very tightly as you will be squeezing more water out later.
6. Spinach Goma-ae keeps 2-3 days in the fridge, but it is recommended to eat it by next day because it becomes slightly watery, and the colour of the spinach degrades.
7. Nutrition per serving.
serving: 75g calories: 50kcal fat: 3.1g (4%) saturated fat: 0.5g (2%) trans fat: 0.0g polyunsaturated fat: 1.4g monounsaturated fat: 1.1g cholesterol: 0mg (0%) sodium: 303mg (13%) carbohydrates: 6.1g (2%) dietary fibre: 2.2g (8%) sugar: 2.4g protein: 3.1g vitamin D: 0mcg (0%) calcium: mg (9%) iron: 2.6mg (14%) potassium: 395mg (8%)