This is not the traditional way of making chikuzenni but it is the way my sister in Japan, Michiko, cooks chikuzenni. This method of making chikuzenni is ridiculously long but some Japanese people, including my sister, make the effort because it maximises the best taste out of each ingredient and it presents more nicely. My children always remind me that my sister’s chikuzenni tastes better than mine. So, I tell them, if they want it they have to go to the effort of making it this way because I will never make it like this!!!
This is almost like 8 different dishes collected together. You could take one or two ingredients and cook them as per this recipe to make little dishes.
Please see the photos below the recipe regarding preparation of vegetables. The cooking time assumes that you cook two items at once using two burners.
Cut the tip off for about 5cm (2"). Cut the tip into quarters vertically. Cut the rest into 6mm (¼”) thick discs.
Add bamboo shoots in a pot with the water just covering them. Cook until the water starts boiling, then drain.
Put aside on a plate.
Cut the root into 6cm (2⅜") lengths, then quarter each piece lengthwise. Soak them in the water with vinegar (1 tablespoon vinegar in 600ml (20.3oz) water, not in Ingredients) for 15 minutes. Drain.
Put aside on a plate.
Slice the block crosswise into 5mm (3/16") thick pieces. Make 2.5cm (1") incision lengthwise in the centre of each slice. Put one end through the incision and make a twisted konnyaku which is called “tazuna Konnyaku” (手綱こんにゃく) in Japanese.
Add ½ tablespoon oil to the pan and stir. Add remaining Konnyaku ingredients and stir for a couple of minutes until the moisture evaporates. Add a few dashes of sesame oil. Sprinkle with shichimi togarashi if using.
Put aside on a plate.
Add all the Shiitake ingredients to a pot. Cook over medium low heat for 15-17 minutes until the liquid almost evaporates.
Put aside on a plate.
Peel and slice lotus root into 1cm (⅜") thick discs. Place them in water with vinegar (1tablespoon vinegar in 540ml (18.3oz) water, not in Ingredients) for minimum 15 minutes. Drain.
Add lotus root slices and other Lotus Root ingredients to a pot. Cook over medium heat for 17-20 minutes until liquid almost evaporates.
Put aside on a plate.
Add the rest of the chicken ingredients to the pan. Cook over high heat for 10-12 minutes until liquid almost evaporates. Remove scum from time to time.
Put aside on a plate.
Put aside on a plate.
Drain hot water and cool down the snow peas under cold running water immediately. If snow peas are large, i.e.. more than 5 cm (2"), cut it diagonally into half.
Drain and put aside on a plate.
1. There are greyish konnyaku (as seen in my chikuzenni) and brackish konnyaku (as in this recipe). You can use either of them.
One pack of konnyaku is 250g (8.8oz).
2. Japanese spice mixture with chilli. Please see more details about shichimi togarashi in my post, Tonjiru.
3. Dried shiitake was about 4cm (1½") in diameter when re-hydrated.
4. If you cannot find a fresh lotus root, you can buy frozen lotus roots from Japanese/Asian grocery stores. They are already peeled and sliced into discs, which are just right for this dish. If the diameter of the sliced lotus root is very large, cut it in half.
5. As you can see in the photo, shiitake and carrots are divided into two and placed in the opposite positions. Then the lighter coloured ingredients, i.e. bamboo shoots and lotus roots, and the darker coloured ingredients, i.e. konnyaku and burdock, are placed opposite each other. Place snow peas to decorate.
6. Michiko cooked two items at once. If you can coordinate well and have three pots suitable for cooking, you could cook three items at once which will reduce the total cooking time.