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+ servings
5 from 4 votes
I call it ‘salad’ as that’s how Westerners recognise it but this is a simmered dish, usually served at room temperature. Hijiki Seaweed Salad can be made ahead of time and served as a side. It is also a popular food to include in a bento box.
Hijiki Seaweed Salad
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
20 mins
 
I call it ‘salad’ but this is a simmered dish and usually served at room temperature. Hijiki Seaweed Salad can be made ahead of time and serve as a side. It is also a popular food included in a bento box.
Recipe Type: Salad, Side
Cuisine: Japanese
Serves: 4
Author: Yumiko
Ingredients (tbsp=15ml, cup=250ml)
  • 20g (0.7oz) dried hijiki (note 1) soaked in 1L (2pt) water for 1 hour
  • 2 aburaage (fried thin tofu) (note 2)
  • 80g (2.8oz) carrot cut into matchsticks, 3cm (1¼") long, 3mm (⅛") wide
  • 40 g (1.4oz) frozen edamame beans (note 3)
  • 2 tbsp sesame oil
Flavouring
Instructions
  1. Drain rehydrated hijiki using a sieve and rinse few times. Drain.
  2. Pour 2 cups of hot water over aburaage to remove excess oil, then squeeze water out. Cut each aburaage in half lengthwise, then cut into 5mm (3/16") wide strips crosswise.
  3. Boil frozen edamame for few minutes and drain.

  4. Add sesame oil to a sauce pan and heat over high heat. Add carrot and sauté for 30 seconds.
  5. Then add hijiki and sauté for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add aburaage and sauté for another 30 seconds.
  6. Add the Flavouring ingredients and mix. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 7-8 minutes until most of the liquid evaporates. Toss the pot few times while cooking so that the ingredients get coat with sauce evenly.
  7. Add edamame and mix, then turn the heat off.
  8. Serve in a large bowl to share or individual small bowls.
Recipe Notes

1. Hijiki is a very dark brown wild seaweed. It contains dietary fibre and wide range of minerals and other nutrients good for human body. It usually comes in a dried form which looks like tiny twigs. The colour of dried hijiki is almost black. If you are not in Australia, you can buy them at Japanese grocery stores, or perhaps even in Supermarket (I saw it on Walmart website).

Unfortunately, Australian government restricts commercial importation of hijiki therefore, you won’t be able to buy it from the shops in Australia. However, you can purchase hijiki online or bring it back from Japan for private consumption.

2. You can buy aburaage from Japanese/Asian grocery stores, They are usually sold frozen. More details about aburaage can be found in my post, Shimeji Gohan.

3. I had frozen edamame beans (without pods) in my fridge. But if you only have edamame in pods, boil them in pods and take beans out to make up for 40g (1.4oz). I think there were about 60 beans in my case so you can work out approximate number of pods you need. It’s not critical to have exact amount but I would not add any more than 40g (1.4oz).

4. Other than carrot and aburaage, you can use lotus root, konnyaku and/or boiled soya beans.

5. Hijiki seaweed salad is an excellent make-ahead dish. You can refrigerate it for 3-4 days in an air-tight container.

You can also freeze it. Drain any liquid left in the salad and divide the salad into small batches (if you wish) so that you can defrost small quantities.