Vegan Japanese Cuisine: Ko Imo No Nimono
In Jpanese Ko Imo/小芋 means small taro tubers, and Nimono/煮物 can be loosely translated as stew.
Imo are great for vegans as they are fulfilling and so healthy!
Ko Imo No Nimono: Small Taro Tubers Stew
INGREDIENTS: For up to 3 people
-Ko Imo/small taro tubers: 15
-Vegan Dashi: 1 cup/200 cc/ml. Check RECIPE.
-Mirin/Sweet sake: 1 tablespoon
-Japanese sake: 3 tablespoons
-Salt: a little less than 1/2 teaspoon
-Sugar: 1 large tablespoon
-Light soy sauce: 1/2 tablespoon
-Fresh string beans: as many as you want
-Yuzu/Lime
RECIPE:
-Wash the the ko imo/taro tubers throroughly. Cut off both hands and peel “straight” so as to form six distinct sides. Was in clear running water and drain.
-Drop the imo in a large pot and cover completely with water. add a little rice (it will add taste). Cook until you can pass a wooden skewer through the imo.
-Bring the pot at a slant under the water tap and let the cold water flow into the pot and out with the hot water. This simple techenique will get the imo rid of unwanted stickiness. Throw all water out, but keep the imo inside the pot.
-Pour all the sauce ingredients onto the imo. Switch on fire and simmer the imo over a weak fire long enough for the imo to “suck in” the sauce.
-Cut the extremeities off the string beans and boil in salted water until tender enough. The Japanese like them only lightly boiled and crispy.
-Let imo and string beans cool completely. Transfer the string beans with the imo. Chill if necessary.
-Serve in a dish as shown on picture above and press some lime/yuzu over it!
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VEGAN JAPANESE STEW
Just about time I came back to my vegan and vegetarian (I’m not) friends with a recipe they can create in Japan or back home!
Vegan Japanese Stew!
INGREDIENTS: For 6 people
-Carrots: 2]
-Soy beans: 2 cups
-Konbu/seaweed (dry): 20 cm
-Sato Imo/taro: 7~
-Mirin/sweet sake: 1 cup
-Soy sauce (of your choice): 90 cc/ml
RECIPE:
Clean the sato imo/taro.
Peel the carrots.
Peel the sato imo/taro and clean under running cold water.
The soy beans should have been left to soak for a whole night before being boiled for 3 hours or until soft.
About time to slice those carrots!
Dice the carrots.
Drop the carrots and soy beans inside a large pot.
Break/cut the konbu/seaweed into large pieces.
Break again into small pieces. You will eat them!
Pour plenty of water.
Simmer over a small fire for 40 minutes.
Slice the sato imo/taro.
Cut in cubes.
Scoop out unwanted matters from the surface.
Add the cubed sato imo/taro.
Stir to mix.
Add mirin/sweet sake.
Add soy sauce.
Simmer until water disappears.
Continue simmering!
You are almost there!
Serve!
It can be served both hot or at room temperature. Great in bento!
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Vegan Japanese Cuisine: Taro and Sesame
Here is another vegan recipe that is not only healthy and easy to pprepare but will also give you plenty of satisfaction:
Tarao and sesame!
INGREDIENTS: For 3~4 people
-Taro/sato imo: 3 medium to large
-Miso: 1 tablespoon
-Sugar: 1 tablespoon
-Mirin/Sweet sake: １/２ tablepoon
-Ground sesame seeds: １/２ tablespoon
RECIPE:
1- Wash the taro/sato imo and wrap as they are in cellophan paper. Cook them in a microwave oven at 600W for 7 minutes. Turn them over halfway.
2-Take them out and peel them. Shi\ould be easy by hand.. Cut them into pieces of your preference.
3-Mix the miso, sugar, mirin and ground sesame and season the taro/sato imo with them.
Serve in individual or large plate.
Add some freshly chopped greens or sprouts.
Bear in mind that depending on the size of the taro/sato imo, you might have to amend the cooking time.
Don’t forget to turn them over once halfway.
You can also vary the quantity of ground sesame!
Easy again, ain’t it?
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Taro & Tomato Stew
Benn rummaging through my notes and discovered another simple and hearty recipe for my vegan and vegetarian friends!
Taro & Tomato Stew!
INGREDIENTS: For 2 people
-Taro/Sato Imo: 4
-Carrot: 1
-Onion: 1
-Garlic: 1 clove
-Tomato: 100~200 g (canned with their water, or fresh, peeled and seeded)
-Cabbage: 3 leaves
-Miso: 2 tablespoons
-Water: １/２ cup/100 cc/ml
-Mirin/sweet sake: a little for taste and seasoning
RECIPE:
1-Peel taro and cut into big pieces. Cut carrot into large pieces. Cut onion into 4 quarters. Cut the garlic into thin slices. Cut the cabbage into rough pieces.
2-In a pan drop the taro, carrot, onion and garlic with the tomato and switch on fire. Bring to boil and then lower fire. Cover with lid and cook until vegetables are soft.
3-If you have a pressure cooker, pour everything into it, heat and cook on a low fire for 5 minutes.
4-Add cabbage, miso, mirin and water and cook for a while until cabbage has become soft. Rectify/season with a little salt if necessary although miso contains enough salt.
NOTES:
-Any miso can be used according to your preferences.
-I personally add some lemon juice.
-When servin in bowls, I top it with chopped thin leeks. Fresh coriander would be great, too.
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Vegan Japanese Deep-fried Taro/Sato Imo Age
Taro or Sato Imo in Jpaanese, can also for some great and hearty dishes for c\vegans and vegetarians, too!
Hre is a very simple recipe that can be enjoyed by all!
As for the Dashi, or Jpanese soup stock, check HERE for the basic recipe!
INGREDIENTS: For 4 people
-Taro/Sato imo: 16 small
-Dashi: 4 tablespoons
-Mirin/Sweet sake: 4 tablespoons
-Soy sauce: 3 tablespoons
-Sugar: 2 teaspoons
-Oil for deepfrying
RECIPE:
-Clean the taro/sato imo quickly.
Boil them in water for 15 minutes.
Peel them.
-Heat the deep frying oil to 170 degrees Celsius and deep fry the taro/sato imo until they obtain a nice brownish colour.
-In a pan drop dashi, mirin, soy sauce and sugar and heat (and stir) until the sugar has completely dissolved. Transfer the taro/sato imo into the pan and cook for a while in the sauce.
-Simmer until the sauce has reached a thick consistence.
Serve at once.
A few chopped greens would make for a good seasoning.
You may add spices of your liking to the sauce (grated ginger, chilies, etc.).
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Vegan Japanese Cuisine: Taro & Bamboo Shoots in Sweet and Hot Miso
Not ready yet to give up on those simple and healthy recipes with taro, or sato imo/里芋 as they are called in Japan that should please my vegan and vegetarian friends (omnivore friends, just be a little more patient!)!
This one is called “Taro & Bamboo Shoots in Sweet and Hot Miso/里芋と竹の子の甘辛味噌煮”, or Sato Imo to Take no Ko no Amakara Miso Ni”
It is another very simple dish that should provide food with a filling sensation to vegans.
INGREDIENTS: For 2 people
-Taro/Sato imo: 3~4 middle-sized specimens
-Bamboo shoots: 1 cup (cut to size. Canned Bamboo Shoots are fine)
-Konnyaku/Devil’s Tongur Tuber: 2/3 cup (cut to size. Canned specimen are fine)
-Japanese sake: 1 tablespoon
-Mirin/Sweet sake: 1 tablespoon
-Konbu/seaweed dashi/Soup stock: enough to submerge all ingredients upon cooking
-Salt: a pinch
-Salad oil: 1 tablespoon
-Sweet Miso (red miso base): 1 tablespoon
-Yuzu koshio/Lime & Chili Pepper Paste: to taste
RECIPE:
-Peel taro/sato imo and cut into bite-sized pieces. Cut bamboo shoots in approximately size (if needed). Cut the konnyaku/devil’s tongue tuber in slightly smaller pieces.
-Boil the Taro/sato imo a little beforehand to soften them.
-In a pan drop the half cooked taro/stao imo, bamboo shoots and konnyaku. Pour dashi until dashi until it had submerged everything.
Switch on fire.
-Add sake, mirin and salt and bring to boil. Lower fire to low~medium and simmer/stew until soup/stock has disappeared.
-Once the soup has disappeared, a frying sound will be heard. At that moment add the oil and stir fry the lot.
-Once the oil has coated everything, add the miso and mix gently as the taro will be soft by then.
-Add the yuzu koshio/Lime and chili pepper mix just before serving.
NOTES:
-For variation you may use chopped lime skin/zest or/and hot chili powder
Easy once again!
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Vegan Japanese Cuisine: Taro & Soy Milk Gratin/Sato Imo & Tonyu Gratin
Still working on a whole bunch of simple and healthy recipes with taro, or sato imo/里芋 as they are called in Japan that should please my vegan and vegetarian friends!
This one is called “Taro & Soy Milk Gratin/里芋と豆乳グラタン”, or Sato Imo & Tonyu Gratin”
It is a very simple dish that should provide food with a filling sensation to vegans. Great for kids, too!
INGREDIENTS: for 1 plate/serving
-Taro/sato imo: 2
-Oil (of your choice): 3 tablespoons
-All-purpose Flour (of your choice):2 tablespoons
-Soy Milk: 1 cup/200 cc/ml
-Sweet white miso paste ( as you like)
-Tinned corn or freshly boiled corn (a you like)
-Panko/breadcrumbs (as you like)
RECIPE:
-Peel the taro/sato imo, cut them in 1 cm thick slices and boil until soft. Drain.
-In a fry pan, heat the oil on a low-middle fire. Add flour and mix well with a spatula. Add soy milk and sweet white miso.
-Keep stirring. The mixture will eventually thicken. Lower the fire and keep stirring well until it has reached the thickness of a white/bechamel sauce for gratins.
-On an oven plate place the taro/sato imo. Pour the gratin sauce all over. Top with corn and breadcrumbs.
-Cook in oven (180 degrees Celsius) until it has attained the colour of your liking!
NOTES:
The picture above was taken before sprinkling the gratin with breadcrumbs.
You can use the same recipe with vegan pasta instead of the taro/sato imo!
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Vegan Japanese Cuisine: Taro, Natto & Grated Daikon/Natto no Tororo Donburi
I’ve found a whole bunch of simple and healthy recipes on taro, or sato imo/里芋 as they are called in Japan that should please my vegan and vegetarian friends!
This one is called “Natto no Tororo Donburi/納豆のとろろ丼”, or Taro, Natto & Grated daikon (on a bowl of rice).
It is a very simple traditional Japanese dish that will provide a very healthy meal to vegans!
INGREDIENTS: For 1 person
-Steamed rice: 1 bowl
-Taro/sato imo: 2
-Soy sauce: 1 tablespoon
-Salt: a little pinch
-Cornstarch: 1 teaspoon
-Natto/Japanese fermented beans: 1 pack
-Grated daikon: 1~2 tablepoons ( you can mix it with a little chili powder or grated wasabi!)
-Seaweed: as much as you want
RECIPE:
-Peel the taro/satoimo and cut them into 1 cm-sided squares
-Boil the taro/satoimo in seaweed dashi stock soup or water, salt and soy sauce until tender enough.
-Mix the cornstarch in the same amount of water and add to taro/satoimo to obtain a smooth soup.
-Add natto and cok for a minute or two. Switch fire.
-Fill a bowl with rice with frshly steamed rice.
Top with seaweed, then pour the the taro/satoimo over rice.
Top with grated daikon.
NOTES:
-Mushrooms, like namakotake or shimeji can be added for more taste to the taro/sato imo.
-As said above adding chili powder to grated daikon is very popular in Japan!
Simple and easy!
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Vegan Japanese Cuisine: Taro in Sweet and Sour Sauce/Sato Imo Ankake
I’ve found a whole bunch of simple and healthy recipes on taro, or sato imo/里芋 as they are called in Japan that should please my vegan and vegetarian friends!
This one is called “satoimo nakake/里芋餡かけ” or taro in sweet and sour sauce.
It wiil make for an excellent snack to go with a drink!
INGREDIENTS: for 2 people
-Taro/sato imo: 4~5 small
-Dashi (use konbu dashi/seaweed soup stock): 125 cc/ml or 1/2 cup
-Japanese sake: 1 tablespoon
-Mirin/sweet sake: 1 tablespoon
-Fresh grated ginger: １/8 teaspoon
-Cornstarh: 1 teaspoon
-Water: 1 tablespoon
-Salt: to taste
-Chopped leeks (for topping)
RECIPE:
-Soften the taro/sato imo inside a microwave oven.
Peel them and cut them in halves.
-In a pan, pour the dashi/soup stock, sake, mirin and grated ginger. Let simmer for a while. Add salt for taste.
-Mix the water with the cornstarch and add to soup sauce. Stir well until smooth.
-Roll taro/sato imo in cornstarch and deep-fry in 180 degrees Celsius oil until they are cooked to a saisfying colour.
-Place deep-fried taro/sato imo on a grill or kitchen paper to take off exces oil.
-Place taro/sato imo in a dish, pour the sweet and sour sauce all over it. Top with chopped leeks and serve!
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DAIGAKU IMO
Daigaku Imo litterally means “University Sweet Potato”!
This snack/dessert became popular in the 1910’s in the vicinity of kanda in Tokyo where students were queuing at food stands serving them. They made for a hearty, cheap and nutritious food for hungry students, men and ladies alike. In the late 1920’s Tokyo University students were selling for pocket money. In 1940 they were sold by Mikawaya Store.
They are still very popular and are often cooked at homes or in Izakayas!
INGREDIENTS: For 1~2 people
-Sweet Potato (Satsuma Imo): 1
-Oil for frying: as appropriate
-Black sesame seeds: as appropriate
Sauce (tare)
-Cane sugar: 2 tablespoons
-Honey (liquid): 1 tablespoon
-Soy sauce: 1/2 tablespoon
-Water: 1 tablespoon
RECIPE:
-Clean the sweet potato and cut into one-bite dices (keep the skin on, it’s full of nutritious ingredients!). Throw them in a large pan. Pour oil on top and fry over a medium fire.
-The oil will heat up until it reaches 170 degrees Celsius. At that time the sweet potato will have attained a golden colour. Take the sweet potato dices out and let them rest on a kitchen paper to take off excess oil.
-Empty the pan of its oil and wipe the indide with kitchen paper and pour the sauce (tare) ingredients into it.
-Simmer over a medium fire. When bubbles appear, throw in the sweet potato dices and toss them until they are well-coate with the sauce.
-Serve hot on a plate with a generous sprinkling of black sesame seeds!
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Japanese Cuisine: Taro & Chicken Stew
Taro/sato imo are a very eclectic vegetable. Like potatoes, they can be cooked with almost anything!
ere is a simple very Japanese recipe:
Taro & Chicken Stew!
INGREDIENTS: For 3~4 people
-Taro/sato imo: 400 g
-Chicken breast: 1
-Japanese sake: 1 tablespoon
-Salt: to taste
-Sugar: 2 tablespoons
-Japanese sake: 2 tablespoons
-Soy sauce: 2 tablespoons
RECIPE:
-First cut the chicken into bits-sized pieces. Marinate for a while in Japanese sajke and a little salt.
-Peel taro/sato imo and cut into bite-sized pieces.
Sprinkle with a little salt, than wash thoroughly.
-In a saucepan pour some oil (not included in above ingredients) and heat. Fry the marinated chicken until it has changed colour.
-Add the taro/sato imo. Lightly fry until the oil has covered all the taro/sato imo. Add sugar, Japanese sake and soy sauce. Bring to boil first, then lower fire to low. Cover with lid. Stew for 15~20 minutes until taro/sato imo are soft.
-Stir from time to time. When you are satisfied with the tenderness of the taro/sato imo, it is ready to serve!
-Place in a dish and eat while hot.
Decorate/season with a few sprigs or leaves.
NOTE:
-There is no need to add water.
-Season with a little sesame oil at the end!
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