Shirataki to jako no itameni / konnyaku noodles and young dried sardines in soy sauce broth

Rich in fiber and calcium, this side dish has a soft soy sauce flavor slightly deepened by toasted dried sardines.

56 calories per serving (1/2 of above recipe); 2.7 g protein; 1.2 g fat; 7.8 g carbohydrate; 5.3 g net carbs; 552 mg sodium; 12 mg cholesterol; 2.6 g fiber


<Ingredients>

100 g (1/2 bag) shirataki konnyaku noodles
1 tbsp chirimen jako dried young sardines
4-5 cm carrot
1 small green pepper
1/2 tsp sesame oil
100cc dashi
1 tbsp sake
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tbsp soy sauce

*See Notes on ingredients for reduced-sodium version.


<Directions>
1.

Bring water to boil, cook shirataki for 1-2 minutes, and drain.

2.

Cut shirataki into shorter length.
Julienne carrot and green pepper.








3.

In a pot, put jako and toast on medium low heat (without oil).

When jako become somewhat drier, add shirataki and stir.

When moisture on surface of shirataki is gone, add sesame oil, and stir.









4.

Add carrot and green pepper, and stir.

When vegetables are coated with oil, put dashi.










5.

When dashi boils, add brown sugar, sake, and soy sauce, and cook until liquid is almost gone.

<Notes>

• Toasting dried sardines first without oil prevents this dish from having a fishy smell and taste.
• Red chili pepper or other spicy seasoning is a nice addition.

• For a reduced-sodium version, use 2 tsp chirimenjako dried young dried sardines (soak in hot water for 10 minutes to desalinate), 3/4 tsp brown sugar, 2 tsp soy sauce, and 1/2 tsp rice vinegar. The amounts of other ingredients and processes are the same as above. When cooked until all liquid is gone, it's hard to tell that this has less sodium. Photo at right is with shishito peppers and 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce. Tom did not notice that I tweaked the recipe above! 
• Reduced-sodium version nutrition data:
  50 calories per serving; 1.9 g protein; 1.2 g fat; 6.7 g carbohydrate; 4.6 g net carbs; 168 mg sodium (with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce; 327 mg sodium with regular soy sauce); 8 mg cholesterol; 2.2 g fiber
   

(Last updated: August 21, 2015)