Konnyaku no nimono / konnyaku yam cake simmered in broth

A somewhat straightforward, soy sauce-flavored dish that reminds me of dishes that appeared at my grandmother’s house. 

29 calories (1/2 of recipe); 0.9 g protein; 0 g fat; 5.0 g carbohydrate; 3.3 g net carbs;  240 mg sodium (with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce; 468 mg with regular soy sauce); 0 mg cholesterol; 1.7 g fiber
*See Notes for seasonings for a lower-sodium version.


<Ingredients>

1/2 konnyaku yam cake (145 g in photo)

For broth
2 tbsp dashi
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sake + mirin (equal parts)
1/2-1 taka no tsume red chili pepper (sliced)


<Directions>
1.

Slice konnyaku 7-8 mm thick.

Form tazuna “reins” (cut the center of each slice, take one end, put it through the hole, and gently pull).

2.

Bring 600-700cc water to boil, put konnyaku, and boil for 1-2 minutes. Thickly sliced pieces in particular tend to lose their rein form unless you hold them together, so carefully put individual pieces into boiling water.

Drain.

3.

In a small pot, put all ingredients for broth and heat.

Add konnyaku, bring to boil, and cook on medium heat until liquid is almost gone.
Flip konnyaku from time to time for even flavoring.

<Notes>

• Tastes good hot or cold.
• Because of the thickness of konnyaku pieces, most flavor stays on the surface and the inside is relatively bland, which prevents the dish from being overpowered by the saltiness of soy sauce.
• Taka no tsume can be quite spicy. If you would rather not add anything spicy, try a small amount of bonito flakes (small pieces, instead of hanakatsuo large pieces). Add them at the very end, and mix. Alternatively, serve konnyaku and top with a small amount of bonito flakes.
• If mirin is not at hand, a small amount (approx. 1/4 tsp) of brown sugar should work. 
• Seasonings for lower-sodium version: instead of 1 tbsp soy sauce above, use 2 + 1/2 tsp soy sauce and 1/4 tsp rice vinegar. The sodium content (1/2 recipe) would be 201 mg with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce and 393 mg with regular soy sauce.
   

(Last updated: April 26, 2014)