Daizu moyashi no bataa shoga itame / soybean sprouts stir-fried in butter, flavored with ginger and soy sauce

A small amount of butter adds a soft rich taste to this simple daizu moyashi dish.

<Ingredients>

200 g daizu moyashi soybean sprouts
1 small knob ginger
1 tsp sake
1 tsp mirin
1/2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp butter (unsalted; not in photo)
Salt and black pepper, to taste (not in photo)


<Directions>
1.
If you have not already done so, remove skinny root ends of daizu moyashi and any damaged parts (discolored or translucent/soft), and rinse well.

2.

Grate ginger.

3.

In a frying pan, melt butter.

Saute daizu moyashi on medium high heat for a few minutes until somewhat soft (bend slightly when picked up). At this point, daizu moyashi do not need to be completely cooked.

4.

Add ginger, sake, mirin and soy sauce, and quickly stir.

Cook until liquid is almost gone.

5.

Taste, and add salt and black pepper as desired; mix well.

6.

Serve in a bowl or on a plate, with extra black pepper as a final touch.

<Notes>

• The butter taste becomes more apparent in the final dish when it cools slightly.
• Keep heat relatively high while sauteing. Otherwise, daizu moyashi get soggy.
• If sesame oil is used instead of butter, it would impart a deep, toasty taste and aroma.
• Ginger and other seasonings can be mixed in advance and poured over daizu moyashi all at once.
• Dishes called shoga itame [lit. ginger stir-fry] are usually flavored with soy sauce. The same applies to shoga yaki [lit. ginger saute].