Karashina no karashi-bitashi / mustard greens in mustard-flavored light dashi

A simple variation of a standard ohitashi, cooked vegetables marinated in light dashi. Among basic seasonings (soy sauce, salt, sake, mirin) for dashi for ohitashi, only soy sauce is chosen for this recipe to heighten the pungent aroma of karashi mustard.

1/4 of recipe:
16 calories; 1.6 g protein; 0.3 g fat; 2.6 g carbohydrate; 1.0 g net carbs; 66 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 1.6 g fiber; 124 mg potassium

1/2 of recipe:
31 calories; 3.3 g protein; 0.5 g fat; 5.1 g carbohydrate; 2.0 g net carbs; 133 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 3.1 g fiber; 249 mg potassium

<Ingredients>

About 200 g karashina mustard greens (195 g Korean red mustard greens in photo)
Tiny handful flowers (of mizuna in photo; optional)

For karashi-bitashi marinade
200 cc dashi
1 tsp usukuchi pale soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp karashi Japanese mustard powder

<Directions>
1.

Add some dashi to karashi mustard powder, and mix well.

In a container for marinade, put karashi mixture, pour remaining dashi, and loosen karashi mixture.
 

Pour the rest of dashi and usukuchi soy sauce.
Mix well.
Karashi-bitashi marinade is ready.

2.

Bring plenty of water to boil, and blanch mustard greens.

When leaves turn bright green, immediately transfer to ice water to cool (stop cooking and keep color). 

Repeat with flowers. 

When cool, squeeze out excess water. 

3.
 
Cut leaves/stems into 3-4 cm length.

Squeeze out excess water again, and put in karashi-bitashi marinade.

Best after several hours.  

<Notes>

• Usukuchi pale soy sauce has a clear salty taste compared to more common koikuchi dark soy sauce. When using koikuchi soy sauce, use slightly less and add some salt or shiokoji salted rice malt.
• The vegetable would taste stronger as it is marinated longer. If planning to serve this many hours later or next day, reduce the amount of soy sauce, or remove vegetables from the marinade after several hours (and pour marinade separately kept when serving for a refreshing look and texture).
• For a vegan or vegetarian version, use kobudashi (kombu kelp soaked in water for hours to overnight). 
  
• A variation with steamed chicken at right.
• Nutrition figures above are based on the assumption that 50% of marinade is consumed. Sodium figure is based on measurement of remaining karashi-bitashi marinade in container and bowls.