Simmered Hijiki Seaweed (Hijiki no Nimono)
Cuisine: Japanese
Region: 日本各地
Servings: 4人分
Simmered Hijiki Seaweed (Hijiki no Nimono) is a home-style vegetable dish. Stir-frying the hijiki in oil first softens its sea smell and adds richness. Ingredients and step-by-step instructions are below, with notes for home cooking.
Ingredients
- Hijiki buds (dried) 20 g
- Carrot 1/3 (50 g)
- Aburaage (fried tofu pouch) 1 sheet
- Soybeans (boiled) 100 g
- Sesame oil 1 tbsp
- Dashi 150 ml
- Sugar 1 1/2 tbsp
- Mirin 1 tbsp
- Soy sauce 2 tbsp
- Sake 1 tbsp
Steps
- Rinse the hijiki quickly and soak it in plenty of water for 15–20 minutes to rehydrate. It expands 8–10 times, so use a large bowl. Drain in a sieve, rinse again and drain well.
- Cut the carrot into 3 cm matchsticks. Pour boiling water over the aburaage to remove excess oil, halve it lengthwise and slice thinly. Drain the soybeans.
- Heat the sesame oil in a pot over medium heat and stir-fry the carrot. Once coated in oil, add the hijiki and stir-fry for about 2 minutes until it looks glossy.
- Add the aburaage and soybeans, stir once, then add the dashi, sake and sugar. When it boils, cover with a drop lid and simmer over medium-low heat for 5 minutes.
- Add the mirin and soy sauce and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until almost no liquid remains.
- Turn off the heat and let it cool as is so the flavors meld, then serve.
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Notes
Stir-frying the hijiki in oil first softens its sea smell and adds richness.
If you use long hijiki, cut it into easy-to-eat lengths (3–4 cm) after soaking.
It keeps 4–5 days in the refrigerator, so it is handy to make a big batch as a ready-made side. It also works as a filling for mixed rice or rolled omelet.
Konnyaku, edamame, chikuwa or ground chicken also make tasty additions.
Origin and history
Hijiki no nimono is rehydrated dried hijiki simmered with aburaage, carrot and soybeans in a sweet-salty broth. It is a classic of Japanese home cooking, a "taste of mom" and a staple make-ahead side dish.
Hijiki is a seaweed that grows on rocky shores and has been eaten in Japan since ancient times. Its name appears in books from the Nara and Heian periods, and it was valued as an ingredient that keeps well once dried.
Because it is rich in calcium and dietary fiber, it often appears as a healthy side dish in school lunches and hospital meals. Some regions promote September 15 as "Hijiki Day", encouraging people to eat it on Respect for the Aged Day as a wish for long life. It keeps well when made ahead and is a reliable dish when you want to add one more item to the daily table.