Simmered Kiriboshi Daikon (Japanese Dried Daikon Radish Strips)
This cozy simmered kiriboshi daikon brings umami and a perfect sweet-savory balance, making you feel like you're dining with a Japanese obaachan (grandma)!
Ingredients
- 2 ounces kiriboshi daikon
- 5 ounces sliced pork
- 2 small carrots about 2 ounces total
For the broth
- ½ cup dashi or ½ cup water and ½ teaspoon of dashi powder
- ½ cup reserved water from soaking kiriboshi daikon
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons mirin
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Prepare the kiriboshi daikon: Quickly rinse 2 ounces kiriboshi daikon to remove any surface dirt. Add just enough water to cover the kiriboshi daikon and soak for 15 minutes (see note 1).
- Prepare the other ingredients: Meanwhile, peel and julienne 2 small carrots. Cut 5 ounces sliced pork into 1-inch strips.
- Drain and cut the kiriboshi daikon: After soaking, measure and set aside the soaking water. Squeeze out the excess water from the kiriboshi daikon with your hands. If the pieces are long, cut them into 2–3-inch strips.
- Saute the kiriboshi daikon and carrots: Heat a medium pot over medium heat. Add oil, then stir-fry the kiriboshi daikon and carrots for 1–2 minutes to remove excess moisture from the kiriboshi daikon.
- Simmer with pork and broth: Add the sliced pork, ½ cup dashi, ½ cup reserved water from soaking kiriboshi daikon, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons mirin, 1 teaspoon sugar, and ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt to the pot, mixing well. Place an otoshibuta (drop lid) on top if you have one, and simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy: Serve warm, chilled, or at room temperature (see note 2).
Notes
(1) Reserved water: The reserved water will be too diluted if you add too much at this stage, so use just enough to cover the kiriboshi daikon. If you don’t have enough reserved water, simply increase the amount of dashi to match the total liquid needed.
(2) Serving temperature: The flavors will deepen as the dish cools, so I recommend letting it sit for a while before serving. However, you can also enjoy it immediately after cooking!
Variations: Feel free to add other vegetables and/or proteins to this dish, such as chicken, deep-fried tofu, or shiitake mushrooms (or other mushrooms).
🥢Serve with Japanese rice, miso soup, teriyaki chicken, and Japanese cucumber salad (sunomono) for a complete Ichiju-Sansai style meal!
💡If you can't find specific ingredients, check out how to substitute Japanese ingredients in this post.