Recipe • Hijiki Salad (ひじきの煮物)

This dish, Hijiki no Nimono (ひじきの煮物) is often referred to as hijiki salad, but it is not exactly a salad. Besides usually served chilled, it's more like a Japanese side dish that is served with teishoku (Japanese set meal).
So what is hijiki?
It's a brown sea vegetables, rich in dietary fibre and essential minerals such as calcium, iron, and magnesium. (Source)
My boys & I love this appetizer and I usually cook in a reasonable quantity with extras to keep in the freezer. Yep, freezer. It thaws really quickly, making it a great dish to add to lunchboxes! (Note 1)

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Ingredients:

2 TBS Oil
10g Dried Hijiki  OR
4 TBS pre-washed Hijiki
50g Carrot, julienned
80g Lotus Root, cut into strips
4 pcs Sweet Beancurd skin (aburaage/油揚げ), cut into strips
A handful of edamame (Optional, Note 2)

Seasoning:
3/4tsp Sugar
1 TBS Mirin
2 TBS Cooking Sake
2 TBS Light Soy sauce
120ml Dashi stock

Method:
•Soak dried hijiki in a big bowl for about 30 minutes, change the water, wash clean & drain with a colander.

Otherwise just a quick rinse is required for pre-soaked hijiki.
Trim hijiki into smaller pieces of 1.5-2cm length.
•Cut carrot, lotus root and aburaage accordingly.

•Heat a pan with oil, add in carrot and lotus root. Stir fry and coat well with oil.
•Add in hijiki and stir fry for a couple of minutes.
•Add in all the seasonings followed by aburaage strips, stir to mix well.

•Cover pan with a lid and allow to simmer until gravy reduced, about 10-12mins.
•Dish up, let it cool down before storing in airtight container.

Here's some other options to use up Hijiki no Nimono besides eating it as a side dish!
Plus my first amateurish cooking video! :D


Lunch for Lil K

Add to lunch box
(Mini K's)

Make hijiki tamagoyaki (Japanese roll egg)

Add ひじきの煮物 to warm rice, mix well.
Optional: make hijiki inari sushi

Note
1) This dish can be kept in fridge for up to 3-4 days. I usually portion some into mini bento divider cups, stored in airtight container and into the freezer. It can stay good in freezer for up to a month. Reheating is not required.

2) I usually add edamame just before serving, it is to add a touch of green to the dish. Other green beans or even broccoli florets can be used too.

☆彡 This recipe is created in collaboration with Tramontina and Singapore Home Cooks.