Kinpira Gobo

Quick answer

Total time: 27 min
Level: Easy
Servings: 2 servings
Ingredients: 10

About this dish

Kinpira gobo is a Tokyo side dish of finely cut burdock and carrot stir-fried in sesame oil, then simmered with soy sauce, sugar, sake, and chili until almost no liquid remains.

Its firm crunch and peppery heat are said to evoke Sakata Kimpira, a strong and valiant character in Edo-period puppet theater, which gave the dish its name. The flavorful burdock skin is scrubbed rather than completely peeled, and the strips are soaked briefly before cooking. Eaten by townspeople from the latter Edo period, it remains an everyday dish and also appears in osechi, celebrations, and mourning meals.

Ingredients (2 servings)

Ingredient	Amount	Unit
burdock root	70	g
water for soaking burdock	500	ml
carrot	30	g
dried red chili	0.5	piece
water for seasoning	50	ml
soy sauce	1.5	tsp
sugar	2	tsp
sake	1	tsp
sesame oil	1	tbsp
toasted white sesame seeds	1	tsp

Instructions

Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.

4 steps

1

Prep

Scrub 70g burdock so its flavorful skin remains, then cut into thin 5cm strips.

Soak in 500ml water for 5 minutes and drain. Cut 30g carrot into matching 5cm strips and remove the seeds from 0.5 dried red chili.
2

Season

Combine 50ml seasoning water, 1.5 teaspoons soy sauce, 2 teaspoons sugar, and 1 teaspoon sake in a small bowl.

Stir for 30 seconds, until almost no sugar grains remain visible.
3

Control

Heat 1 tablespoon sesame oil and the seeded chili in a pan over high heat for 30 seconds.

Add the burdock and stir-fry for 2 minutes, then add the carrot and cook for 1 minute, until both vegetables are evenly coated with oil.
4

Control

Pour in the seasoning, lower to medium heat, and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring.

Turn off the heat when almost no liquid remains on the bottom and the burdock still has a firm bite. Rest for 5 minutes, then crush 1 teaspoon toasted white sesame between the fingers over the dish.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: Burdock and carrot cut into thin 5cm strips
Finish cue: Pour in the seasoning, lower to medium heat, and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring.
Substitution: Burdock skin carries flavor, so scrub away the soil instead of removing a thick layer with a knife.