Nara-ae (Simmered Vegetables with Narazuke)
Quick answer
- Total time
- 55 min
- Level
- Medium
- Servings
- 4 servings
- Ingredients
- 12
About this dish
Narazuke, Nara's vegetables pickled in sake lees, is chopped and folded into a sweet-soy simmer of fiddlehead fern (zenmai), kanpyo gourd strips, shiitake, konjac strips, carrot, and fried tofu.
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On its own the pickle is strong, but spread through so many soft vegetables its boozy aroma and firm crunch become a gentle accent. This everyday side dish from Nara is eaten fully cooled.
Ingredients
Instructions
- 1
Parboil the konjac strips for 2 minutes to reduce their characteristic aroma, drain, and cut into manageable lengths if necessary.
- 2
Soak the dried gourd strips and shiitake separately until soft.
Squeeze and cut the gourd into 3 cm lengths, then remove the mushroom stems and slice thinly.
- 3
Wipe the sake lees from the narazuke and chop into about 5 mm pieces.
Shred the carrot, drain and cut the fern into 4 cm lengths, and pour hot water over the fried tofu before cutting it into strips.
- 4
Heat the cooking oil in a wide pot over medium heat.
Add the fern, gourd strips, shiitake, konjac, carrot, and fried tofu, leaving out the narazuke, and stir-fry lightly for 3 minutes.
- 5
Add the dashi, sugar, soy sauce, and mirin and bring to a boil.
Reduce to medium-low and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes, turning occasionally, until tender and almost dry.
- 6
Turn off the heat and fold in the chopped narazuke.
Spread in a wide dish and cool completely, turning two or three times at 10-minute intervals so the seasoning and pickle aroma distribute evenly.
References checked
These references were consulted when this page was prepared or corrected. A source check does not mean the recipe was independently kitchen-tested.
- 일본 농림수산성 うちの郷土料理
「奈良県の郷土料理集～元気に育て やまとっ子～」（奈良県教育委員会） · Checked: 2026-08-11
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