Niai (Sweet-Sour Simmered Root Vegetables)

Name: Niai (Sweet-Sour Simmered Root Vegetables)
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 35 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: burdock root 200 g; carrot 100 g; lotus root 100 g; dried shiitake mushrooms 5 piece; shirataki 200 g; aburaage fried tofu 1 piece; cooking oil 3 tbsp; soy sauce 4 tbsp; sugar 1.5 tbsp; vinegar 2 tbsp; dashi stock 0.5 cup; white sesame seeds 2 tbsp; salt for blanching shirataki 5 g

Quick answer

Active time: 70 min
Waiting: See the steps
Level: Medium
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients: 13

About this dish

Vinegar is added only at the very end, so a sweet soy simmer of burdock, carrot, lotus root, shiitake, shirataki, and fried tofu picks up a bright sour note while the lotus root keeps some crunch.

It comes from around Mito in Ibaraki, and one theory traces the name to nite aeru, to simmer and then dress. Families made big batches for New Year and ceremonies and ate it the next day, and it still tastes best after a night in the refrigerator.

Ingredients

servings

IngredientAmount

dried shiitake mushrooms5 piece

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shirataki

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aburaage fried tofu1 piece

salt for blanching shirataki

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Instructions

7 steps

1

Soak 5 dried shiitake in warm water for 20 minutes, squeeze, and slice thinly.

Strain the soaking liquid for another use; use the measured 0.5 cup dashi for this simmer.
2

Cut 200g burdock and 100g carrot into matchsticks.

Quarter thick lotus root or halve thin pieces, slice 3mm thick, soak in cold water for 5 minutes to limit browning, and drain.
3

Pour boiling water over 1 aburaage to remove excess oil and shred it.

Blanch 200g shirataki for 2 minutes in boiling water with 5g salt, rinse in cold water, drain, and cut into easy-to-eat lengths.
4

Heat 3 tbsp oil in a wide pot over medium heat and stir-fry burdock for 3 minutes.

Add carrot, lotus root, aburaage, shirataki, and shiitake in that order at 1-minute intervals, stir-frying for 8 to 10 minutes total.
5

Add 0.5 cup dashi, 4 tbsp soy sauce, and 1.5 tbsp sugar and mix evenly.

Cover partially and simmer over medium-low heat for 12 to 15 minutes, until burdock bends tenderly and lotus root retains a light bite.
6

Pour 2 tbsp vinegar around the pot edge and mix quickly from the bottom for 30 seconds.

Turn off the heat immediately, cover tightly, rest for 15 minutes, then spread in a wide shallow container and cool to 4°C or below within 2 hours.
7

Rest overnight in the refrigerator, then sprinkle evenly with 2 tbsp white sesame and serve cold or near room temperature.

Do not leave served portions out over 2 hours, and eat leftovers within 3 days.