Kishazu-iri (Okara and Vegetable Stir-Fry)

Quick answer

Total time: 45 min
Level: Easy
Servings: 10 servings
Ingredients: 10

About this dish

Kishazu-iri is an everyday okara dish eaten year-round throughout Miyagi Prefecture.

In Miyagi, the soybean pulp left from tofu making is called kirazu as well as okara. It is cooked with carrot, burdock, and rehydrated dried shiitake. The vegetables are first sautéed in oil, then sugar, salt, soy sauce, and dashi are added and brought to a boil. Fresh okara goes in once the seasoned broth is bubbling. Continuous stirring breaks it up and lets it absorb the broth without scorching on the pan bottom. The dish is ready when there is no loose liquid but the grains remain moist and crumbly. Thinly sliced green onion is folded in only at the end.

Ingredients (10 servings)

Ingredient	Amount	Unit
fresh okara	400	g
carrot	200	g
burdock root	200	g
dried shiitake mushrooms	4	piece
green onion	1	stalk
cooking oil	2	tbsp
dashi stock	1.5	cup
sugar	2	tbsp
salt	2	tsp
soy sauce	1	tbsp

Instructions

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

5 steps

1

Prep

Rehydrate the dried shiitake, remove the stems, and cut the caps into thin strips.

Julienne the carrot. Scrape the burdock skin, shave it into small thin pieces, soak briefly to remove harshness, and drain. Thinly slice the green onion.
2

Control

Heat the cooking oil in a wide pot over medium heat.

Add the carrot, burdock, and shiitake, holding back the green onion. Sauté until the vegetables are coated with oil and the burdock begins to soften.
3

Control

Add the sugar, salt, soy sauce, and dashi to the sautéed vegetables.

Stir and heat over medium heat until the seasoned liquid comes to a full simmer.
4

Control

When the liquid is simmering, add the fresh okara and break up any lumps.

Cook over medium-low heat, turning continuously from the bottom, until no loose liquid remains and the okara is moist and crumbly.
5

Finish

Fold in the thinly sliced green onion until evenly distributed and turn off the heat immediately.

Spread the mixture briefly so excess steam escapes, then serve while it remains moist and crumbly.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: Fresh okara absorbs dashi with carrot, burdock, and dried shiitake.
Finish cue: Fold in the thinly sliced green onion until evenly distributed and turn off the heat immediately.