Hijiki Nimono

Posted July 1st, 2012 in Food 2 Comments »

This is a very classic Japanese dish; hijiki-no-nimono (stewed hijiki with vegetables and fried bean-curd)  which is often used to fill bento box as well.  Hijiki is a type of seaweed and is good for skin and hair – very healthy!  Unfortunately hijiki is not available at stores in Perth because of Australian import laws, so you will have to bring it from Japan by yourself (import non-commercially is currently allowed).  If you have a friend who is flying to Japan then you can ask him/her 🙂

Hijiki-no-nimono can have any ingredients – but I usually cook with carrot, konnyaku, aburaage (fried bean-curd), chicken thigh and chikuwa (fish-cake).  You can also add soy beans or/and snake beans.  Since I didn’t have chikuwa in my fridge, I cooked without it.

You can find abura-age and chikuwa in freezer section at Asian grocery shop.  Konnyaku is usually in the fridge, or sometimes sold at room temperature on the shelves.

It’s a great accompaniment to steamed rice 🙂

Here is the recipe :

<Hijiki-no-Nimono>

• Dried Hijiki 17g
• Chicken Thigh 50g (no bone. with or without skin)
• Carrot 1 (medium)
• Konnyaku (black) about 90g (I used 1/2 of normal packet)
• Aburage 1/2 sheet
• Soy Sauce 1 tbs
• Sake (cooking wine) 1 tbs
• Mirin (sweet cooking wine) 1 tbs
• Dashi Powder 1 pinch

 

1. Soak dried hijiki in cold water for at least 30 minutes.  Drain.
2. Cut chicken into small pieces.  Slice carrot, konnyaku and abura-age.
3. Place all the ingredients in a pot.  Turn on the fire and bring to gentle boil.  Turn down the heat and simmer with lid on for about 10 minutes.
4. Serve with steamed rice 🙂

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