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  • 2 days ago
Horenso no goma ae is a classic Japanese spinach salad recipe that combines tender blanched spinach with a nutty sweet savory sesame dressing. The spinach is usually boiled briefly, cooled in cold water, then squeezed well so it stays bright green and does not become watery. The dressing is made with ground toasted sesame seeds, soy sauce, sugar, and sometimes mirin or dashi for a deeper Japanese flavor. Grinding the sesame helps release its aroma and creates a rich coating that clings to every leaf without making the salad heavy. The flavor is simple but balanced, with roasted sesame fragrance, gentle sweetness, and soy sauce umami in each bite. The final goma ae is light, healthy, and easy to serve with steamed rice, miso soup, grilled fish, karaage, noodles, bento boxes, or other Japanese home-style meals.
Transcript
00:00Meet the weeknight side that steals the show, Gomae Salad.
00:03Bright spinach, nutty toasted sesame, glossy and addictive.
00:07Grab your pot, let's cook.
00:09For a printable version of this recipe, visit my website.
00:12Just Google Gomae Salad statue to find me.
00:15Switch 250 grams of spinach vigorously in a bowl of cold water to dislodge any grid.
00:21Some of them are very sandy, but not today's.
00:24If needed, lift it out, replace the water, and repeat until no sand remains.
00:29Oriental spinach sold in bunches comes with the bottom stem and roots still attached,
00:35which actually helps us clean more thoroughly before we trim it off.
00:39If whole bunched spinach isn't handy, baby spinach can work, but blanch for a flash.
00:44Frozen spinach is fine too, just sew completely and squeeze out every drop of water so you don't dilute the
00:51dressing.
00:51Bring a large pot to a rolling boil with 2 litres of water.
00:55Keep a big bowl of ice water ready on the side.
00:58Throw in 1 teaspoon of salt, leave the lid off, and let it come back to a vigorous boil.
01:03Then lower the bunch into the pot root first so the stems get a head start.
01:09Boil the stems for 30 seconds.
01:11If the boil calms down, wait until it rebounds before you start counting.
01:16Press the leaves under to submerge and cook just 15 to 30 seconds more,
01:21until they wilt but spring back when lifted.
01:24Total blanch time is about 45 to 60 seconds, depending on bun size.
01:30We're going for tender crisp texture, lid stays off.
01:34Straight from the pot into the ice bath, stir until the spinach is cool to the core, 1-2 minutes.
01:42This fast chill stops carryover cooking and locks in the fresh green pop.
01:47Take a mixing bowl and make the sesame dressing.
01:501.5 teaspoon of salt.
01:521.5 tablespoon of Japanese soy sauce.
01:542 tablespoons of ground toasted sesame seeds.
01:581 tablespoon of light brown sugar.
01:591.5 tablespoon of toasted white sesame seeds.
02:02And 1.5 tablespoon of dashi stock.
02:05If you don't have liquid dashi, use water with a pinch of dashi granules.
02:09For fish-free dashi, kombu-based granules are your friend.
02:13Stir until glossy and fragrant.
02:16This dish is traditionally quite sweet, so if you prefer less sweet,
02:19you can reduce the amount of sugar by up to half.
02:22As always, all ingredients and exact measurements for this recipe can be found in the description
02:28box below.
02:29Lift the spinach out and squeeze gently but firmly until it no longer drips.
02:40Align the stems and leaves and cut into 34cm so everything mixes evenly later.
02:53Add well squeezed spinach to the bowl, and toss onto every strand with a shiny coat.
02:59Taste and adjust.
03:01Splash more soy if you want extra savouriness, a pinch more sugar if it leans bitter, serve
03:06at room temperature or lightly chilled.
03:09Storage guide you need to keep in airtight container in the coldest part of your fridge
03:13for 2-3 days, or freeze individual portions wrapped in a bag for up to 1 month, though
03:20only what you need.
03:23Want even more delicious recipes?
03:26Grab my free cookbook from the link in the description.
03:30Okay let's go over the ingredients one more time, and if you're ready to cook, grab the
03:34written instructions by clicking the full recipe box with a picture that's about to pop up
03:38on your screen.
03:39Here we go, the link to the full recipe is on the screen for you now, and if you want
03:43to watch more similar videos, don't miss my salad playlist popping up on your screen as
03:47well.
03:48Thanks so much for watching, and I'll see you in the next one.
03:50Bye.
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