5-Minute Microwave Kinpira Gobo (Vegan Burdock & Carrot)
Kinpira gobo is one of the most familiar side dishes in Japanese home cooking: matchsticks of burdock root and carrot glazed in soy sauce, mirin and sesame oil, with a little heat from dried chili. Burdock has an earthy, slightly sweet flavor and a satisfying crunch that you don't get from any other root vegetable.
This version skips the skillet entirely. Everything goes into one dish and into the microwave for two short rounds, so you can make the rest of dinner — or a bento box — while it cooks. Strips of abura-age (fried tofu pouch) soak up the sauce and add a little richness.
Ingredients
- Carrot5.3 oz
- Burdock root (gobo)2.5 oz
- Abura-age (fried tofu pouch)1/3 oz
- Sake1 Tbsp
- Toasted sesame oil1 Tbsp
- Mirin2 tsp
- Soy sauceuse tamari for gluten-free1 1/2 Tbsp
- Sugar1 tsp
- Sliced dried red chilia pinch
- Toasted white sesame seeds1 tsp
Nutrition
per serving🛒 Ingredient notes & substitutions
Burdock root (gobo): Look for it in the produce section of Japanese, Korean or other Asian grocery stores (sometimes labeled gobo or ueong). Pre-cut frozen burdock also works.
Abura-age: Fried tofu puffs from an Asian grocery store, cut into strips. You can also leave it out — it adds richness, but the dish still works without it.
Sake: Dry white wine, or simply the same amount of water.
Instructions
Peel the burdock and carrot and cut them into thin matchsticks. Cut the abura-age into thin strips the same way.
Soak the burdock in a bowl of water for a few minutes to remove bitterness, then drain.
Put the burdock, carrot, abura-age and sake in a microwave-safe dish. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and microwave at 600 W for 3 minutes.
Add the sesame oil, mirin, soy sauce, sugar and chili to the dish and mix well. Microwave at 600 W for another 2 minutes.
Once the vegetables are tender, stir in the sesame seeds and serve.
Tips
Cooking times are for a 600 W microwave. Most US microwaves are more powerful, so start with less time and adjust to how firm your burdock and carrot are — you want them tender but still with a little bite.
The sesame oil is a little more generous than in a stovetop kinpira; it keeps the vegetables glossy and moist in the microwave.
It packs well in bento boxes and keeps in the fridge for a few days, so it's an easy make-ahead side.