‘Tsukudani’ is a dish of commonly small fish, shellfish or seaweed cooked in Mirin, Sugar and Soy Sauce to preserve the ingredients. If I were living in Japan, I would have never tried to make this Kombu ‘Tsukudani’ as it is popularly available in a variety of flavours. But, here in Melbourne where I live, I must make it if I want to eat it. It’s not hard to make. It takes time, but it can be done while I am cooking other things.


Makes

4 Servings

Ingredients

10 to 15g Dried Kombu (Kelp)
*Note: 10g Dried Kombu becomes 30g when rehydrated. You can use 30 to 45g Kombu that has been used to make Kombu Dashi Stock.
Toasted Sesame Seeds *optional

Sauce
1 cup Water that is used to rehydrate Kombu *OR Water
1 tablespoon Sake (Rice Wine)
1 tablespoon Sugar
1 tablespoon Soy Sauce
1 tablespoon Rice Vinegar

Method
  1. Clean Dried Kombu and soak in cold water until soft. Cut into small (about 2.5cm) squares.
  2. Place 1 cup of the Water that is used to rehydrate Kombu in a small saucepan. Add other sauce ingredients and Kombu pieces.
  3. Simmer for 30 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat when the thickened sauce is still there, and allow Kombu to cool in the sauce.
  4. Enjoy with freshly cooked rice. *Note: You may wish to add some Toasted Sesame Seeds.
  5. The photo below is the same Tsukudani, but I thinly sliced Kombu. Find ‘How to thinly slice Kombu’.