‘Goma-ae’ is a Japanese dish of vegetables dressed with sweet sesame seed sauce. A variety of vegetables are suitable for the dish, but I have found Wombok is tricky. It tend to turn bland. For Wombok, an extra Salt is needed. And I believe Ginger and Sesame Oil improve the flavour. This ‘Goma-ae’ Wombok is different from the traditional ‘Goma-ae’, but it is not bland.

Makes

2 to 3 Servings

Ingredients

1/4 Wombok *Today it weighed 450g
1/2 teaspoon Salt *reduce the amount if Wombok is smaller
1 Spring Onion *finely chopped
White Pepper OR Ground Chilli as required *optional

Sesame Sauce
1 tablespoon Toasted Sesame Seeds *lightly ground
1 teaspoon grated Ginger
1/2 tablespoon Sugar
1/2 tablespoon Sesame Oil
1 tablespoon Soy Sauce

Method
  1. Clean Wombok, cut into 1cm wide pieces, and separate hard white parts and soft parts.
  2. Place the hard white parts into a mixing bowl, add Salt, and toss to mix well. Set aside for 15 minutes OR microwave for 1 minutes (I used 1100W microwave) to speed up.
  3. To make the Sesame Sauce, combine all the ingredients in a small bowl. *Note: See ‘How To Grind Sesame Seeds Using A Plastic Bag’. You can wrap Sesame Seeds with food wrap or baking paper, then press dow using a rolling pin.
  4. Remove any excess salty water from Wombok, add soft parts of Wombok, the Sesame Sauce, Spring Onion and some White Pepper (OR Ground Chilli), and mix to combine. Serve immediately.