Easy Vegan Nishime 2.0
Nishime (煮しめ) is a traditional Japanese dish that is typically eaten on New Years Day. Growing up, I loved eating my grandma’s nishime so much that I would beg her to make it outside of the holiday season. Traditionally, nishime is made with chicken broth and chicken but I have made my own version without any animal products or white sugar. This is a revised plant-based version of my grandma’s recipe and it is not the exact traditional way that nishime is usually made.
There are two secrets to success with making nishime:
Do not stir your nishime in the pot with a spoon or ladle. Nishime contains araimo (taro balls), aburaage (fried tofu), and knotted kombu (dried kelp), which I omitted from this dish because my kombu wasn’t ideal for this. All of these ingredients are very delicate pieces of this dish that will fall apart or break if it’s mixed with a ladle.
Patience is key. Nishime needs to simmer for long periods of time in order to really soak up the flavor and umami of the broth. This is why eating nishime is truly a treat to enjoy!
Why is nishime such a great meal prep item?
Nishime contains many root vegetables that are simmered in a subtle, yet flavorful broth. Not only is nishime high in fiber but this version of the dish uses coconut sugar which wields a lower glycemic index and tamari instead of soy sauce to lower the sodium intake. You can enjoy nishime as a side for your meal or the main entree with some hot rice.
Nishime
Makes 5 large servings | Cook time: 1 hour +
Ingredients:
1 piece of kombu (dried kelp)
10 pieces of dried shiitake mushrooms
2 stalks of green onion (optional)
2 bags of Japanese frozen root vegetables
1 package of konnyaku (konjac, yam)
1 package of abura-age (fried tofu) sub for baked or air-fried tofu for a healthier alternative
1/2 cup tamari or coconut aminos
1/4 cup mirin
1/4 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup of dry sake
4 cup of water
2 tbsp sesame oil
Directions:
First, make your dashi broth by adding 1 piece of kombu and 10 dried shiitake mushrooms to a bowl. Boil 4 cups of hot water and pour it over the kombu and shiitake to soak for 20 minutes.
While that is soaking, cut up your konnyaku and aburaage into cubes and set aside.
To make your sauce, combine the tamari, mirin, coconut sugar, and sake into one bowl then mix together well.
When the dashi is done soaking, place a large bowl in the sink and strain the mushrooms and kombu from the broth. Be sure to catch all the liquid in your bowl underneath. Save the mushrooms for the nishime, but kombu is optional.
Place a large pot or dutch oven on the stove at medium heat. Pour sesame oil into the pot and throw your frozen vegetables and konnyaku into the pot. Stir fry the vegetables in the pot for 10 minutes, then pour half of the dashi broth into the pot and cover with the lid for 20 minutes.
Once the 20 minutes are up, open the pot and pour your sauce mixture in with the rest of the dashi broth. Cover again and hold both sides of the pot to give it a good shake. The key to nishime is to NOT mix it with a spoon otherwise you will smash the araimo (taro). Let this cook for 20 more minutes to allow the broth to diminish by half. This process is called nishimeru.
Lastly, add your aburaage into the pot and remove from heat. The aburaage is very delicate so you don’t want it to soften too much in the pot as it cooks with everything else.
Place your nishime into a large container including the flavorful broth from the pot. Top with chopped green onions if desired.
NOTE: Nishime is best enjoyed as time passes so the vegetables soak up the umami but it can be eaten immediately as well. Enjoy!