Spinach Gomaae Recipe

Spinach or green beans are often dressed in sesame sauce in Japanese cuisine.
  We call this dish “Goma-ae ”.  Sweet and savory sesame sauce made with freshly ground sesame seeds adds rich and nutty flavors to refreshing blanched green vegetables.

Author: Namiko Chen

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 bunch (1/2 lb, 220 g) spinach
• A pinch of salt

Sesame Sauce

• 3 Tbsp. roasted white sesame seeds
• 1½ Tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp. sugar
• ½ tsp. sake
• ½ tsp. mirin
  

Instructions

1. [Optional] For the sesame sauce, put sesame seeds in a frying pan and toast them on low heat. When 2-3 sesame seeds start to pop from the pan, remove from the heat.
   
2. Grind the toasted sesame seeds with a motar and pestle. Leave some sesame seeds unground for some texture.
   
3. Add 1½ Tbsp. soy sauce, 1 Tbsp. sugar, ½ tsp. sake, ½ tsp. mirin to the ground sesame seeds and mix all together.
   
4. Put lightly salted water in a large pot and bring to boil. Once boiling, add the spinach from stem side (takes longer to cook) and cook for 30-45 seconds.
   
5. Remove the spinach from the water and soak in iced water to stop cooking with remaining heat. Alternatively, drain and run the spinach under cold running water until cool. Collect the spinach and squeeze water out.
   
6. Cut the spinach into 1-2” (2.5-5 cm) lengths and put in a medium bowl.
   
7. Add the sesame sauce and toss all together. Serve at room temperature or chilled. You can keep in the refrigerator for a few days.
   

Notes

American spinach is very soft and we can eat it raw unlike Japanese spinach; therefore, cooking for 30-45 seconds is enough.

http://www.justonecookbook.com/spinach-with-sesame-sauce/