HIJIKI SEAWEED AND EDAMAME RICE BOWL

This colourful and tasty rice dish is super easy to put together. It’s a one-pot meal that works any day of the week. Brimming with nutrition, the dish is practically fat free and will leave you feeling virtuous. I love it served with pickled vegetables (see pages 158–166) and miso soup.

Great

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

Soak the hijiki seaweed in a bowl of cold water for about 30 minutes.

Step 2

Rinse under cold running water and drain well in a colander.

Step 3

Bring plenty of salted water to the boil in a large pan set over a high heat. Add the frozen edamame. Turn the heat down to medium and simmer for about 3 minutes. Rinse under cold water and drain. Pod the beans and set aside.

Step 4

Pour just-boiled water over the deep-fried tofu sheets in a colander and leave to cool for a few minutes (this step will remove the excess grease). Use clean hands to squeeze any excess water from the tofu sheets, taking care not to tear them. Cut the tofu into 3cm x 1cm strips.

Step 5

Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat and stir-fry the carrots for 2 minutes, or until beginning to soften. Add the hijiki seaweed and then stir-fry for a further 1 minute. Add 60ml of water, the dashi powder, sake, sugar, mirin, soy sauce and the deep-fried tofu to the pan, then stir well. Turn the heat to medium-low and simmer for 4–5 minutes, or until most of the liquid has evaporated.

Step 6

Add the edamame beans and hijiki mixture to the pan with the cooked rice and combine all the ingredients, taking care not to stir too much as it will make the rice mushy.