Chances are, you’ve seen kinpira gobo (金平牛蒡, きんぴらごぼう) tucked into the corner of your bento box or offered at a Japanese-style breakfast buffet. This classic Japanese side of braised burdock root is a tasty okazu, or side dish to accompany rice. It’s also very popular in Japanese home cooking!
This humble dish cooks in a flash and is perfect to meal prep ahead of time. When I make it at home, I usually prepare a big batch to keep some in the fridge for the week (it lasts 5–7 days!) and freeze the rest for busy weekday dinners. Let me show you how to make my easy Kinpira Gobo recipe that goes with almost any menu!
What is Kinpira Gobo?
Kinpira gobo is a traditional side dish of burdock root (gobo in Japanese) cut into thin matchsticks. It’s often mixed with carrot or another root vegetable as the main ingredients. They’re pan-fried and braised in sweet and savory seasonings until the gobo has a tender yet crunchy texture. It’s a great side dish with lots of fiber, too.
Kinpira (金平, きんぴら, sometimes spelled kimpira) refers to a Japanese cooking method in which you first stir-fry the ingredients in a frying pan, then simmer them with sesame oil, sugar, and soy sauce until the sauce reduces and evaporates to concentrate the flavor. The most common vegetables used for kinpira are gobo and carrot, but lotus root (renkon) is also another popular choice; I have a delicious Kinpira Renkon recipe that you can try.
What is Gobo? A Delicious Root Vegetable
Gobo or burdock root is a long and slender root vegetable that resembles a tree root. It’s roughly 20–28 inches (50–70 cm) long and weighs about 5 oz (150 g), and sometimes more. It has an earthy, distinct flavor and stays crunchy even after cooking for a long time.
It’s a very popular vegetable in Japanese cuisine that’s often featured in simmered dishes, miso soups, and stir-fries. It’s also considered a powerhouse of antioxidants and has many health-promoting properties. You can often find this root vegetable at Japanese and Asian grocery stores. Learn more about burdock root on my gobo pantry page.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- gobo (burdock root)
- carrot
- toasted sesame oil – for a savory and nutty flavor; or substitute neutral cooking oil
- sugar
- mirin
- sake
- soy sauce
- dried red chili pepper (赤唐辛子) – optional; we often include small amount of chili flakes in the dish for a bit of spice; we usually discard the chili seeds in Japanese cooking
- toasted white sesame seeds – for garnish
How to Make Kinpira Gobo
- Scrape off the gobo skin with the back of a knife. The gobo‘s flavor is right under the skin and you don‘t want to remove that with a vegetable peeler.
- Cut the gobo and carrot into julienned strips. It’s a bit tedious, but I always think it’s good practice to cut vegetables. The more you practice, the faster and more precise your cutting technique will be.
- Soak the gobo in water for 10 minutes, changing the water halfway. Rinse and drain.
- Stir-fry the gobo first, until the texture is close to raw carrot texture. Then, add the carrot and cook until both are equally tender.
- Add the seasonings and simmer until the liquid dries out.
Helpful Cooking Tips for Kinpira Gobo
- Cut the gobo and carrot into similar shapes – Both gobo and carrot should be julienned into thin strips or matchsticks that are roughly 2 inches (5 cm) in length. Thinner strips will cook faster.
- Soak the gobo in water – It’s important to get rid of the astringency of the root vegetable and prevent it from discoloration. Change water at least once.
- Use a larger pan to stir-fry – It’s easier to stir/toss gobo in a big pan.
- Let it cool completely – If you are making the dish ahead of time for meal prepping, let it cool completely before storing it in the refrigerator or freezer.
What to Serve with Kinpira Gobo
Along with steamed rice and miso soup, you can serve this simple vegetable side together with a protein as part of an ichiju sansai Japanese meal. Here are my suggestions:
- Grilled Mackerel
- Simmered Beef with Ginger
- Garlic Miso Chicken Wings
- Simmered Kiriboshi Daikon
- Green Bean Gomaae
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Kinpira Gobo (Braised Burdock Root)
Ingredients
- 1 gobo (burdock root) (9.5 oz, 270 g)
- ⅓ carrot (2.5 oz, 70 g)
- 1½ Tbsp toasted sesame oil
For the Seasonings
For the Garnish
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients. I recommend measuring the seasonings ahead of time, combining the sake, mirin, and soy sauce in one bowl.
To Prepare the Vegetables
- Try to select a burdock root without dark rings, which is the sign of an old gobo. Unfortunately, I don‘t always find the freshest gobo from local grocery stores (see the image below). Use the back of a knife to scrape off the skin of 1 gobo (burdock root). The gobo‘s flavor is right under the skin and you don‘t want to remove that with a vegetable peeler.
- Next, thinly slice the gobo diagonally, about 2 inches (5 cm) long per slice. Then, stack a few slices at a time and cut them into thin julienne strips. Tip: Thinner strips will cook faster.
- Soak the gobo strips in water for 10 minutes, changing the water halfway. After 10 minutes, rinse them under cold water and drain well.
- Meanwhile, peel and cut ⅓ carrot into thin 2-inch (5-cm) slabs. Then, cut them into thin julienne strips.
- Cut off the stem end of 1 dried red chili pepper and shake it to remove the seeds. Then, cut into thin rounds. If you want to make it spicy, add the seeds. In Japanese cooking, we usually discard the seeds.
To Cook the Ingredients
- Heat a large frying pan over medium heat. When it‘s hot, 1½ Tbsp toasted sesame oil. Then, add the gobo.
- Stir-fry until almost tender, roughly 2–3 minutes. If your gobo pieces are thicker, stir-fry for longer or optionally add ¾ cup Dashi or Vegan Dashi and simmer the gobo. When the gobo is 50–60% cooked through, add the carrot.
- Continue to stir-fry until both vegetables are tender.
- To the pan, add 1 Tbsp sugar, 1 Tbsp sake, 1 Tbsp mirin, and 1½ Tbsp soy sauce.
- When the vegetables are coated well with the seasoning, add the chili pepper (optional). Cook until the liquid evaporates.
- Sprinkle 2 tsp toasted white sesame seeds and quickly toss all together. Serve the dish into individual bowls or a large bowl/plate.
To Store
- You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 3–4 days or in the freezer for a month.
Nutrition
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Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on January 5, 2012. The recipe has been updated in April 2021 and new images and the video are added in May 2021.
