Stir-fried and simmered in sweet soy seasoning, Kinpira Gobo is a traditional Japanese dish of shredded burdock root and carrot with a hint of sesame. This crunchy and savory root vegetable is a great make-ahead side dish for your bento lunch or busy weeknight dinner.
Kinpira Gobo (金平牛蒡, きんぴらごぼう) is a classic Japanese side made with gobo burdock root. This humble dish appears frequently in home-cooked meals as it cooks in a flash and can be made ahead of time.
You might not be familiar with the name, but chances are you may have seen it served in the corner of a bento lunch box or at a Japanese-style breakfast buffet during your trip to Japan.
The root vegetables give a nice crunchy texture as you enjoy the sweet and savory flavors. When I make Kinpira Gobo at home, I usually make a lot, saving some for the week (lasts 5-7 days!) in the refrigerator and some for the future in the freezer.
What is Kinpira Gobo
Kinpira Gobo is made with thinly shredded burdock root (gobo), sometimes mixed with another root vegetable like carrot, stir-fried in a frying pan, and seasoned with sweet and savory soy sauce.
Kinpira refers to a cooking style where you first stir fry the ingredients and then simmer them with sugar and soy sauce until the sauce dries out. The most common vegetables used for Kinpira is the combination of gobo and carrot, but lotus root (renkon) is also another popular choice (here’s my Kinpira Renkon recipe).
What is Gobo – A Delicious Root Vegetable
Gobo or burdock root is an edible root vegetable that is very popular in Japan. It has known to be a powerhouse of antioxidants and for its many health-promoting properties. The stalk is long, roughly 20-28 inches (50-70 cm) and weighs about 5 oz (150 gram) and sometimes more.
It stays crunchy even after cooking for a long time, giving a good mouth/facial exercise while you enjoy the unique earthy flavor.
How to Cook Kinpira Gobo
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Gobo (burdock root)
- Carrot
- Sesame oil
- Sugar
- Mirin
- Sake
- Soy sauce
- Dried red chili (optional, often includes small amount)
- Sesame seeds
Cooking with Sesame Oil
Kinpira is always cooked with sesame oil to give an extra nutty, deep flavor. If you’re not a fan of sesame oil, you can use regular cooking oil.
Spicing Up with Dried Red Chili
Dried red chili pepper (赤唐辛子) is often added to the dish, but it’s optional as the spicy ingredient is still new to the Japanese palate. The chili seeds are almost always discarded.
3 Easy Cooking Steps
- Cut gobo and carrot into julienned strips. It’s a bit tedious but I always think it’s a good practice to cut vegetables. The more you practice, the faster and more precise your cutting technique will be.
- Stir-fry gobo first, until the texture is close to raw carrot texture. Add carrot and cook until both are equally tender.
- Add seasonings and simmer until the liquid dries out.
Helpful Cooking Tips
- Cut gobo and carrot in similar shapes – Both gobo and carrot should be julienned into thin strips, roughly 2 inches (5 cm) in length.
- Soak 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.
- Let cool completely– If you are making the dish ahead of time (meal prepping), let it cool completely before storing it in the refrigerator or the freezer.
What to Serve with Kinpira Gobo
Along with steamed rice and miso soup, you can serve this simple vegetable side together with another protein as part of the ‘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)
Video
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
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.
[…] technique is commonly used to cook root vegetables. You might have seen or tried my Kinpira Gobo recipe where julienned gobo (burdock root) and carrots are sautéed and simmered down in a seasoned […]
Hello Nami
It’s me again. Was wondering if this dish could be made in advance and stored in fridge as sides for meal… (something like those pickled sides).
Thanks once again (:
Cheers
Pat
Hi Pat! How are you? Yes, you can make ahead and keep in fridge for 5-7 days. Also this dish can even be frozen in an airtight container too. I usually pack individual portion so I can put in kids’ bento directly (and defrost while at school). 🙂
Hello Nami
Yeah I’m good! (: been trying a couple of your recipes these days, that’s why I chanced upon this dish which looks relatively easy for a cook noob like me. Thought it would make dinner plans much easier if these could be made in advance ????
I just tried your recipe on Oyaki with kabocha filling too. Not sure if I did it right, the dough was chewy and it’s tough when it’s no longer warm/hot. It was tough time wrapping the filling.. Guess I do need much more practice.. haha!
Hi Pat! Yeah side dishes can be made as a big batch and eat some this week and some next week (after freezing) etc… otherwise, Japanese food can be a bit labor intensive sometimes.
Regarding Oyaki, thanks so much for trying this recipe! This dough is definitely chewy type, not like fluffy kind for sure. I recommend heating up in microwave or in a frying pan once again when it’s cold. The filling may not be easy to wrap. If you make enough Nikuman (steamed buns), these types of dumplings are all using the same method. My challenge is to have even skin thickness. I tend to pinch too much and bottom (where I pinch) gets too thick. 🙁 We can practice together!! 😀
[…] Kinpira Gobo (Braised Burdock Root) […]
[…] used in this recipe. You can pretty much fill in anything you like. In Japan, you can even find Kinpira Gobo, a traditional salad being stuffed into the sandwich! Here are some […]
Hi Nami,
Thanks for your tips. I cook the gobo the same day that I bought it so maybe the inn rings are caused by time for transportation/storage at the store.
Hi Nami,
This is the first time that I tried burdock and I made it using your recipe. I am trying to eat a more macrobiotic diet and burdock fits in well. I had some leftover lotus root and added that too. Thanks.
Hi Darlene! I hope you like burdock! Was it too earthy for you? Japanese foods include gobo (burdock) a lot, so you can enjoy in different dishes. 🙂 Thank you for your feedback!
Hi Nami,
No, burdock was not too earthy for my taste. Your recipe was really easy to follow. Thanks
Hi Darlene! Good to hear! Thanks so much for your kind feedback! 🙂
I was fortunate enough to find fresh burdock root at a Japanese supermarket I went to this weekend. I stocked up on it, and got 4 long roots. I was wondering what was the best way to store them. Would it be better to keep them as whole roots in the fridge, or to cook them all with carrots and freeze some for later? I was leaning towards making them all and then freezing the extra for later. But, as this is the first time I’ve used burdock, I wanted to ask. Thank you for any tips or suggestions you may have! 🙂
Hi Oleander! I use gobo (burdock root) for different recipes so I can’t cook them all together. If you have a cool place in the house, wrap gobo in a newspaper and you can store at room temp. I usually break the gobo in half and put it in a plastic bag and keep it in the fridge. I use it within 1.5 to 2 weeks. 🙂
Do you have a video of making Kinpira Gobo? I’m looking for an easy way to cut the Gobo without slicing my hand. 🙂 I tried this over the weekend and used a mandolin slicer to make the thin strips, but it wasn’t that easy. This is my favorite dish and it brings back childhood memories of having it for New Years Day. This was my first time that I tried cooking it myself and your instructions helped me bring back those happy memories. Thank you!
Hi Stuart! I don’t. I don’t generally recommend to use a hard object like gobo to slice with a mandolin as you might scrape your skin… 🙁 Are you good at cutting? If so, I’d slice gobo diagonally, then pick up a few slices and cut into julienne strips. I filmed basic method to cut/shave gobo, but it won’t be ready for a while… Just julienne with a sharp knife. 🙂
Hi Nami . I was at the Japanese market in San Jose n they have the burdock root n carrots all cut up for you in the frozen aisle. All you have to do is seasoned it . It save lots of time for ppl like you with kids. Just thought I let you know because I start just buying it from the frozen n cook it according to your recipe n it save me a great deal of time peeling n chopping.
Hi Teia! Yeah they do have the frozen package! It definitely saves a lot of time! I usually make kimpira gobo as a way to use up leftover gobo, so I don’t need to purchase a frozen package. 😀 This pre-cut is great when you have to make a lot for parties etc. Thanks for sharing your tip!
Hi Nami,
Once gobo is cooked.this way, how long is it good to eat?
Hi Carolyn! I’d say up to 5-7 days with proper storage (airtight container and refrigerated). 🙂
Hi Nami,
I made kinpira gobo today. It tasted ok but it doesn’t look anything like yours. Mine is kind of blackish and not so appetizing. I cut the gobo the night before but I did soak it in water with vinegar and washed it a few times. I then drained it and kept it in the fridge. The supermarket I went to didn’t have the gobo imported from Japan so I used those imported from China. Is there any difference? Maybe next time I should try to get the gobo from Japan. Any idea how I can improve my kinpira gobo to look like yours?
Karin
Hi Karin! I’ve never tried gobo form China, so it’s hard to say… When you kept gobo in the fridge, was gobo still white? Or did it change to dark color? I also want to check if you use Japanese soy sauce. 🙂
Hi Nami Thank you for your reply. The gobo was kind of dark color when I kept it in the fridge. I used Japanese soy sauce but not the light taste ones. I did use Japanese gobo once and if I didn’t remember wrongly, it also turned dark even when I soaked it in water & vinegar but not as bad as the Chinese gobo. Yes, I refered to your recipe for cooking but I added pieces of chicken. I hope to make it again, hopefully it will look like yours.
You have a nice day too
Hi Karin! I highly recommend to keep the gobo under water until you’re ready to cook, or prepare right before cooking so that gobo will stay white (pale). The addition of chicken sounds amazing! It’s a nice “main” dish with the chicken. I’d be happy to eat it over rice… delicious! Thank you for your response. 🙂
Oh no! I ordered the gobo online but they sent me nagaimo instead! I don’t know if it’ll work since nagaimo is really sticky, but I’m going to try!
Oh no! It won’t work as its sticky… You can use Nagaimo for Okonomiyaki.
https://www.justonecookbook.com/okonomiyaki/
Hope you enjoy! 🙂
Tried this; loved it. Very light on the tummy.
Hi Nancy! Thank you so much for trying this recipe! So happy to hear you enjoyed it. 🙂
Thank you for the wonderful recipe, Nami; I got some fresh gobo last night at Whole Foods and remembered that there was a dish I had loved; looked online, and this is it! Going to make it now. Thanks and God bless you!
Hi Betsy! Whole Foods sell gobo? That’s wonderful! Hope you enjoyed Kinpira Gobo recipe. 🙂
Does anyone know where can I find fresh burdock root in the Washington DC area?
Hi Roz! Japanese or Asian market should carry it. Do you know if there is any Asian (Chinese, Korean, Japanese) supermarket in your area? Hope you can find it!
H-Mart in Wheaton MD carries burdock.