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Kinpira Gobo is a traditional Japanese dish often enjoyed at home and you might be familiar with it since it’s typically served in bento box from Japanese markets. It’s really easy to cook if you have all the ingredients (and these are very common ingredients for Japanese households).
The most tedious part is that you have to julienne both gobo (burdock root) and carrot, and if you are not used to chopping veggies, it might be challenging (but of course you don’t have to be so precise).
Kinpira means a cooking style that you stir fry and simmer with sugar and soy sauce. The most common ingredients used for Kinpira is gobo and carrot, but lotus root is another common ingredient for this cooking style. My recipe is a very simple one that children can enjoy. It’s optional to add chili to make this dish spicy which also tastes really delicious.
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- 1 gobo (burdock root)
- ⅓ carrot
- 1 Tbsp neutral-flavored oil (vegetable, canola, etc)
- 2 tsp sesame oil (roasted)
- 1 Tbsp toasted white sesame seeds
- Ichimi Togarashi (Japanese chili pepper) (optional)
- ¾ cup dashi (Japanese soup stock; click to learn more) (use kombu dashi for vegetarian)
- 2 Tbsp sake
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp mirin
- 1½ Tbsp soy sauce
- Korean Chili Thread (optional)
-
Gather all the ingredients.
- Peel gobo’s skin with peeler or traditionally we scrape (peel) the skin off with the back of kitchen knife. Then diagonally slice thinly so that each piece is about 2 inch length. Then collect some of the slices and cut into thin matchbox strips. Soak the gobo in water or vinegar water (just one drop of vinegar would do). Change water a couple of times until the water becomes clean. Then leave the gobo in water until you are ready to stir fry.
- Cut carrots into matchbox strips.
- In a frying pan, heat the oil over medium high heat and stir fry gobo first. Then add carrot next after you cook gobo for a few minutes.
- Add the ingredients for the seasonings and cook until most of liquid evaporates.
- When the liquid is almost gone, add sesame oil and sprinkle sesame seeds and ichimitogarashi.
Recipe by Namiko Chen of Just One Cookbook. All images and content on this site are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without my permission. If you’d like to share this recipe on your site, please re-write the recipe in your own words and link to this post as the original source. Thank you.
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!
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. 🙂
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. 🙂
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! 🙂
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 with vinegar 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. 🙂
Hi Nami,
Once gobo is cooked.this way, how long is it good to eat?
Hi Carolyn! I’d say up to 3-4 days with proper storage (airtight container and refrigerated). 🙂
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!
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. 🙂
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. 🙂
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! 🙂
Hi Nami,
I am not sure that I am peeling and cutting the gobo properly. Do I need to wash or scrub the skin before peeling? My fingers were all brown after cutting the gobo and it goes away in a few days. The first time I peeled the thin outer skin and then cut into matchstick pieces. The second time I thought that I did not peel deep enough because there is an “inner ring” so I thought I had to peel deeper until I reach that inner ring.
Hi Darlene! Okay, so here’s what we do traditionally. We do not want to lose the earthy flavor of the gobo, we do NOT “peel” with a peeler. If you use it, you take out too much of the gobo taste on the skin. So, what you do is to wash the gobo (with skin) very nicely to remove dirt. Then, using the back of knife, you scrape the skin back and forth. You don’t use the sharp side because you don’t want your knife to get dull and you don’t need it to be sharp to scrape off the skin. As soon as the skin is scraped, the flesh area of gobo turns brown. So you have to work fast here.
Then you start cutting or doing the “Sasagaki” (https://www.justonecookbook.com/how_to/sasagaki/).
Inner ring is a sign of old gobo. If you keep the gobo for a long time (or the store kept it too long), you’ll see double or triple rings. It’s best to avoid it. I think it’s still edible, but it’s not as fresh.
Make sure to soak the gobo in water or water with a splash of vinegar as soon as you cut. That way you can keep the gobo whiter, instead of dark brown.
Hope this helps a bit? 🙂
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. Love your kimpira recipe. brings back my time living in Japan. By the way, where did you get those adorable lemon chopstick rests?? Thanks.
Hi Janice! Thank you so much! I received this lemon chopstick rest from my friend, but she got it at a store in Japan.
Japanese Amazon sells it: https://www.amazon.co.jp/%E5%A5%A5%E5%B7%9D%E9%99%B6%E5%99%A8-485183-%E6%9C%89%E7%94%B0%E7%84%BC-%E7%AE%B8%E7%BD%AE-%E9%8C%A6%E3%83%AC%E3%83%A2%E3%83%B3/dp/B00JTQWI8S/ref=sr_1_1?s=home&ie=UTF8&qid=1482382999&sr=1-1&keywords=%E3%83%AC%E3%83%A2%E3%83%B3%E7%AE%B8%E7%BD%AE%E3%81%8D
Hi Nami! Our grocery has gobo on sale this week and I’m thinking of making a dish for it, glad I came by this recipe!! However, I can never cut gobo into very thin strips.. *sigh*..you should totally do a video on how to peel and slice gobo and on this recipe too! Just a video suggestion????
Hi Ashley! Haha thank you for your video suggestion! 🙂 We don’t peel the gobo. Use the back of knife to scrape the thin layer of skin (basically just get rid of very dirty part without peeling off). We like to keep “earthy” taste of gobo. Then you make cross on one end and start shaving like you shave a pencil (have you done that old fashion way?). Does this step 6 and 7 help a little?
https://www.justonecookbook.com/takikomi-gohan/
Hi Nami, thank you for showing me the link! The takigomi gohan pictures 6 and 7 and the description helped soo much, I’ll give it a try! My mom actually told me about the pencil trick with gobo, she taught me how to shave it (even though she’s not even good at it herself lol ;)) ,but the gobo slices always came out thick ugh! But I guess there’s really no other way to cut these up haha 🙂 Have a great day Nami!
Hi Ashley! Good to hear. The making a cross-slit in the end of gobo makes a huge difference. You will be able to slice it thinly because of the cross (I hope you understand this “cross” slit I’m talking about…).
Otherwise, you can always slice diagonally and then cut into thin strips. 🙂
Good luck!
Ok it kind of makes sense! ????I’ll give it a try and let you know how it goes 🙂
Good luck! 🙂
When using fresh lotus root, should I peel and also soak it in a drop of vinegar and follow rest of same directions , but cook a bit longer? Would love to see you post a recipe for sesame salad dressing to use on seaweed salad!!! Hope to hear back from you soon. Thanks.
Hi Ribeiro! Yes, correct. You will have to cook longer time when you use fresh lotus root. And yes, you’ll need to peel and soak. 🙂
Sesame dressing recipe here: https://www.justonecookbook.com/sesame-dressing/
How much oil to put in pan after heat up? Not in ingredient.
Hi Odelia! I apologize. I added the oil amount (1 Tbsp), and reduced the amount of sesame oil from 1 Tbsp to 2 tsp. Thank you for letting me know.
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 3-4 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!! 😀
When I was in Japan, I had a roast beef sandwich where kimpira gobo was used the way an American cook might use coleslaw in a pulled pork sandwich. It was one of the most delicious things that I had eaten in a long time and I highly suggest trying it wwith this recipe and store bought thinly sliced roast beef.
Kinpiara Gobo is actually a very convenient side dish. Since it’s cooked with a relatively stronger flavor, we can meal prep and make a big batch ahead. We can use it for side dish for dinner, between sandwiches (Have you seen Wanpaku Sando with kinpira? It’s delicious too!) and Onigirazu, and in bento… so many ways! I love that this shop used it with roast beef. More savory and crunch profile in the sandwich! Thank you for sharing your experience with us!
My wife hails from Saga Prefecture. She taught me this dish. I never peel the gobo (or carrots), I scrub, then slice coins on the bias to make them as oblong as possible. I don’t soak or rinse gobo either, as I scrub it with a stiff brush before slicing. I prefer the flavor of it this way, but the beauty of cookery;) is the ability to prepare any dish according to taste. I only add a splash each of the liquid ingredients and then a Tblsp or two of H2O with a lid on for just a couple of minutes at most. Anyway you make it, Kinpira Gobo is a great dish and wish more folks ate like this. Lots of veggies, be they small salads or pickles, etc. Do you really think ancient mankind had tons of meat laying around all the time? Of course not. Eat your vegetables and lots of ’em:)
P.S. I used to make my wife laugh, because I would always mispronounce Kinpira, and say “Pinkira” for the longest time.
Hi Andrew!
Thank you very much for writing to us and for sharing your cooking experience and story with us.
Yes. We agreed with you. They are so many ways to enjoy veggies, and they are so good and healthy. We hope people find a recipe like this and enjoyed the veggies more! Thank you for introducing your “Pinkira” to us.😉💞
Just spoke with my wife and she informed me that her grandmother always prepared her salad the same as your recipe. Food is fun!
Hi Andrew, Super! Yes! The food and cooking is fun! Thank you for your kind feedback.😊
Hi Nami. Thank you for all your delicious recipes. My mother grew up in Japan before moving to Canada. She is now going through the early stages of Alzheimer’s. She was refusing to eat until we discovered your recipes. Everything I have prepared from your website she has devoured and she always says they are “Oishii” or “Natsukashii”. Her favourites include gobo kinpira, namasu and saba misoyaki. Thank you for providing such a wonderful resource for our family. I show my mom your clips of Miso and they bring her such joy! Thanks again!
Hi Chiyo,
Aww. Thank you for sharing a story with us. We couldn’t be happier to hear how much joy and excitement Nami’s recipe has brought to you and your family! Thank you very much for trying many recipes and for your kind feedback. Please tell your mother, “Arigato!” from us.💞