How To Make Nejiri Ume ねじり梅

In Japanese cooking, we sometimes cut vegetables into decorative and pretty shapes. Here’s how to make plum flower carrots called Nejiri Ume using a cookie cutter and a knife.

In Japanese cuisine, we sometimes make fancy shapes out of ingredients like vegetables and shiitake mushrooms. Today, I’ll show you how to make nejiri ume (ねじり梅) or plum blossom carrots out of carrot slices using a vegetable cutter and a knife. 

How to Use Nejiri Ume

You can add these plum flower carrots to simmered and hot pot dishes for both celebratory occasions and everyday meals. You’ll find them added to chikuzenni (筑前煮), which is both a home cooking classic and a signature recipe of Japanese New Year cuisine called osechi ryori. This chicken and vegetables dish simmered in dashi, soy sauce, and mirin is a popular addition to bento since it’s delicious served at room temperature.

Add Nejiri Ume To These Recipes

• Shabu Shabu
• Sukiyaki
• Chikuzenni (Nishime)
• Anko Nabe (Monkfish Hot Pot)
• Chanko Nabe (Sumo Stew)

Nejiri ume is a more advanced technique than the simple hanagiri method. However, you don’t need advanced cooking skills to create these cute spring flowers. Just follow my quick method below with step-by-step instructions and photos. Here’s how I do it!

How To Make Nejiri Ume

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In Japanese cooking, we sometimes cut vegetables into decorative and pretty shapes. Here’s how to make plum flower carrots called Nejiri Ume using a cookie cutter and a knife.

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Instructions

 

• Peel and slice a carrot crosswise into coins about ½ inch (1.25 cm) thick.
  
• Use a vegetable cutter to punch out plum flower shapes from the carrot slices. Reserve the carrot scraps for another use (see below). Now, carve the petals to create a three-dimensional effect. For each petal, use the tip of your knife to make a ⅛-inch (3-mm) slit tracing the curved outline of a petal.
  
• Place your knife's edge on the middle of the petal to the right. Angle the knife back and cut toward the slit, shaving off a small piece of the petal. Repeat to carve the rest of the petals.
  
• Flip over the carrot slice. Repeat on the other side, and you‘re done!
  

How to Use Carrot Scraps

• Mince the leftover carrot scraps and use them for cooking Spaghetti Meat Sauce or Fried Rice.
  

Author: Namiko Chen

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