Chikuzenni / Nishime (Simmered Chicken and Vegetables)
Chikuzenni is a dish with chicken and vegetables simmered in flavorful dashi, mirin, and soy sauce. It's one of the Osechi Ryori (Japanese traditional food) served on New Year's Day.
The lotus root should resemble flowers after cutting the edges off.
Cut them into ⅛ inch (3 mm) slices. Prepare a bowl of 2 cups water and ½ Tbsp vinegar. Soak the lotus root in the water for 15 minutes.
★ Carrot (Nejiri Ume)
Peel the carrot and cut into ½ inch (1.3 cm) pieces.
Use a flower-shaped vegetable cutter and cut out each piece into a flower shape. Then make a shallow (roughly ¼ inch or 6 mm deep) incision from the center of the flower to in-between the two petals.
Hold a knife parallel to one petal and make a diagonal cut from right to left in-between petals.
Remove the otoshibuta and cook for another 10 minutes.
Insert a bamboo skewer into tough vegetables (taro root and lotus root) and see if they are tender. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.
To Serve
Add the snow peas and remove from the heat. Cover, and let cool. Serve Chikuzenni in a serving dish or Osechi box. Top with the snow peas and blanched flower shaped carrots.
To Store
Keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The flavor will intensify as time passes, so if you plan to serve it later, you may consider reducing the amount of seasoning. Nishime also freezes well, but konnyaku texture will change, so I recommend removing them before storing. Defrost overnight and reheat in a pot.