Simmered Okara & Vegetables

When I visited Kyoto, I went to a famous tofu restaurant, Togaden that specializes in soybeans prepared in a myriad of ways. There were much flashier tofu preparations but one humble side dish blew me away with its simple yet elegant flavor. It was the first time I’ve had okara, and I actually confused it with mashed potatoes. The consistency is similar but it was much tastier! After soybean milk is made, the leftover pulp is called okara, and it can be used in place of meat in many vegan/vegetarian dishes such as “meatballs,” “crab cakes” and “hamburger patties.” But the traditional Japanese side dish is what I fell in love with.

The okara is infused with the umani flavor of the mushroom and dashi stock, and contrasted with the sweetness from the carrots and mirin. Depending on where you live, you may be able to easily find okara at the refrigerated tofu section. If you have trouble finding it and want to make your own, try this recipe by With a Glass. It doesn’t look too difficult and you end up with homemade soybean milk as a bonus!

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Simmered Okara & Vegetables

Course Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine Japanese

Servings 4

Author Eat the Wind

Ingredients

• 4 dried shiitake mushrooms
• 5 cups water
• 1 dashi* stock sachet or 1 packet of dashi stock powder
• 4 Tablespoons mirin
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce or to taste
• 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 yellow onion diced finely
• 2 medium carrots peeled and shredded
• 5 inch burdock root peeled and diced finely (optional)
• Okara soybeans pulp 0.5 lb (226g)
• Pinch of salt

Instructions

• Soak the dried shiitake mushrooms in 1.5 cups of water for 30 minutes until the mushrooms are soft. Take out the mushrooms, squeeze out extra liquid back into the bowl, and dice them finely.
• Heat up the mushroom water in a small saucepan and add dashi stock. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add mirin, sugar and soy sauce to the liquid.
• In the meantime, heat up the vegetable oil in a large deep set frying pan. Add the onions, carrots, burdock root and mushrooms, and fry them for a few minutes until the vegetables are soft. Add the okara and mix well. Pour the hot stock over the okara mix and continue stirring over low heat until the liquid has evaporated. Taste and see if more salt or soy sauce is needed.

Notes

*You can purchase dashi stock in any Japanese grocery store or at the Japanese aisle of your local market. They come in teabag-like sachets or in powder form. You can also try making your own stock but this is way more convenient. To make it a vegetarian dish, leave out the dashi.