Vegan delicious Kinpira Gobo without Japanese gobo

How to make vegan delicious Kinpira Gobo without Japanese gobo.

Are you looking for gobo( Burdock )in Europe? If so it is almost impossible find Japanese gobo here as it's not growing here. ( Please let me know if anybody knows when I can find Burdock in Europe! )

So how do I cook Kinpira Gobo without burdock?

The answer is ...I use salsify instead ! Salsify is not the same as burdock root although they look quite similar, but I found that they have quite slimier taste ( it's just not as crispy as burdock, but quite matching for the recipe of Kinpira Gobo.

In addition, It's much better and healthier to use fresh vegetable rather than going to Japanese or Chinese groceries to buy frozen burdock all the way from Asia. I like to use local ingredients and explore my new ways of cooking.

Kinpira Gobo is traditionally cooked with burdock and carrots, but I use celery instead of carrots so that it gives you crispy texture and actually salsify and celery match very well for Kinpira Gobo cooking.

∴Ingredients：Serves 3∴

• 2 Salsify
• 2 Celery
• 2 Tbs Mirin
• 4 Tbs Soy sauce ( Non-GMO)
• 2 Tbs Sake ( you can replace with white wine if you do not have sake)
• 1 Dried chili or little bit of dried chili pepper flakes ( you can make without chili if you prefer non-spicy meal.)
• 2 Tbs sesame oil

∴Recipe∴

1. Peel the salsify skin with a peeler. Then cut thinly-about 5 cm short, then soak the salsify pieces in water for 10 mins, then strain. Meanwhile, cut celery thinly as well as salsify.

They look so earthy, aren't they?!(#^^#)

2. Heat a wok or large frying pan with olive oil at medium heat. ( Traditionally, we heat with sesame oil, I use olive oil instead, then add the sesame oil at the end of cooking. According to Chinese medicine, it is said that heating sesame oil is not good.  )

3. Add the salsify pieces and sauté for 5 mins ,then add celery, and sauté all of them about 12 mins at medium heat. 

4. Add the chili , mirin and soy sauce, sake, and mixed them very well, and continue cooking for 5 mins, then add 100 ml of water and continue cooking until the liquid has disappeared from the pan.

5. Add the sesame oil and mix them very well.

6. Bon appetit!