A Japanese favorite dish you will find at all the family gatherings. A popular okazuya style restaurant item. Tender pieces of pork or chicken with gobo and carrots, wrapped in seaweed and tied together with kanpyo, delicious little bundles. It is a must have for my family for New Year’s celebrations!
Kombu Maki
A Japanese favorite dish you will find at all the family gatherings. A popular okazuya style restaurant item. Tender pieces of pork or chicken with gobo and carrots, wrapped in seaweed and tied together with kanpyo, delicious little bundles. It is a must have for my family for New Year’s celebrations!
Yield: 36 Makings.
Materials
- 1 (4 oz.) pkg. nishime kombu (dried narrow seaweed), soaked in water, cut into 5-inch lengths
- 2 (1/2 oz.) pkg. kanpyo (Japanese dried gourd strips), soaked in water
- 1 large gobo (burdock root), peeled, thinly sliced, 2-inch matchsticks*; soaked in water until needed
- 2 medium carrots, peeled, thinly sliced, 2-inch matchsticks*
- 1 1/2 lbs. pork butt or boneless skinless chicken thighs, 1/2-inch x 2-inch slices*
Sauce:
- 4 c. dashi
- 1 1/4 c. Aloha shoyu
- 1/2 c. mirin
- 1/2 c. packed brown sugar
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 6 quarter slices ginger, crushed
Instructions
- *Note: Pork or chicken, gobo and carrots should be cut in lengths to equal the width of the kombu. Leave prepared ingredients soaking in water until ready to assemble rolls.
- In a large saucepot; combine sauce ingredients. Set aside. On work surface; lay out nishime kombu.
- On bottom edge of kombu; place one piece each of pork or chicken, gobo and carrot.
- Roll tightly.
- Wrap the kanpyo twice around the center of rolled kombu and tie a knot.
- Cut kanpyo.
- Layer finished rolls into sauce in saucepot.
- Bring to a rapid boil.
- Reduce heat.
- Cover and simmer for about 1 hour, until soft and tender.
- If additional time is needed (dependent on the brand of nishime kombu), continue simmering for an additional 15 minutes.
- Makes approximately 36-40 pieces.
Notes
Any left over ingredients after assembling rolls; can be placed in saucepot and cooked with rolls.
Amazing, always the favorite at Japanese partys in 50s and 60s growing up in plantation camp Maui. Those days we inhaled good food but with konbu maki . . . we savored it? It was a dish for royalty, so thought impossible to make? Wrong, your lessons make it so simple!!! You turned back time to THE BEAUTIFUL DAYS OF MY YOUTH, . . . DOOMO Arigatoo
Talking about “melting in your mouth?”
I just added this page to my favorites. I enjoy reading your posts. Tyvm!
I literally dreamed about this dish last night googled it and here i am. Brings back so many cherished memories of my youth. No okazuya that i know of in honolulu make it anymore perhaps because of prep time and the aunties that did are all gone. I’m on my way to don quixote pick up the ingredients..wish me luck and mahalo plenty posting the recipe 🙂