Cook Hijiki Seaweed

Hijiki is a mild-flavored variety of seaweed popular in Asian cuisines. You can use this with other Asian ingredients to make a traditional hijiki salad. If you’re unable to find all the ingredients you need for that, however, don’t worry! You can easily pair it with either mushrooms or rice to bulk your meal up.

Ingredients

Traditional Hijiki Salad

• ½ cup dried hijiki (27 g)
• Water
• 2 aburaage
• ½ konnyaku (84 g)
• ¼ lotus root (37 g)
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• ⅓ cup shelled cooked edamame (60 g)
• 2 cups dashi (584 g)
• 4 tablespoons mirin
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 4 tablespoons soy sauce

Makes 4 servings

Mushroom Recipe

• ½ cup dried hijiki (27 g)
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon mirin
• 1 tablespoon sake
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 carrots
• 4 to 5 fresh, stemless shiitake mushrooms
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Makes 4 servings

Rice Recipe

• 2 cups rice
• ¼ cup dried hijiki (14 g)
• 1 aburaage
• ½ carrot
• 1 ⅔ cups dashi (400 ml)
• ⅛ cup mirin (40 ml)
• ⅛ cup soy sauce (40 ml)

Makes 4 servings

Steps

Preparing a Traditional Hijiki Salad

1. Rehydrate the hijiki. Place the hijiki in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups (946 ml) of water. Let it sit for half an hour so the hijiki can absorb as much moisture as possible.
2. Rinse your aburaage with boiled water. While the hijiki soaks, boil enough water to pour over all of the aburaage’s surface. Once the water has boiled, place the aburaage in a large, fine sieve. Pour the water over it to wash off the manufacturer’s oil and improve its flavor.
3. Prep your aburaage, carrots, and lotus. First, transfer the aburaage to a cutting board. Slice it in half lengthwise first, then thinly slice each half widthwise. Next, julienne your carrots. Finally, slice the lotus root thinly.
4. Boil the konnyaku. Place it in a small pot. Add enough water to cover. Bring the water to a boil and let the konnyaku cook in it for another three minutes. Then drain through your sieve.
5. Drain and rinse the hijiki. By now, the hijiki should be rehydrated or close to it. Once the half-hour’s up, pour the hijiki and water into the sieve to drain. Then place the sieve under a faucet. Wash and rinse the hijiki under running water.
6. Begin cooking your prepped ingredients. Coat the bottom of a medium-sized pot with the vegetable oil. Set the burner to medium-low heat. Add the carrots and lotus root once the oil has heated. Stir until they are evenly coated in the oil. Then add your hijiki, konnyaku, and aburaage and stir until evenly mixed.
7. Add your seasonings and cook for 30 minutes. First, add the dashi and stir to combine. Then do the same with your mirin, sugar, and soy sauce. Cover the pot and cook for half an hour.
8. Add edamame and reduce liquid. Once the half hour’s up, stir in your edamame. Then let the salad cook uncovered and keep an eye on the liquid. Remove from heat once it’s reduced to the point that the bottom of the pan is visible. Serve warm if desired or let it cool if desired.
   • Leftovers can last up to 3 to 4 days when refrigerated in an airtight container.

Pairing Hijiki with Mushrooms

1. Soak hijiki in water. Combine the hijiki with 4 cups (946 ml) of water in a large mixing bowl. Let it sit for half an hour so the hijiki can rehydrate.
2. Heat your seasonings. In the meantime, add your soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar to a small saucepan. Whisk to combine. Set the burner to low. Cook until the sugar dissolves into the liquid, then remove from heat before it reaches a simmer.
3. Prep your mushrooms and carrots. First, slice off the mushrooms’ stems. Then slice each cap into thin inch-long slivers (2.5 cm). Do the same with the carrots.
4. Drain and rinse the hijiki. Once 30 minutes are up, pour the hijiki and water through a large fine sieve in the sink. Once the water has drained, turn the faucet on. Wash the hijiki by hand under running water.
5. Saute your carrots and mushrooms. Coat the bottom of your skillet with the vegetable oil. Set the burner to medium heat. Once the oil has heated up, add the carrots and mushrooms. Cook for roughly five minutes, stirring throughout.
6. Add the hijiki and seasonings. First, stir in the hijiki. Then give your mix of seasonings another whisk to recombine any ingredients that separated. Drizzle this over the other ingredients.
7. Cook for ten minutes. Turn the heat down to low. Continue cooking for another ten minutes. Stir often to prevent burning.
8. Garnish and cool before serving. Add the sesame seeds. Taste for seasonings and add more if desired. Then let the dish cool to room temperature before serving.
   • Store leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate up to 3 to 4 days.

Mixing Hijiki with Rice

1. Let the hijiki soak. Place it in a large mixing bowl with 2 cups (473 ml) of water. Set it aside while you move on to the next steps. Let it soak for 30 minutes to rehydrate.
2. Prep your rice, carrots, and aburaage. First, Rinse-Rice your rice. Then slice your carrots into thin inch-long strips (2.5 cm). Next, boil some water, place the aburaage in a large fine sieve, and pour the water over it to wash off the manufacturer’s oil. Then slice it just like you did with the carrots.
3. Add rice and seasonings to your rice cooker. First, add the rice. Then, in a small bowl, whisk together the dashi, mirin, and soy sauce. Pour this into the cooker once mixed.
4. Top the rice with other ingredients. First, drain your hijiki with a large fine sieve and wash it under running water. Then place it on top of the rice. Then pile your carrots and aburaage on top of that.
   • Do not mix the other ingredients into the rice, since this will cause the rice to cook unevenly.
5. Cook your rice. Expect cooking times to vary between cookers. Refer to the instructions for your particular make and model.
6. Mix ingredients carefully once cooked. Once the rice has finished cooking, use a shamoji (an Asian style of spoon) or similarly thin, flat utensil to mix the carrots, hijiki, and aburaage into the rice. As you do, make quick slicing motions to flip and combine them. Avoid jamming your spoon into the rice the way you would with, say, mashed potatoes, to avoid mashing the rice.
7. Serve and store leftovers safely. Once it’s mixed up, it’s ready to eat. If you’re cooking ahead or have any leftovers, seal the dish in an airtight container. Refrigerate and consume within 3 to 4 days.

Things You’ll Need

Hijiki Salad

• Measuring cups and spoons
• Large mixing bowl
• Large fine sieve
• Cutting board
• Knife
• Sink
• Small pot
• Stovetop
• Spoon for stirring

Mushroom Recipe

• Measuring cups and spoons
• Large mixing bowl
• Large fine sieve
• Small saucepan
• Stovetop
• Whisk
• Large skillet
• Spoon for stirring

Rice Recipe

• Measuring cups and spoons
• Large fine sieve
• Large mixing bowl
• Cutting board
• Knife
• Whisk
• Rice cooker

Sources and Citations

See also

• Make Grilled Beef and Enoki Mushroom Roll
• Make Crispy Seaweed Bok Choy
• Make Asian Salmon Noodles
• Make Keng Bouad Mak Fak Kham (Coconut Pumpkin Soup)
• Make Bananas in Coconut Milk
• Make Hae Bee Hiam
• Make Soy Sauce
• Make an Avocado Dessert
• Fold a Spring Roll
• Cook Myanmar Mohinga

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