Japanese Okinawa Spinach Salad
We’re lucky to have an abundant crop of Okinawa spinach growing at my local Community Vegetable Garden.
Their pretty green and mauve leaves are botanically classified as Gynura bicolour and are a striking addition to the garden. .Whilst not a true spinach, the leaves are edible both raw and cooked, similar to common spinach.
Excellent with chicken yakitori or fish or beef skewers.
Inroduction
About this Recipe
There’s a Japanese cold spinach salad which I really like (Spinach Goma-Ae), so I decided to use the Okinawa spinach leaves instead of regular spinach for this. When cooked, the Okinawa spinach leaves turn dark green and can become slimy if overcooked. They have a refreshing, green, nutty, and slightly bitter taste which complement this traditional sweet sesame Japanese dressing.
Ingredients
Serves 4- 6 as a side dish
- Okinawa spinach leaves, 300g
- toasted white sesame seeds, 2 tablespoons
- caster sugar, 1 tablespoon
- white miso paste, 1 tablespoon
- Japanese soy sauce, 2 teaspoons
Bring a large pan of water to the boil. Drop in the spinach leaves and blanch for one minute.
Drain immediately and refresh under cold running water.
Set aside while you prepare the dressing.
Grind the toasted sesame seeds in a mortar and pestle or Thermomix (or blender) until they resemble coarse sand. Stir though the remaining ingredients.
Squeeze the water from the spinach leaves – you’ll notice the lovely mauve colour they release.
Stir the sesame dressing through the leaves. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.