Facebook-f Pinterest Instagram Youtube Tiktok
  • HOME
  • COOKBOOKS
    • ‘VEGAN ASIAN’ COOKBOOK
    • FREE BONUS EBOOK
    • ‘VEGAN KITCHEN’ EBOOK (2019)
  • RECIPES & BLOG
    • All Recipes
    • 30 Minute Recipes
    • Salads and Starters
    • Soups and Stews
    • Easy Stir-Fries
    • Rice Recipes
    • Pasta and Noodle Recipes
      • Ramen and Noodle Soups
    • Asian Recipes
      • East Asian
        • Japanese Food
        • Korean Food
        • Chinese Food
      • Southeast Asian
        • Thai Food
        • Filipino Food
        • Vietnamese Food
        • Indonesian Food
      • Fusion
    • Tofu Dishes
    • Dumplings, Buns, and Pies
    • Finger Food
    • Cauliflower Recipes
    • Sauces and Dips
    • Holiday Recipes
  • COOKING ESSENTIALS
  • ABOUT
  • WORK WITH ME
    • Brand Collaborations
    • Food Photography
Menu
  • HOME
  • COOKBOOKS
    • ‘VEGAN ASIAN’ COOKBOOK
    • FREE BONUS EBOOK
    • ‘VEGAN KITCHEN’ EBOOK (2019)
  • RECIPES & BLOG
    • All Recipes
    • 30 Minute Recipes
    • Salads and Starters
    • Soups and Stews
    • Easy Stir-Fries
    • Rice Recipes
    • Pasta and Noodle Recipes
      • Ramen and Noodle Soups
    • Asian Recipes
      • East Asian
        • Japanese Food
        • Korean Food
        • Chinese Food
      • Southeast Asian
        • Thai Food
        • Filipino Food
        • Vietnamese Food
        • Indonesian Food
      • Fusion
    • Tofu Dishes
    • Dumplings, Buns, and Pies
    • Finger Food
    • Cauliflower Recipes
    • Sauces and Dips
    • Holiday Recipes
  • COOKING ESSENTIALS
  • ABOUT
  • WORK WITH ME
    • Brand Collaborations
    • Food Photography
  • HOME
  • COOKBOOKS
    • ‘VEGAN ASIAN’ COOKBOOK
    • FREE BONUS EBOOK
    • ‘VEGAN KITCHEN’ EBOOK (2019)
  • RECIPES & BLOG
    • All Recipes
    • 30 Minute Recipes
    • Salads and Starters
    • Soups and Stews
    • Easy Stir-Fries
    • Rice Recipes
    • Pasta and Noodle Recipes
      • Ramen and Noodle Soups
    • Asian Recipes
      • East Asian
        • Japanese Food
        • Korean Food
        • Chinese Food
      • Southeast Asian
        • Thai Food
        • Filipino Food
        • Vietnamese Food
        • Indonesian Food
      • Fusion
    • Tofu Dishes
    • Dumplings, Buns, and Pies
    • Finger Food
    • Cauliflower Recipes
    • Sauces and Dips
    • Holiday Recipes
  • COOKING ESSENTIALS
  • ABOUT
  • WORK WITH ME
    • Brand Collaborations
    • Food Photography
Menu
  • HOME
  • COOKBOOKS
    • ‘VEGAN ASIAN’ COOKBOOK
    • FREE BONUS EBOOK
    • ‘VEGAN KITCHEN’ EBOOK (2019)
  • RECIPES & BLOG
    • All Recipes
    • 30 Minute Recipes
    • Salads and Starters
    • Soups and Stews
    • Easy Stir-Fries
    • Rice Recipes
    • Pasta and Noodle Recipes
      • Ramen and Noodle Soups
    • Asian Recipes
      • East Asian
        • Japanese Food
        • Korean Food
        • Chinese Food
      • Southeast Asian
        • Thai Food
        • Filipino Food
        • Vietnamese Food
        • Indonesian Food
      • Fusion
    • Tofu Dishes
    • Dumplings, Buns, and Pies
    • Finger Food
    • Cauliflower Recipes
    • Sauces and Dips
    • Holiday Recipes
  • COOKING ESSENTIALS
  • ABOUT
  • WORK WITH ME
    • Brand Collaborations
    • Food Photography
  • All Posts
  • All Recipes
    • Salads and Starters
    • Soups and Stews
    • 30 Minute Recipes
    • Easy Stir-Fries
    • Rice Recipes
  • Asian Recipes
    • Southeast Asian
      • Thai Food
      • Filipino Food
      • Vietnamese Food
      • Indonesian Food
    • East Asian
      • Korean Food
      • Japanese Food
      • Chinese Food
    • Fusion
  • Tofu Recipes
    • Favorite Tofu Recipes
  • Pasta and Noodle Recipes
    • Ramen and Noodle Soups
  • Sauces and Dips
  • Sides and Snacks
  • Sweets and Desserts
  • More
    • Finger Food
    • Dumplings, Buns, and Pies
    • Savoury Dishes
    • Cauliflower Recipes
    • Holiday Recipes
    • Pantry Recipes
    • Pantry-Friendly Recipes
    • Lifestyle and Travel
Menu
  • All Posts
  • All Recipes
    • Salads and Starters
    • Soups and Stews
    • 30 Minute Recipes
    • Easy Stir-Fries
    • Rice Recipes
  • Asian Recipes
    • Southeast Asian
      • Thai Food
      • Filipino Food
      • Vietnamese Food
      • Indonesian Food
    • East Asian
      • Korean Food
      • Japanese Food
      • Chinese Food
    • Fusion
  • Tofu Recipes
    • Favorite Tofu Recipes
  • Pasta and Noodle Recipes
    • Ramen and Noodle Soups
  • Sauces and Dips
  • Sides and Snacks
  • Sweets and Desserts
  • More
    • Finger Food
    • Dumplings, Buns, and Pies
    • Savoury Dishes
    • Cauliflower Recipes
    • Holiday Recipes
    • Pantry Recipes
    • Pantry-Friendly Recipes
    • Lifestyle and Travel
Categories
  • Jeeca Jeeca
  • - October 28, 2021
  • - 9:02 am

Kombu Tsukudani (Japanese Simmered Kombu)

Sharing is caring!

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
Jump to Recipe Jump to Video
A glass container with thinly sliced kombu cooked for kombu tsukudani topped with toasted sesame seeds

This Kombu Tsukudani is perfect with rice or as a side since even in small quantities, it packs so much flavour. It’s traditionally quite salty so that it can last long (even with refrigeration) but I love mine with a good balance of sweet and salty so I tend to add more sugar to get it that nice sweetness to balance out the saltiness.

It’s up to you to season yours according to your taste and adjust the sugar as needed–do note that sake and mirin already contain some sugars.

KOMBU TSUKUDANI OR JAPANESE SIMMERED KOMBU

I first tried kombu tsukudani in Japan years ago when I visited a local grocery store that had a wide range of ready made sides and dishes that you could either reheat or enjoy cold. It had a wide selection of sides and salads, as well as of course some Kombu Tsukudani. I love kombu for the umami it gives to soups and dashi but it’s also delicious enjoyed this way with its bite and the flavours its cooked down it.

DRIED KOMBU

  • I used 2 dried kombu sheets. Each was around 4×8” (~10 x 20 cm) and 30 g (dried) in total.
A sheet of dried kombu or seaweed

The kombu I used for this recipe is from my Kake Udon recipe. I soaked the kombu for my dashi and turned the soaked kombu into this simmered kombu dish.

A glass measuring cup filled with vegan kombu shiitake dashi or stock

You can check out my Kake Udon recipe here.

A bowl of vegan kombu shiitake dashi with thick wheat udon noodles and Japanese chili powder or spice

REHYDRATING THE KOMBU

  • Skip these steps if you already have rehydrated kombu.
  • If not, cut through your kombu using a pair of scissors. I like to fold mine in half and cut around five 1” (2.5 cm) cuts on each side. You can see the video below.
  • Place the kombu in a large container or jar. Pour in the water.Leave the kombu and mushrooms to soak in the water overnight. I keep mine refrigerated.
  • You can see my Kake Udon recipe to use your kombu dashi,
  • Thinly sliced the rehydrated kombu.
Thinly sliced rehydrated kombu or seaweed

SIMMERING THE KOMBU

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

  • water
  • sake
  • mirin
  • soy sauce
  • dark soy sauce
  • sugar

See the full recipe below!

WHAT TO DO:

  • Heat a medium sized pan or pot over medium. Once hot, add in the water and kombu. Leave to boil.
  • Once it boils, add in the sake, mirin, soy sauces, and sugar. Mix well and leave to simmer for 15-20 minutes until the water is absorbed and the sugars start the coat the kombu. Taste the kombu and feel free to adjust to your taste.
  • If your kombu is still a bit hard to the bite, you can add 2-3 tbsp more water and leave to cook a bit longer.
  • Once cooked and seasoned to your taste, turn off the heat and mix in the sesame seeds.
Thinly sliced rehydrated kombu or seaweed in a pan with sesame seeds

SERVING AND STORING THE KOMBU TSUKUDANI

  • Transfer to air-tight containers and allow to cool completely before refrigerating. This will be good refrigerated for 2 weeks, or even longer. I love mine served over rice. You can enjoy yours with noodles, or as a delicious appetiser or side dish.

OTHER JAPANESE RECIPES YOU MIGHT LOVE:

  • Shoyu Ramen
  • One-Pot Spicy Miso Ramen
  • Tofu “Chicken” Teriyaki
  • Tofu Katsu 

Kombu Tsukudani (Japanese Simmered Kombu)

5 from 1 vote
This Kombu Tsukudani is perfect with rice or as a side since even in small quantities, it packs so much flavour. It’s traditionally quite salty so that it can last long (even with refrigeration) but I love mine with a good balance of sweet and salty so I tend to add more sugar to get it that nice sweetness to balance out the saltiness.
Print Recipe Pin this Recipe Rate this Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Total Time 30 mins
Course Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish, Sides, Starters
Cuisine Asian, East Asian, Japanese
Servings 4
Calories 41 kcal

Ingredients
  

Kombu

  • 2 sheets kombu , makes 180g rehydrated (see notes)

To Simmer

  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 2 tbsp sake
  • 2 tbsp mirin
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp dark soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 2 tsp toasted sesame seeds

Instructions
 

Rehydrating Kombu

  • Skip these steps if you already have rehydrated kombu.
  • If not, cut through your kombu using a pair of scissors. I like to fold mine in half and cut around five 1” (2.5 cm) cuts on each side. You can see the video below.
  • Place the kombu in a large container or jar. Pour in the water.Leave the kombu and mushrooms to soak in the water overnight. I keep mine refrigerated.
  • You can see my Kake Udon recipe to use your kombu dashi,

Simmered Kombu

  • Thinly sliced the rehydrated kombu.
  • Heat a medium sized pan or pot over medium. Once hot, add in the water and kombu. Leave to boil.
  • Once it boils, add in the sake, mirin, soy sauces, and sugar. Mix well and leave to simmer for 15-20 minutes until the water is absorbed and the sugars start the coat the kombu. Taste the kombu and feel free to adjust to your taste.
  • If your kombu is still a bit hard to the bite, you can add 2-3 tbsp more water and leave to cook a bit longer.
  • Once cooked and seasoned to your taste, turn off the heat and mix in the sesame seeds.
  • Transfer to air-tight containers and allow to cool completely before refrigerating. This will be good refrigerated for 2 weeks, or even longer. I love mine served over rice. You can enjoy yours with noodles, or as a delicious appetiser or side dish.

WATCH Video

Notes

Kombu

  • I used 2 dried kombu sheets. Each was around 4×8” (~10 x 20 cm) and 30 g (dried) in total.
  • The kombu I used for this recipe is from my Kake Udon recipe. I soaked the kombu for my dashi and turned the soaked kombu into this simmered kombu dish.
  • You may need to adjust the seasoning to your taste depending on how much kombu you have.

NUTRITIONAL INFO

Calories: 41kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 659mg | Potassium: 25mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 7mg | Iron: 1mg
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?Please leave a rating or comment and share a photo on Instagram, and tag me @thefoodietakesflight or use #thefoodietakesflight 🙂

You can pin this image:

This Post Has 5 Comments

  1. Beverly 16 Jan 2022 Reply

    5 stars
    Easy to follow and perfectly delicious. I appreciated the link from the kake udon recipe so as not to waste the kombu!

    1. Jeeca 17 Jan 2022 Reply

      Thanks Beverly!! ◡̈

  2. Kee 8 Oct 2022 Reply

    Can you not add sake in this recipe? How much would it affect the taste? What can I substitute with?

    1. Jeeca 8 Oct 2022 Reply

      Hi Kee! Yes you can skip the sake and just use more mirin. You may need to lessen the sugar a bit since mirin contains more sugar than sake. Hope this helps! ◡̈

      1. Kee 21 Oct 2022 Reply

        Thank you! Jeeca I will try this out!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Recipe Rating




Noodles The Foodie Takes Flight

Hello there!

I’m Jeeca, a food content creator and recipe developer passionate about creating easy yet tasty and flavour-packed vegan recipes. I share a lot of Asian recipes inspired by my travels and those I grew up enjoying.

​ MORE ABOUT TFTF >

MY COOKBOOK

Vegan Asian Cookbook

Subscribe for recipes and updates

Search for a recipe:

Search
PrevChili Sin Carne (Vegan Chili Con Carne)
Vegan Kake Udon (Japanese Udon Noodle Soup)Next

Latest Recipes

shredded tofu bulgogi rice bowl

Shredded Tofu Bulgogi Bowl

GET THE RECIPE »
spicy eggplant with minced pork in a plate

Spicy Eggplant and Minced ‘Pork’

GET THE RECIPE »
soy sauce fried rice

The Ultimate Soy Sauce Fried Rice

GET THE RECIPE »
cheesy potato and broccoli soup

Cheesy Potato and Broccoli Soup (Vegan)

GET THE RECIPE »
15 Vegan Filipino Recipes

15 Vegan Filipino Recipes

GET THE RECIPE »
vegan mushroom meatballs with tomato sauce in a cast iron pan

Mushroom Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

GET THE RECIPE »
Page1 Page2 Page3 … Page10
Search
TFTF ICON LOGO 2021

RECIPES

SHOP MY ESSENTIALS

ABOUT

COOKBOOKS

FOLLOW ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA:

Youtube Facebook Instagram Pinterest Tiktok

PRIVACY POLICY