Hi, I'm Francis, the host of this show, "Cooking with Dog"!
Let's prepare the ingredients of this Vegetable Tofu Nimono.
Cut carrot veggies as you roll it.
Cut off the tip of the boiled bamboo shoot, and then cut it down the middle.
Cut the rest into rolling wedges, like the carrot.
Cut the kombu kelp that was used for making dashi stock.
Peel the lotus root.
Cut it down the middle, and cut into rolling wedges.
Add vinegar to a bowl of water.
Let the lotus root sit in the vinegar.
This will keep it from losing its white color.
Peel the satoimo potatoes,
and cut them into pieces, like so.
Put the satoimo in a bowl, and add salt.
Rub in the salt until it becomes a bit gooey on the outside.
Give the satoimo a good rinse.
Pound the konjac; this will make it more absorbent for later.
Tear the konjac into pieces with a spoon.
Put the konjac in a pot of water, and turn on the burner.
Leave it in for three minutes, after it starts boiling, and then remove.
Like with the other ingredients, cut the gobo into rolling wedges.
Lightly rinse.
Put the gobo in a pot of water, and turn on the burner.
Let them boil for five minutes, and remove.
Put the atsuage, deep-fried tofu, in the same boiling water, and cook for about two minutes.
Remove the atsuage and double-dry with a paper towel.
Cut the atsuage into six equal squares.
String the snap peas.
Add a pinch of salt to boiling water.
Immerse the snap peas.
Remove, and let the snap peas cool in icy water.
Put the pre-washed dried shiitake mushrooms in a container; add water.
Put on a weight to keep them submerged.
Cover,
And give it a good shake.
Let them soak in a fridge until the stems become soft.
Lightly squeeze the mushrooms to remove some of the extra liquid.
Cut off the stems.
Slice the caps diagonally in half.
Let's prepare the stock for Vegetable Tofu Nimono.
Run the shiitake liquid through a wire sieve.
Pour the pre-made dashi stock and check that it measures 1¾ US cups.
Let's cook the vegetables.
Place the gobo, konjac, satoimo, kombu kelp, carrot, bamboo shoot, shiitake, and lotus root in a pot.
Pour in the dashi stock, and turn on the burner.
When the dashi stock boils, remove the foam.
Add sugar and sake to the mixture.
Place a drop lid directly on the vegetables, and cook over medium-low heat for a couple of minutes.
Again, when you see foam, remove it.
Remove the drop lid, then proceed to add the soy sauce, along with the atsuage,
and stir lightly with a paddle.
Reapply the drop lid, and cook for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the ingredients become soft.
When the liquid has evaporated almost completely, add the mirin.
Place the snap peas in the pot, and toss to cook over high heat.
You are done cooking!
The vegetables will soak up the remaining liquid while cooling.
You can reheat the Vegetable Tofu Nimono when you are ready to serve.
You may want to add chicken as a variation.
Fry the meat until golden brown, and add it in with the vegetables.
Good luck in the kitchen!