I wanted to dedicate this post to the wonderful food that is konnyaku! It looks like some gross slimy sea creature but it’s actually a type of yam! The best part is that it’s said to be low calorie and high in fiber. I don’t know about the fiber part but I don’t really care because I personally just like it. Some might find the texture unappealing as it’s a bit rubbery, but I find it very similar to the texture of narutomaki, which I love. At Fujiya, in the prepared food section, they sell spicy konnyaku, so I have been getting the large size of that (pictured below) and eating it with a ramen egg for lunch. It seriously looks really unappealing but I think it’s delicious.
I also tried making konnyaku steak! It turned out really well. The texture was nothing like real steak so if that’s what you’re looking for, this won’t be for you. I personally don’t like the texture of red meat so this is perfect for me. Next time, I would slice the pieces thinner but it was very easy to prepare, short to cook, and tasted great. Dustin said he liked how peppery it was. I looked up a few different recipes for this and ended up using one but modifying it a bit. I served it with the bok choy and dirty rice from this post, except instead of rice, I substituted quinoa, which was very tasty.
Expand for recipe (Click to Expand)
The original recipe can be found here. I modified it a little bit to suit our tastes better.
Instructions
1. Make shallow cuts into the konnyaku to allow the flavors to be absorbed, then slice into 5 mm thick pieces.
2. Combine the seasoning ingredients in a bowl, then add the konnyaku and marinate for about 10 minutes.
3. Fry the konnyaku over low-medium heat until crispy. Add salt and pepper to your liking. Transfer to a dish.
4. Boil the sauce from Step 2 over medium heat.
5. Drizzle the sauce from the boiled sauce over the konnyaku, season with wasabi, then serve.
Since this post is all about konnyaku, i’ll also mention that the noodles I used in my japchae were konnyaku too!