Goma-dare means "Sesame Seed Dipping Sauce". It is the most popular sauce for Shabu-Shabu.
We love shabu-shabu so we go through a lot of Goma-dare. It's too expensive to buy so often in Australia, and home-made has a richer sesame flavour, so I like to make it myself.
Having experimented with Goma-dare several times, sometimes just adding ingredients (tekitou), sometimes using various recipes, and here are my two best tasting versions:
Goma-dare Recipe #1 (Super Quick and Easy)
1 cup freshly toasted Sesame Seeds
1/3 cup Japanese Soy Sauce
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup vinegar
1/2 cup water (boiled and cooled)
1 tsp Aka-miso paste
2 tsp Dashi-no-moto (dashi powder)
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp salt
- Place sesame seeds in food processor. Process until ground seeds don't move any more. Ensure that all the seeds are very well ground.
- Add sesame oil, miso paste, dashi-no-moto, sugar and vinegar. Blend until smooth. Add all other ingredients, blend until smooth.
- Pour into a clean glass jar. Keeps for months if refrigerated. Shake before use.
Goma-dare Recipe #2 (A little more involved)
1 cup freshly toasted Sesame Seeds
1/3 cup Japanese Soy Sauce
1/4 cup Mirin
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup vinegar
1/3 cup water
5g katsuo-bushi (Shaved dried bonito)
1 tsp Akamiso (Miso Paste, red miso if possible)
2 tsp Dashi-no-moto (dashi powder)
1 1/2 tsp salt
- Place water, mirin and katsuo-bushi in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Simmer 5 min. Strain out the katsuo-bushi and return to the saucepan.
- Add soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, stirring occasionally as you bring it to the boil. Dissolve akamiso into the liquid. Simmer another 1 min. Set aside to cool.
- Place sesame seeds in food processor. Process until ground seeds don't move any more. Ensure that all the seeds are very well ground.
- Pour soy sauce mixture from saucepan into the food processor. Process until well combined.
- Pour into a clean glass jar. Keeps for months if refrigerated. Home-made Goma-dare will separate when stored, so give it a good shake before using.
You can MAKE goma-dare?!! I've been looking everywhere for this in the Asian groceries, and couldn't find it. Will definitely have to try this out, as it is sooo good (also great on shredded cabbage, sliced avocado, etc).
ReplyDelete@UnknownYES you can MAKE goma-dare! And if you want to turn it into a creamy goma-DORE (Goma Dressing) just put some goma-dare in a jar, add japanese mayonnaise and a touch more vinegar and sugar, and shake it up. I should make a recipe for that too! Thanks for your comment!
ReplyDeleteWhat is Mirin ?
ReplyDelete@Anonymous Hi, thanks for your question. Mirin is Japanese sweet cooking rice wine. If you really can't get it, leave it out and use 1/3 cup sugar instead of 1/4 cup. The miso and dashi powder are also not 100% essential if you don't have them. Which makes me think... maybe I should do a "simple" goma dare sauce recipe! Thanks! Here's my post with explanations of all my ingredients: http://www.littlejapanmama.com/2011/10/japanese-kitchen-sauces-flavours.html
ReplyDeleteCan i buy these sauce over the counter? I'm in okinawa, japan.
ReplyDeleteYes, There will be Goma Dare (also called Goma Shabu) in any supermarket in Japan☆ Around 300 yen for a small bottle☆ Doma I mainly posted this for people living outside Japan, where it's difficult or expensive to buy. The commercial goma dare will have a lower concentration of sesame seed, but it still tastes great. Some brands of Goma Dore (Sesame Salad dressing) may also work for shabu-shabu, and are cheaper ^_^
DeleteHey, may i know what vinegar you use?(:
ReplyDeleteJapanese Rice Vinegar. ^_^ Apple cider vinegar is nice too.
DeleteJust tried the recipe out, and it tastes JUST right! Impossible to find in stores here in Germany, but this tastes just like I remember it. :)
ReplyDeleteIf you happen to live near Düsseldorf, you CAN find it in stores there.
DeleteSo we almost always have leftover konbu-dashi after tonkatsu donburi night at our house, so would this be a good use for the leftover dashi?
ReplyDeleteWe love to have shabu shabu at home, but here in Maui it is very hard to find goma-dare. Thanks to you, I was able to surprise my wife tonight by making tezukuri goma dare. She is originally from Japan and really enjoyed this. If you have any more recipes like this, she would love to see them.
ReplyDeleteIs this what some would consider "steak sauce" that goes on rice?
ReplyDeleteWe have a restaurant called Japanese Village where I live in Canada and they have the most amazing "steak sauce" that goes on rice. I am trying to find a recipe to recreate it.
Hi! The steak sauce might have been Tonkatsu sauce, I guess. I think you may have to buy that, but it's a relative of Worcestershire sauce and barbecue sauce. This is only a guess, though!
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