It’s time we settled the old Hellman’s vs Miracle Whip debate once and for all; Japanese mayo is the best mayo hands down. Richer, thicker, and with more yolky goodness than its American counterparts, it is essential to this Roasted Sesame Dressing. (And this Potato Salad too!) Japanese mayo has a mild, sweet tang from rice vinegar, and its thickness makes it a perfect addition to dips (try it with Fried Chicken)  and dressings.  You can find it in the international aisle of well stocked grocery stores, or in Asian markets and online. Kewpie brand is the original but there are a bunch of knock offs that taste identical.

Once you have the world’s best mayo, you can make a batch of this Roasted Sesame Dressing and use it enhance everything from simple salads, coleslaw, or use it as a dip for veggies. All kidding aside though, you don’t have to go out and buy another mayonnaise. This dressing has so much flavor that using what you have in the fridge is just fine.

Making Roasted Sesame Dressing

This roasted dressing is what I would equate to Japan’s version of Ranch dressing. It’s everywhere and every salad dressing/sauce brand has their own version. It’s creamy, deeply sesame flavored, and goes with so many more things besides salad. Like ranch, you can use it as a dip for all kinds of fried goodies, top it on some grilled veggies, or use it to baste simple roast chicken. And it has so much more flavor! Move over ranch, a new player is here.

Whipping up this dressing couldn’t be more simple. It gets its depth of flavor from freshly roasted sesame seeds, and pantry essentials like rice vinegar, soy sauce, and sesame oil.  I start by toasting the sesame seeds, even if they are already roasted. (If you can get your hands on raw unhulled sesame seeds, it’s even better.) Nothing beats the flavor and fragrance of freshly toasted seeds. This takes just a few minutes.

Roasted Sesame Dressing keeps well for a week. Just keep it in the fridge and give it a stir before you drizzle in on salads, veggies, even sandwiches.

Try this easy dressing and let me know what you think. Rate and comment on the recipe and tag us in your pics @funkyasiankitchen, we love hearing from you!

Roasted Sesame Dressing

• Author: Funky Asian Kitchen
• Prep Time: 2 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Total Time: 12 minutes
• Yield: makes 1 cup 1x
• Category: condiment
• Cuisine: Japanese

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• ¼ cup toasted sesame seeds 
• ⅓ cup japanese mayonnaise
• 1 Tablespoon sugar
• 2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons soy sauce*
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
• 1 large clove garlic finely minced

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Instructions

1. Place the sesame seeds in a small dry skillet over medium heat.
2. Lightly toast them for 3-5 minutes until they are a golden color and fragrant.
3. Place them in a mortar and grind them coarsely. (Alternatively, you can also place the sesame seeds in a heavy duty plastic zip top bag, squeeze out all of the air, and crush the seeds by using a rolling pin until you have the right ground texture.)
4. Brush the sesame seeds out of the mortar and into a bowl.
5. Add the mayonnaise, sugar, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, and garlic. Mix well.
6. Refrigerate until ready to use. Roasted Sesame Dressing keeps well for a week. Stir before using.

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Notes

*to make this gluten free be sure to use a GF soy sauce

*use a vegan mayonnaise to make a vegan friendly version

*if you can find unhulled sesame seeds, you are such a lucky person and I envy you! Toast the sesame seeds exactly the same way but for several minutes longer until they are a medium golden color. They should be very fragrant. Turn the heat down a little if you see the sesame seeds getting too dark.

Keywords: dressing, salads, healthy, japanese, summer, sesame

Way before Everything Bagel seasoning took the food world by storm, Furikake had been seasoning rice for generations of Japanese people. Though it’s still used mostly for rice, it enhances nearly everything it touches, and there isn’t much we can’t sprinkle it on. From avocado toast to popcorn, Furikake adds salty, savory, funky, crunchy bits of goodness. You’ll find a million uses for it, and it makes a great gift for your foodie friends. It’s also easy and fun to make, and as always, homemade beats the bottled stuff by a mile. Today, I’m showing you a pretty typical combination. What makes it a little unique is that we are using leftover ingredients.

I’m one of those people who can scrape together a meal even if the refrigerator looks suspiciously empty. That’s my super power 😉 And I really hate to throw food out, so I’m always finding ways of repurposing ingredients. Upcycling! It’s a thing people-even with food. So after some miso soup and shabu shabu recipe posts left me with bags of spent kombu and katsuobushi (bonito flakes), I knew even our dog Mina wasn’t going to be able to power through all of the leftovers. Furikake to the rescue! And it’s so easy, so come on, let’s upcycle together.

What is in Furikake?

That answer can vary wildly. In Japan, there are literally dozens to choose from at a typical grocery store. Inexpensive ones can be little more than seasoned salt but some upscale versions have wild salmon, chunks of cod roe, or dried scallops. Furikake means “to sprinkle over” so that covers a lot of ground. Virtually any dry combination you can shake to top some bland base is acceptable.

My version has all my favorite little goodies in it. Both black and white toasted sesame seeds, kombu, katsuobushi, schichimi, nori, and tiny dried boiled sardines called chirimen. Once you’ve made a batch, you can always tailor it to your individual tastes. Want it a little hotter? Add more of the schichimi pepper blend or even some dried chili flakes. Can’t get enough of the gloriously toasted nuttiness of sesame seeds? Throw some more in there.

From Scratch Furikake

Making this flavor bomb from scratch is simple. Whenever I make a dashi stock, like when I make Miso Soup or Oden Fish Stew, I save the kombu and katsuobushi and throw them into little baggies to store in the freezer. Then, when I want to make a batch of furikake, it’s there waiting for me. (Of course, you could also start with kombu and the tuna flakes straight out of their containers. The kombu will have to be softened in water first.)

Once all the liquid has been absorbed, and the katsuobushi is dry and crisp, transfer to a bowl and let it cool.

Stored in an airtight container in the fridge, your furikake will last for weeks, and you can keep it in the freezer for months. Of course, with so many tempting ways to use it, it’s not going to last that long.

Try sprinkling some on:

• Japanese Style Spinach
• Egg Soufflé
• Cold Soba
• Sunomono
• Omosubi Rice Balls
• Okonomiyaki

Or use it to give Asian flair to some basic foods: boiled eggs, boiled noodles, sliced avocado, tomatoes, etc. And of course, you can enjoy it in the traditional Japanese way by using it to embellish some plain steamed rice. We want to know what uses you find for Furikake- leave a comment below and tag us in your pics @funkyasiankitchen, we love seeing your creations!

Furikake

• Author: Funky Asian Kitchen
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Total Time: 15 minutes
• Yield: serves 6

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Ingredients

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• 1 oz reserved kombu (from making dashi)*
• 2 oz reserved katsuobushi (from making dashi)*
• 2 Tablespoons chirimen (dried boiled sardines)
• 1 ½ Tablespoons toasted white sesame seeds
• ½ Tablespoon toasted black sesame seeds
• 1 Tablespoon shichimi pepper blend
• 3 pieces of 2”x3” seasoned nori (either Korean style or Teriyaki flavored works fine)

Seasoning:

• 2 teaspoons sugar 
• 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
• ½ teaspoon sea salt 

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Instructions

1. Cut the kombu and katsuobushi into small pieces. (About the size of a kernel of corn). 
2. Put the katsuobushi and kombu into a small pan and cook over medium low heat for 5-6 minutes until it is dry. 
3. Add the chirimen and stir to combine.
4. Add sugar, salt, and soy sauce and continue cooking on medium-low heat until the liquid is completely absorbed, and katsuobushi is dry and crisp, about 7-9 minutes.
5. Transfer the furikake to a container or bowl and let it cool to room temperature. 
6. Cut the nori with kitchen scissors into small bits, similar in size to the kombu. 
7. Then add the nori, sesame seeds, and shichimi pepper blend. Stir to combine.
8. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for several weeks or freeze it for up to a month.

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Notes

*When you make homemade dashi or homemade mentsuyu (noodle soup base), put the “used” katsuobushi and kombu in a ziptop bag and save it in the freezer for this furikake recipe. If you have more kombu and katsuobushi you want to use up, simply adjust the amount of seasoning according to your taste.

Keywords: furikake, rice seasoning, japanese, everything bagel, seasoning, seaweed, katsuobushi, spices