Sunomono literally means vinegar thing. There are many different types of sunomono dishes. Kyuri and Wakame Sunomono is a popular sunomono dish. The kyuri is really crunchy because it is treated with salt like instant tsukemono. Sunomono dishes are nice and refreshing side dishes, especially if you pair it with fried foods or a heavy main dish.
Ingredients (2 Servings)
1 kyuri (cucumber) about 80-90 grams
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 cup of sanbaizu*
1 teaspoon of mirin
1 tablespoon of cut and dried wakame
1/4 cup of unpacked katsuobushi
*Sanbaizu in this case will be:
5 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon of soy sauce
2 tablespoons of sugar
Directions
1) Slice the cucumber into thin slices. Use a mandolin or a sharp knife.
2) Add salt to the cucumbers and massage the kyuri and let sit for 10-15 minutes.
3) After the cucumbers are limp, test them to see if they will bend without breaking. Gently squeeze out the water until most of the water is squeezed out.
4) Rinse the cucumber with cold water and lightly rinse off the salt and squeeze out again but don’t squeeze it until it’s dry.
5) Make the sanbaizu and add mirin in a small sauce pan. Next, add the katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) and allow the sauce to come to a slow simmer and turn off immediately.
6) Allow the sauce to cool and strain.
7) In a small bowl add the dried wakame and add hot water and swish around.
8) As soon as the wakame has absorbed the water, drain and rinse with cold water and drain again. Squeeze out as much of the water as possible because it will dilute the sauce.
9) Mix the cucumbers and wakame together and add the sauce. Serve immediately.
If you’re not going to eat it immediately, don’t pour the sauce over the cucumber and wakame until ready to serve.
Cut the cucumbers thin using a mandolin or a sharp knife.
Add salt to the cucumbers and allow to sit for 10-15 minutes.
Gently squeeze out cucumber water.
Rinse the cucumber and squeeze out one more time.
Make sanbaizu and add mirin and katsuobushi. Bring to a slow simmer and let cool.
1 tablespoon of dried and cut wakame.
Add hot water to the wakame. It will quadruple in volume.
After the sauce is cool, strain the katsuobushi out. (Don’t throw away the katsuobushi after you strain it. It’s a great furikake to eat with rice or filling for an onigiri.)
Add the sauce to the kyuri and wakame just before serving.
Serve cold.
Naomi Kuwabara was born and raised in California but spent many summers in Japan growing up. She has spent time living in Hokkaido and Osaka, both meccas for Japanese cuisine. Her passion is cooking and sharing her experiences cooking Japanese food with others. Her blog Umamitopia is about her experiences cooking Japanese food. Her greatest inspirations are from her mother and grandmother. Her cooking adventures can be found at http://umamitopia.com.
