Home » Kinpira Gobo (Braised Burdock Root) (Video) きんぴらごぼう
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Total Time: 30 minutes minutes
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Stir-fried and simmered in sweet soy seasoning, Kinpira Gobo is a traditional Japanese dish of shredded burdock root and carrot with a hint of sesame. This crunchy and savory root vegetable is a great make-ahead side dish for your bento lunch or busy weeknight dinner.
Kinpira Gobo (金平牛蒡, きんぴらごぼう) is a classic Japanese side made with gobo burdock root. This humble dish appears frequently in home-cooked meals as it cooks in a flash and can be made ahead of time.
You might not be familiar with the name, but chances are you may have seen it served in the corner of a bento lunch box or at a Japanese-style breakfast buffet during your trip to Japan.
The root vegetables give a nice crunchy texture as you enjoy the sweet and savory flavors. When I make Kinpira Gobo at home, I usually make a lot, saving some for the week (lasts 5-7 days!) in the refrigerator and some for the future in the freezer.
What is Kinpira Gobo
Kinpira Gobo is made with thinly shredded burdock root (gobo), sometimes mixed with another root vegetable like carrot, stir-fried in a frying pan, and seasoned with sweet and savory soy sauce.
Kinpira refers to a cooking style where you first stir fry the ingredients and then simmer them with sugar and soy sauce until the sauce dries out. The most common vegetables used for Kinpira is the combination of gobo and carrot, but lotus root (renkon) is also another popular choice (here’s my Kinpira Renkon recipe).
What is Gobo – A Delicious Root Vegetable
Gobo or burdock root is an edible root vegetable that is very popular in Japan. It has known to be a powerhouse of antioxidants and for its many health-promoting properties. The stalk is long, roughly 20-28 inches (50-70 cm) and weighs about 5 oz (150 gram) and sometimes more.
It stays crunchy even after cooking for a long time, giving a good mouth/facial exercise while you enjoy the unique earthy flavor.
How to Cook Kinpira Gobo
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Gobo (burdock root)
- Carrot
- Sesame oil
- Sugar
- Mirin
- Sake
- Soy sauce
- Dried red chili (optional, often includes small amount)
- Sesame seeds
Cooking with Sesame Oil
Kinpira is always cooked with sesame oil to give an extra nutty, deep flavor. If you’re not a fan of sesame oil, you can use regular cooking oil.
Spicing Up with Dried Red Chili
Dried red chili pepper (赤唐辛子) is often added to the dish, but it’s optional as the spicy ingredient is still new to the Japanese palate. The chili seeds are almost always discarded.
3 Easy Cooking Steps
- Cut gobo and carrot into julienned strips. It’s a bit tedious but I always think it’s a good practice to cut vegetables. The more you practice, the faster and more precise your cutting technique will be.
- Stir-fry gobo first, until the texture is close to raw carrot texture. Add carrot and cook until both are equally tender.
- Add seasonings and simmer until the liquid dries out.
Helpful Cooking Tips
- Cut gobo and carrot in similar shapes – Both gobo and carrot should be julienned into thin strips, roughly 2 inches (5 cm) in length.
- Soak gobo in water – It’s important to get rid of the astringency of the root vegetable and prevent it from discoloration. Change water at least once.
- Use a larger pan to stir fry – It’s easier to stir/toss gobo.
- Let cool completely– If you are making the dish ahead of time (meal prepping), let it cool completely before storing it in the refrigerator or the freezer.
What to Serve with Kinpira Gobo
Along with steamed rice and miso soup, you can serve this simple vegetable side together with another protein as part of the ‘Ichiju Sansai’ Japanese meal. Here are my suggestions:
- Grilled Mackerel
- Simmered Beef with Ginger
- Garlic Miso Chicken Wings
- Simmered Kiriboshi Daikon
- Green Bean Gomaae
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Kinpira Gobo (Braised Burdock Root)
4.72 from 107 votes
Stir-fried and simmered in sweet soy seasoning, Kinpira Gobo is a traditional Japanese dish of shredded burdock root and carrot with a hint of sesame. This crunchy and savory root vegetable is a great make-ahead side dish for your bento lunch or busy weeknight dinner.
Print RecipePin Recipe
Video
Prep Time: 15 minutes mins
Cook Time: 15 minutes mins
Total Time: 30 minutes mins
Servings: 4 (as a side)
Ingredients
- 1 gobo (burdock root) (9.5 oz, 270 g)
- ⅓ carrot (2.5 oz, 70 g)
- 1½ Tbsp toasted sesame oil
For the Seasonings
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp sake
- 1 Tbsp mirin
- 1½ Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 dried red chili pepper (optional)
For the Garnish
- 2 tsp toasted white sesame seeds
Japanese Ingredient Substitution: If you want substitutes for Japanese condiments and ingredients, click here.
Instructions
Gather all the ingredients. I recommend measuring the seasonings ahead of time, combining the sake, mirin, and soy sauce in one bowl.
To Prepare the Vegetables
Try to select a burdock root without dark rings, which is the sign of an old gobo. Unfortunately, I don‘t always find the freshest gobo from local grocery stores (see the image below). Use the back of a knife to scrape off the skin of 1 gobo (burdock root). The gobo‘s flavor is right under the skin and you don‘t want to remove that with a vegetable peeler.
Next, thinly slice the gobo diagonally, about 2 inches (5 cm) long per slice. Then, stack a few slices at a time and cut them into thin julienne strips. Tip: Thinner strips will cook faster.
Soak the gobo strips in water for 10 minutes, changing the water halfway. After 10 minutes, rinse them under cold water and drain well.
See AlsoWhat Is Burdock Root?What Is Burdock Root?Is Bardock a Vegetable? Exploring the Unique Naming Conventions in Dragon Ball Z - GCELTBurdock - Identification, Benefits, Uses for Food and MedicineMeanwhile, peel and cut ⅓ carrot into thin 2-inch (5-cm) slabs. Then, cut them into thin julienne strips.
Cut off the stem end of 1 dried red chili pepper and shake it to remove the seeds. Then, cut into thin rounds. If you want to make it spicy, add the seeds. In Japanese cooking, we usually discard the seeds.
To Cook the Ingredients
Heat a large frying pan over medium heat. When it‘s hot, 1½ Tbsp toasted sesame oil. Then, add the gobo.
Stir-fry until almost tender, roughly 2–3 minutes. If your gobo pieces are thicker, stir-fry for longer or optionally add ¾ cup Dashi or Vegan Dashi and simmer the gobo. When the gobo is 50–60% cooked through, add the carrot.
Continue to stir-fry until both vegetables are tender.
To the pan, add 1 Tbsp sugar, 1 Tbsp sake, 1 Tbsp mirin, and 1½ Tbsp soy sauce.
When the vegetables are coated well with the seasoning, add the chili pepper (optional). Cook until the liquid evaporates.
Sprinkle 2 tsp toasted white sesame seeds and quickly toss all together. Serve the dish into individual bowls or a large bowl/plate.
To Store
You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 3–4 days or in the freezer for a month.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Kinpira Gobo (Braised Burdock Root)
Amount per Serving
Calories
139
% Daily Value*
Fat
6
g
9
%
Saturated Fat
1
g
6
%
Polyunsaturated Fat
2
g
Sodium
376
mg
16
%
Potassium
272
mg
8
%
Carbohydrates
18
g
6
%
Fiber
3
g
13
%
Sugar
7
g
8
%
Protein
2
g
4
%
Vitamin A
2957
IU
59
%
Vitamin C
3
mg
4
%
Calcium
43
mg
4
%
Iron
1
mg
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Author: Namiko Chen
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Japanese
Keyword: carrot, gobo
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Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on January 5, 2012. The recipe has been updated in April 2021 and new images and the video are added in May 2021.
Meet the Author
Namiko Chen
I'm Nami, a Japanese home cook based in San Francisco. Have fun exploring the 1000+ classic & modern Japanese recipes I share with step-by-step photos and How-To YouTube videos.
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